Undergraduate/Transfer Checklist

 First Steps

• Meet with an Academic Advisor in your major to develop a degree plan.
• Schedule an appointment with the Certification Advisor. If you are a UT Dallas student, schedule a virtual appointment by clicking here. If you are not a UT Dallas student call 972-883-2730 and schedule a virtual appointment.
• Meet with the TDC Certification Advisor to develop your certification plan, complete all the necessary paperwork. You must go to the TDC office to complete a writing sample for Texas Education Agency (TEA) to complete your documentation.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram

Official Admission

• Students must have met with the TDC Certification Advisor, developed a certification plan, completed all the necessary paperwork (including an application for admission), provide a writing sample prior to Official Admission.
• Possess an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher or a GPA of 2.75 or higher for the last 60 semester hours of course work.
• Completed 12 SCH-15 SCH in major/teaching field with no grade lower than a “C”.
• TSI- Complete or Exempt
• Students will need a Social Security number. A Social Security number is later required for Teacher Certification to complete the fingerprinting process.
• Students are required to adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators and the TDC Student Handbook.
• Students are notified by UT Dallas email when they have been Officially Admitted to the Teacher Certification Program. Students must reply to the email immediately (within 48 hours) to accept their admittance to the program.
• In the email, students will be given directions to establish their TEAL (TEA Login), ECOS (Educator Certification Online System) and NES (National Evaluation Series) accounts.

Next Steps

The following are critical to your timely completion of your teacher certification plan and/or degree:

• Set up your TEAL, ECOS, and NES Testing accounts.
• Visit the NES (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program) website 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 certification exams.
  • Take the Science of Teaching Reading (STR) exam after you complete all of your ELAR/Reading courses. (If applicable for your certification.)
• Plan ahead for your TExES certification exams:
  • You are required to pass all TExES certifications exams for your teacher certification to be eligible for Clinical Teaching.
  • Make sure you have the opportunity to retake each test if necessary.
  • View the TDC’s Education Professors’ TExES Review Videos section for studying for the EC-6 Core Subjects, EC-8 Core Subjects, STR and the ESL Supplements exams.
• Suggested testing timeline for TExES certification 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.
  • ESL: Take ESL Supplemental Exam after completing and passing the ESL course and ESL practice test.
  • Take the STR exam after completing the course sequence of Reading I, Reading II and Diagnostic Reading.
• Make an appointment to take TExES practice tests — free of charge to TDC students — before taking the official TExES exams. Practice tests are offered during the fall and spring semesters in group settings and during the summer at the TDC office. Click here to sign-up for the practice tests and for more information.
• Reserve a spot for the TExES review workshops for the PPR and Content exams. Workshops are offered each semester at no cost to you. Click here to sign-up and for more information.
• Register to take your required TExES exams at NES (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program).
• Pass all required TExES exams for your specific certification.
• You must pass all your TExES certification exams prior to Clinical Teaching or Residency II.
• Make an appointment by calling the TDC office 972-686-1245 to attend a mandatory Sign-Up Meeting PRIOR to the Classroom Management course and Clinical Teacher or Residency II. This meeting is the SEMESTER PRIOR to you starting your Clinical Teaching or Residency II. These meetings usually occur within the first 4 weeks of each semester.