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Become a Teacher » Certification Process

Certification Process

Application

There is no fee to apply, but all application requirements must be submitted according to the cohort deadlines. We will not accept any application (or incomplete application) for a cohort past the application deadline. You must wait until the next cohort if you miss the application deadline. Applicants can only be admitted if they hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education or will obtain the bachelor's degree at the end of the semester for which you are applying. If you do not plan to graduate this semester, you must wait to apply to a different cohort. 

Interview 

If your application meets all the criteria listed in the Admissions Requirements section, you will be contacted to schedule a video-conference interview during the dates listed on cohort deadlines. During this interview, you will answer our screener's questions that we will score using a rubric.

Enrollment and Orientation

Based on the admissions rubric, the top applicants will be contacted to schedule another video conference where you will sign and accept the terms listed in our handbook's Standards of Conduct section. You will also begin our orientation in preparation to start the coursework. Again see the Cohort Deadlines section for the enrollment and orientation window.

Coursework

Each teacher candidate must complete at least 300 coursework hours, including 30 hours of field-based experience. Our coursework is divided into four (4) phases.
 
During phase one (1), you will complete at least 30 hours of field-based experiences and 66 hours of coursework in Educators' Code of Ethics, Classroom Management, Teacher Evaluations, Digital Learning, Students with Disabilities, Lesson Planning, and Literacy Development.
 
Phase two (2) builds on this knowledge with 89-91 hours of coursework, including Data-driven Decision-making, Achievement for all Students, Clear Communication, and Collaboration with students, families, and colleagues. By the end of phase two (2), you must pass the state content examination(s) preceding your internship experience. Preparation for the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) content exam is provided through online instruction for most certification areas.
 
You can find more information on the Curriculum Overview page.

Internship

During phase three (3), you are eligible to be employed as a teacher for the internship year. Once a full-time teaching position is secured, you are placed on an intern teaching certificate. During the internship year, you are hired by a district as the teacher of record with full pay and benefits. Candidates must have two semesters of internship. During phase three (3), you will continue to complete 72 hours of coursework while preparing for and passing the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) exam.
 
You can find more information on the Curriculum Overview and Internship pages.

Completion

Phase four (4) concludes upon successfully completing the two semesters of internship, completing the remaining coursework hours, full payment of required tuition/fees, and passing all required exams. You will earn a standard teaching certificate specific to your teaching assignment/certification area once all these requirements are fulfilled.