Upon receipt of your acceptance letter, you are ready to begin the Candidate phase of the CERT Program. Your next step is to pay your acceptance fee online and acknowledge the Program Agreement. Upon completion of these items, you will be emailed instruction to access the Welcome to Teacher Certification course. This is the first course for you to become familiar with the requirements of the CERT Program and the online processes.
Field-Based Experience
All teacher candidates must complete 50 hours of field-based experience before they can begin a teaching practicum and are encouraged to complete these hours within the Welcome to Teacher Certification online orientation course. There you will read about the requirements of Field-Based Experience (FBE) and the timeframe as required by state rule.
Curriculum
The curriculum has been carefully planned to address the State Standards, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, state tests, and best practices. All teacher candidates must complete 150 clock hours of coursework, 50 hours of field-based experience and have passed the TExES Content test before they can be given a Statement of Eligibility (SOE), which is needed to secure a teaching practicum. Candidates are expected to complete all program requirements within 3 years.
If coursework is not current (past 18 months old), an Individual Certification Plan (ICP) will be provided. There may be additional fees to update and/or add coursework.
Candidate Checklist
- Pay Acceptance Fee/TEA Technology Fee/Tuition Fee
- Complete The Welcome to Teacher Certification (online orientation)
- Complete and submit 50 hours of field based experience
- Review your certification area curriculum requirements and timelines
- Complete the Teacher Job Network Application (online)
- Research public schools and charter schools, and approved private schools for job openings