Admission

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To enroll in A Career in Teaching Certification program, and to become a certified teacher in Texas you must meet the following requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning that is recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). If you have questions about your institutions’ accreditation use the links below for more information. You can also call our office for assistance.
• You may use the following databases to find out if your institution is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and/or the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).
• USDE website to check accreditation: Click Here.
• THECB website for acceptable accrediting organizations Click Here. 
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher. The GPA of the last 60 hours can also be used to calculate your GPA
• Completed a minimum of 12 Hours of Coursework in the area of certification

                                                                                 PACT Exams

TAC 227 requires a candidate to take and pass a PACT for admission into an EPP in the following cases:

1. If the candidate has a GPA below a 2.5 or
2. If the candidate has not completed at least 12 semester credit hours in the subject area of the certificate the candidate is seeking (15 hours if seeking certification in math or science above 7th grade).

Download Benchmark documents Here

                                                                             Backgroud Check

Candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to employment as an educator [19 TAC §227.1(b)(1)] Candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to clinical teaching [19 TAC §227.1(b)(2)] 

The potential ineligibility of an individual who has been convicted of an offense for issuance of a certificate [19 TAC §227.1(d)(1)] 

The right to request a preliminary criminal history evaluation from TEA [19 TAC §227.1(d)(3)]

ARE YOU CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN COLLEGE?

If you are currently completing your final semester of coursework toward a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education as required by Texas Education Agency and the Texas Administration Code, and you currently meet the identified admission requirements, then you may be eligible for admission on a contingent basis.

· Spring graduates may apply January 1 – May 1

· Summer graduates may apply June 1 – August 1

· Fall graduates may apply September 1 – December 1

To qualify for contingency admittance, you must provide the following documentation along with your application and evaluation fee by the above deadlines:

· Copy of final semester schedule of classes

· Letter of completion from academic advisor or registrar’s office. (This letter needs to indicate that you are currently completing your final semester and you are eligible for graduation.)

· Official transcripts through previous semester

· Once you are admitted under a contingency admission, you may begin your coursework and take your content exam(s). Candidates must meet test approval criteria to be eligible to take a content exam. Additionally, Candidates must provide A Career in Teaching an official transcript reflecting a conferred degree prior to receiving a Statement of Eligibility.

DID YOU GRADUATE OUTSIDE THE U.S.?

Graduates from a university outside of the United States must provide:

• Proof of oral English language proficiency by scoring in the High -Intermediate level in all areas of the TOEFL iBT test. If your undergraduate or graduate degree was earned at an institution of higher education in a country outside of the United States but appears on the Attached Graphic, you can be except from the TOEFL iBT test.
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• An original Foreign Credential Review from an approved agency. A Career in Teaching – McAllen does accept transcripts from a foreign university. TEA provides a list of foreign credential review companies that will be accepted by A Career in Teaching. The evaluation must include a U.S. equivalency for each credential, a course-by-course analysis, and a GPA of credit hours.

Change in Certification Status

In accordance to [19 TAC §227.1(d-e)] Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) must inform in writing all applicants and candidates that criminal convictions for certain felonies and/ or misdemeanors throughout the certification process can adversely affect program completion and/or certification. 

In the case that an applicant, candidate, and/or intern becomes ineligible for certification due to a criminal conviction for a felony and/or certain misdemeanors all funds paid to A Career in Teaching (ACiT) are not refundable. This includes tuition fees associated to program training, testing fees, and internship fees.

If you have been arrested for a misdemeanor and/or felony, you are required to undergo a preliminary criminal history evaluation before taking any program coursework. Please click on this link to get more information on how to initiate a Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation through the Texas Education Agency.