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 the 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
Professional Certification

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

Undergraduate Initial Certification Admission Requirements

Professional Certification Admission Requirements

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.