Undergraduate/Transfer Checklist
First Steps
- Meet with an academic advisor in your major to develop a degree plan.
- Meet with an advisor in the Teacher Development Center (TDC) to fill out paperwork and develop your certification plan. Bring a copy of your degree plan from your academic advisor to this appointment.
- Visit the TDC website to become familiar with online teacher certification information.
- “Like” TDC on Facebook.
Official Admission
- TSI: Exempt or Complete (revision as of 7/8/2016).
- Meet GPA requirements: 2.75 cumulative or last 60 semester hours – transfer and UT Dallas credits combined. See TDC for official calculation.
- Complete 12 SCH – 15 SCH in major/teaching field with no grade lower than a “C.”
- Students are notified by email when they have been officially admitted to the Teacher Certification Preparation Program. Students must reply within 7 days to the email to accept their admittance to the program.
Next Steps
The following are critical to your timely completion of your teacher certification plan:
- You must set up your TEAL, ECOS, and NES Testing accounts.
- You must make an “A” or “B” in all restricted courses.
- Visit the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program for information about the TExES Certification Exams.
- Select Preparation Materials to view the Content and PPR Test Manuals.
- Print the Test at a Glance for both of your required TExES exams.
- Plan ahead for student teaching and your TExES exams:
- You are required to pass both TExES exams for your teacher certification to be eligible for student/clinical teaching.
- Make sure you have the opportunity to retake each test if necessary.
- Suggested testing timeline for TExES exams:
- Take the PPR exam midway through or upon completion of Classroom Management.
- Take the Content exam after you complete most or all of your content (subject area) courses.
- Make an appointment to take TExES practice tests — free of charge to TDC students — before taking the official TExES exams.
- Reserve a spot for the TExES review workshops for the PPR and Content exams. Workshops are offered each semester at no cost to you.
- To begin the registration process for your TExES exams, call or visit the TDC office.
- Complete the forms to get approval to test for your TExES exams.
- Register online with NES for your TExES exams.
- TExES exams are $131.00 each.
- Pass both Content and PPR TExES exams.
- Make an appointment in the TDC office to attend a Student Teacher Sign-Up meeting the semester before you intend to student teach. These meetings usually occur within the first six weeks of classes each fall and spring semester.
Contact TDC for more information.