Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to submit my TExES exam scores to the Teacher Development Center (TDC)?
Students do not need to submit their TExES exam scores to the TDC. ETS (the testing company) will report your scores directly to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The TDC can view your TExES exam scores through the TEA website for recommendation purposes.
When may I apply for certification?
When you enter into the last 2-3 weeks of your clinical teaching (2nd semester of your residency program) you may apply for certification, pay the certification application fee as well as complete and pay the fee for fingerprinting.
When will I be recommended for certification by the TDC?
Undergraduates: If you have successfully applied for your Texas Teachers Certificate with the TEA, you will be recommended for certification when your degree is posted by the Registrar’s Office (on average, 4 weeks after graduation). You will receive an automatic email from the TEA to the email address you listed in your TEA profile saying you were recommended for certification. Once you receive that email, it will take TEA 5-10 business days to post your certificate in your TEA account for viewing and/or printing.
Post-Baccalaureates: If you have successfully applied for your Texas Teachers Certificate with the TEA, you will be recommended for certification when your University Field Supervisor has posted your grade for clinical teaching. You will receive an automatic email from the TEA to the email address you listed in your TEA profile saying you were recommended for certification. Once you receive that email, it will take the TEA 5-10 business days to post your certificate in your TEA account for viewing and/or printing.
How will I know when I have been recommended?
TEA will send you a confirmation e-mail once you have been recommended by the TDC. This e-mail will be sent to the address you have listed in your TEA account.
When will I receive my certificate?
Certificates are viewable online through your TEA account. You will not be notified once your certificate has been awarded.
Can I be recommended for an additional certificate(s) other than the certificate I am seeking through the TDC?
No. The TDC only recommends you for your initial certificate. Once you are certified, you may add a certificate(s) through the Additional Certification by Exam option. Please visit the Texas Education Agency website for more information.
Why should I apply for certification if I don’t plan on teaching right away?
It is important to apply for teacher certification once you have completed all program requirements because the state is continuously updating/changing available teaching certificates and their requirements including adding new exams. If your certification track no longer exists when you apply for certification, you may be required to complete additional coursework and/or testing in order to be eligible for recommendation by the TDC.
How do I transfer my teaching credential(s) to Texas?
You will work directly with the TEA to transfer your teaching credential(s) from out-of-state or out-of-country.
How do I transfer my teaching credential(s) to another state?
Please check the respective state education agency website for requirements. Educator Preparation Program verification forms should be sent to the Teacher Development Center for completion. Please provide name and address where the completed form(s) should be returned.
Do I need to redo my fingerprints if I was fingerprinted as a substitute teacher?
No. If you completed Substitute Teacher Fingerprints during your Professional Development Sequence, then you have fulfilled the Fingerprinting Requirement. However, you may need to contact the TEA to link your fingerprints to your TEA Certification Application.
Do you offer any teacher certification courses or programs online or hybrid?
The courses offered online are BIS 4306: Strategies for Diversity in the Classroom, ED 4V95 Teaching Exceptional Children, ED 4V90 Exceptional Populations, ED 3345 Art, Music and Physical Development Grades EC-6, ED 3315 Children’s Literature.
A hybrid course is one that meets online and in person. The hybrid courses the TDC offers are ED 3339 Educational Psychology for Teachers, ED 4343 Science Methods EC-6, ED 4352 Reading I: Learning to Read, ED 4357 Diagnostic Reading, ED 4363 Reading II: ELAR Methods, ED 4372 Educational Technology, AMS 4305 World History for Teachers and AMS 4300 Oral and Written Communication.
May I take the TExES certification exams online?
No. Students take TExES exams at a testing center. Dates of availability may be found on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program (NES) website.
How do I renew my certificate?
Please follow the instructions outlined on the TEA website.
How do I become certified to teach in Texas?
Please see the home page of the UT Dallas Teacher Development Center to review information on how to get a Texas teaching certification from our university.
Can I become certified in UT Dallas’ post-baccalaureate program if my undergraduate degree is in a different field?
Yes, the post-baccalaureate program allows students to certify in a field outside their undergraduate degree; however, students may need to take additional foundation or content courses before entering the program or take the Pre-Admission Content Test (PACT) approved by the state. This is determined on a case-by-case basis.
How long does the post-baccalaureate program take?
Depending on the certification program and the student’s academic history as verified by transcript(s), some post-baccalaureate certification programs (7-12) may take as little as 5 classes and a two semester paid residency or an internship.
Other certifications (EC-6) may require approximately 2 years for completion. Exemption from or credit for any courses is determined by the academic history of each post-baccalaureate student. Please contact the TDC regarding course questions.
Is the post-baccalaureate program also a master’s degree program?
No, the post-baccalaureate program is not a degree program. Post-baccalaureate students are classified as non-degree seeking, certification only. The program allows students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree to complete the required certification and content courses as well as a residency program necessary for a Texas teachers’ certificate.
Why does UTD require field based experience (Residency Program) for teacher certification candidates?
The TDC’s field based experience is part of a two semester PAID Residency Program or Internship. It is designed to allow professional education students to work in schools with teachers and students while becoming familiar with the culture of schools and their communities. State law requires educator preparation entities to provide evidence of ongoing and relevant field-based experiences in a variety of educational settings with diverse student populations.
Field based experience is required by law in Texas and is an important part of a student’s professional teacher preparation. This experience of being in a school with a field experience assignment helps a student focus their inquiry and gives them an opportunity to learn from “best practices” or sometimes even from “worst practices.” This provides time for students to examine their own philosophy of teaching and consider the practices they will use in their own classroom. Students, benefit from the opportunity to examine schools without the responsibility of being the teacher of record.
What should I expect from the Residency Program at UT Dallas?
The TDC’s PAID Residency Program is associated with two courses in any given certification plan. The hands-on experience provides students with an opportunity to work with a teacher and his/her students as an instructional classroom aide. The Residency Program includes a professional education course sequence, including Classroom Management (Residency I) and Clinical Teaching (Residency II).
Does every student have to participate in the Residency Program?
By law, every student must successfully complete the TDC’s Residency Program or field based experience requirement. No student is exempt. Students who work as a full-time teacher’s aide in an accredited school may be approved by the TDC for that school campus to complete the required field based experience hours and fieldwork assignments associated with the course as part of the syllabus requirement for the course. This is based on each individual’s situation.
How do I receive my Residency’s school assignment?
It is mandatory for students to attend one of several sign-up meetings the semester PRIOR to taking the Classroom Management course (Residency I). For example, if a student is planning on taking Classroom Management in Fall 2022 then they must attend a meeting in February 2022 to secure a spot in Classroom Management. Students are required to call the TDC the first week of a new semester to reserve a spot in the upcoming Classroom Management meeting. All requests for residency placements will be made by the Teacher Development Center, no exceptions.