Educational and Professional Certification Program

UTSA is approved by the State Board for Educator Certification to recommend students for teaching certificates in various baccalaureate degree areas. Students seeking a standard teaching certificate or seeking certification endorsements should apply for admission to the certification program through the College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) Advising and Certification Center. Applicants may be either degree-seeking or special students.

Undergraduates seeking elementary teacher certification must complete the Interdisciplinary Studies degree as outlined in the UTSA Undergraduate Catalog. Individuals seeking secondary certification should complete the bachelor's degree requirements in their academic specialization while coordinating with the COEHD Advising and Certification Center to fulfill certification requirements.

Prerequisites

Students must be in good standing with UTSA

Students seeking admission to the Undergraduate Teacher Certification Program (Program) who have ever been referred to UTSA's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (SCCS) may have those referrals and the outcomes of those referrals considered by the Associate Dean for Teacher Education (Associate Dean) in determining whether to grant admission to the Program. Admission is at the discretion of the Associate Dean.

Students requesting admission to the Program who have cases pending with the SCCS will not be admitted until the SCCS case has been fully adjudicated.

Clear criminal history

The teacher preparation program at UTSA requires fieldwork in public schools. This requires that a student be able to pass a criminal background check conducted by the school districts. It is the responsibility of the student to determine if their criminal history background will present a problem before applying for admission to the teacher preparation program.

Note that students with a problematic criminal history will encounter difficulty in completing any fieldwork requirements and therefore, may not be able to complete the program. Questions about criminal history background checks can be referred to the Office of Professional Preparation and Partnerships.

Undergraduate Initial Certification

Early Childhood - 6th Grade Certification:

Grades 4 - 8 Certification:

Secondary Certification (7th - 12th Grade):

All level Certification (Early Childhood - 12th Grade):

Professional Certification

  • Principal
  • Reading Specialist
  • School Counseling
  • Superintendent

Requirements for Admission to the Undergraduate Initial Certification:

  1. Be Core Complete.
  2. Meet minimum cumulative GPA requirements of 2.75 or higher.
  3. Complete 12-15 hours of content coursework. Math and Science certification will require 15 hours.
  4. Display English Language Proficiency (Earn a "C+" or better one of the following courses (WRC 1013, WRC 1023, COM 1043, COM 1053, COM 2123, COM 2113. AP or CLEP will not be accepted.
  5. TSI MET or Passing Scores on SAT or ACT*
    1. SAT: Composite score of 1070 or higher
    2. ACT: Composite score of 23 or higher
      * Exam scores cannot be mixed and matched
  6. Read and sign the Code of Ethics
  7. Read and Sign the Criminal History Policy .
  8. Pass the Teacher Candidate Admission Quiz with a 72 or higher
  9. Complete the Teacher Certification Screening Interview ( https://utsa.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0eyfyqPukjTvZUF)
  10. Have a clear criminal background and clear Student Conduct Services record
  11. EC-6 BBL and 4-8 BBL will be required to have taken the ALPS test.

Admission Requirements for Professional Certification:

  1. Be Admitted to UTSA.
  2. Maintain your UTSA email address.
  3. Hold a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
  4. Meet minimum GPA requirements of 3.0 or better in the cumulative GPA or 3.0 in the last 60 hours
  5. Provide copy of the College Recommendation Letter. (please contact your Student Development Specialist for more information).
  6. Provide evidence of a valid teaching certificate.
  7. Provide evidence of a service record showing at least 2 years of teaching experience.
  8. Display English Language Proficiency*
    *Teacher Candidates who did not receive a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in the United States will be required to take the TOEFL IBT in order to demonstrate proficiency. The required score for TOEFL IBT is Speaking-24, Listening-22, Reading-22, Writing-21.
  9. Read and Sign the Criminal History Policy.
  10. Complete the Teacher Certification Screening Interview (please contact your Student Development Specialist on how to complete the screener.)
  11. Submit an application to the Certification Officer in the COEHD office.

Accelerated Certification Program

UTSA is approved by the Texas Education Agency to offer teacher candidates various routes to teacher certification. The Accelerated Certification Program (ACP) is a track that allows students who have earned a Bachelor's degree or higher to obtain Texas teacher certification at the elementary and secondary level. The accelerated certification program is considered by TEA as an alternative route.

A $35 TEA fee will be charged to the teacher candidate's account. This fee is absorbed by the Texas Education Agency and is not used by the University of Texas at San Antonio. It is a one-time, non-refundable fee that will be charged at the time of admission.

Certifications offered through ACP:

  • 7-12 English Language Arts
  • 7-12 Life Science
  • 6-12 Physical Science
  • 7-12 Science
  • 7-12 Social Studies
  • 7-12 History
  • 7-12 Speech
  • 7-12 Math
  • EC-12 Health
  • EC-12 Physical Education
  • EC-12 Special Education
  • EC-12 Art
  • EC-12 Spanish
  • EC-12 German
  • EC-12 French
  • EC-12 Music

Graduate Initial Certification:

Requirements for Admission to the ACP:

  1. Attend a Teacher Certification Information Meeting.
  2. Be Admitted to UTSA.
  3. Maintain your preferred email address.
  4. Hold a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
  5. Meet minimum GPA requirements of 2.75 or better in the cumulative GPA or 2.75 in the last 60 hours.
  6. Pass the PACT test in the designated content area. Please see the below plans for further information.
  7. Complete 12-15 hours of content coursework. Math and Science certification will require 15 hours.
  8. Display English Language Proficiency*
    *Teacher Candidates who did not receive a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in the United States will be required to take the TOEFL IBT in order to demonstrate proficiency. The required score for TOEFL IBT is Speaking-24, Listening-22, Reading-22, Writing-21.
  9. Read and sign the Code of Ethics.
  10. Read and Sign the Criminal History Policy.
  11. Pass the Teacher Candidate Admission Quiz with a 72 or higher.
  12. Complete the Teacher Certification Screening Interview (https://utsa.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0eyfyqPukjTvZUF)
  13. Submit an application to the UTSA Accelerated Certification Program. This is obtained at the Teacher Certification Information Meeting.

Requirements for Admission to the Graduate lnitial Certification:

  1. Full and Clear Admission into the master's program.
  2. Be Admitted to UTSA.
  3. Maintain your UTSA email address.
  4. Hold a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
  5. Meet minimum GPA requirements of 3.00 or better in the cumulative GPA or 3.00 in the last 60 hours.
  6. Pass the PACT test in the designated content area. Please see your certification specialist for more information.
  7. Complete 12-15 hours of content coursework. Math and Science certification will require 15 hours.
  8. Display English Language Proficiency* *Teacher Candidates who did not receive a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in the United States will be required to take the TOEFL IBT in order to demonstrate proficiency. The required score for TOEFL IBT is Speaking-24, Listening-22, Reading-22, and Writing-21.
  9. Read and sign the Code of Ethics.
  10. Read and Sign the Criminal History Policy.
  11. Pass the Teacher Candidate Admission Quiz with a 72 or higher.
  12. Complete the Teacher Certification Screening Interview.
  13. Submit an application to the UTSA Master's with Teacher Certification Program.
ACP Meetings
Request ACP Information

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