Teacher Education Program Admissions

What is the Teacher Education Program?

In order to be considered a candidate in the Teacher Education Program and become a fully certified teacher at the time of graduation, you must apply and be admitted into the Teacher Education Program. Admission is only granted to students who demonstrate a desire to teach and readiness to take on the rigorous expectations of the professional program.  
Texas has a huge need for certified teachers.

Applicants seeking certification pathways listed below must meet the following requirements to be considered for the Teacher Education Program:  

• Certification in EC-6/ESL, EC-12 Special Education, or EC-6/Bilingual:Completed two MATH courses (6 hours) and two SCIENCE courses (6 hours) with a C or better.
• Certification in LOTE (Grades EC-12): Completed two Spanish Advanced Level (3000-4000) courses (6 hours) with a C or better.

 

Applicants seeking certification pathways in a subject-specific content area must meet the following requirements to be considered for the Teacher Education Program:

• Certification in 4-8 Math, Science, ELAR, or Social Studies: a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought.
• Certification in 7-12 ELAR, or Social Studies: a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought.
• Certification in 7-12 Math or Science: a minimum of 15 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought.

 

How do I apply to become a candidate?

1. Complete the online application to the Teacher Education program.
   
   
2. A copy of your unofficial transcript (log into my.UNTDallas.edu and go to student records). 
   
   
3. Copy and send this link to your professional reference form (not a family member) directly to the individual completing the reference.
   
   
4. Copy and send this link to your Faculty reference (Note: LOTE EC-12 Spanish requires the faculty reference to be from a UNTD Spanish instructor) form directly to the faculty member.
   
   
5. Attach a signed Code of Ethics to your application in Dynamic Forms.  To access the code of ethics, please follow this link, download and sign the document and then attach it to your application: State of Texas Educator Code of Conduct.
   
   
6. In-Person Interview: Once your completed application has been reviewed, you will receive an invitation with a date and time to interview with SOE faculty (see dates and deadlines for interview dates). Published dates are the only dates for in-person interviews. If you are not able to attend the assigned date/time of your interview, please email SOEATE@untdallas.edu as soon as possible. If you are unable to attend or reschedule during a published date, you will be asked to re-apply at the next application deadline.
   
   Professional dress and a professional disposition will be expected of all applicants.
   
   

7. A Writing Sample: On the day of your scheduled interview, you will be given a topic, a UNTD computer, and time to compose a writing sample. Writing samples will be graded on organization, mechanics, and attention to the given topic. Applicants seeking Bilingual or LOTE certification will be expected to compose one Spanish and one English writing sample.
   
   

8. Create a TEAL (Texas Education Agency Login) account with the Texas Education Agency to complete an Educator Profile. The TEA system will assign the candidate a user name and a unique TEA Identification (TEA ID) number. It is strongly encouraged that candidates take advantage of the tutorials available on the TEA website on how to create a user TEAL account. 

Continuation in the Teacher Education Program is not guaranteed by the admission process. Teacher candidates must adhere to all SOE and UNTD policies and procedures throughout program involvement.

For additional questions regarding the eligibility and/or admission requirements, please contact SOEATE@untdallas.edu.

 

What happens if I change my major?

All students pursuing teacher certification need to be enrolled in Education with initial teacher certification. If a student changes their major, the student must complete an exit interview by contacting the respective program coordinator to schedule an appointment.

Once the Change in Major is completed, the student will be no longer considered active in the SOE Teacher Education Program and will not be eligible for teacher certification until they are once again active in an Educator Preparation Program (EPP). Any test approvals that have been granted will automatically be removed.