Teacher Certifications
EC-6 ESL Professional Development Sequence
The Early Childhood - 6th Grade Generalist ESL Certificate Program is designed for students seeking Texas certification to teach in elementary school classrooms. This interdisciplinary major allows students to explore developmental issues of children, learning theory, elementary school content, ESL, and teaching methods; all with a strong component of field experiences in the public schools.
Length: 3 semesters (Intern I, Intern II, Student Teacher)
Starts: Summer, Fall, and Spring
Application Periods: February 1 to March 1 (Summer and Fall) or September 1 to October 1 (Spring)
For more information about EC-6 ESL certification, please visit:
EC-6 Bilingual Professional Development Sequence
The Early Childhood - 6th grade Bilingual Generalist Certificate Program is designed for students seeking Texas certification to teach in a general elementary classroom or a bilingual classroom. Bilingual education is a dual-language program designed to provide equal educational opportunities to elementary students of limited English proficiency. Teachers in a bilingual classroom learn to teach students in their home language, and, subsequently, in English. The program at UT is specifically focused on educational issues that relate to students whose first language is Spanish.
Length: 3 semesters (Intern I, Intern II, Student Teacher)
Starts: Fall and Spring
Application Periods: February 1 to March 1 (Fall) or September 1 to October 1 (Spring)
For more information about EC-6 Bilingual certification, please visit:
Special Education Professional Development Sequence
The All-Level (Early Childhood-12th grade) Special Education Certification Program (SED) is designed to prepare prospective educators to teach in a variety of settings with individuals with disabilities including children and youth with mild to moderate disabilities, as well those with severe and/or multiple disabilities. The program also focuses on preparing lesson plans, developing skills for consulting with classroom teachers and parents, and participating in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Teacher certification candidates spend over 1300 hours in field-based placements having the opportunity to work with students of varying ages and with a variety of disabling conditions in a range of settings.
Length: 4 semesters (Intern I, Intern II, Intern III, Student Teacher)
Starts: Fall only
Application Period: February 1 to March 1
For more information about Special Education certification, please visit:
Physical Education Professional Development Sequence
The Applied Movement Science major is designed to prepare students for positions as physical education teachers at the elementary, middle, and secondary school levels. This all-level teacher certification program consists of 127 hours of course-work and fieldwork. It allows students to explore developmental issues of children and adolescents, learning theory, teaching methods, and incorporates a substantial component of field experience in the public schools. To increase marketability, many graduates of this program will also pursue coaching opportunities as well as certifications in other teaching fields.
Length: 2 semesters (Intern, Student Teacher)
Starts: Spring only
Application Period: September 1 to October 1 (Spring)
For more information about Physical Education EC-12 certification, please visit:
Additional Certifications
Additional all-level and secondary certifications are available through other colleges. The length, starting semesters, and application periods below refer to the part that is tracked by the College of Education in order to recommend students for certification. If you are interested in certification in one of these areas, you should contact the Advising Office in the corresponding college regarding the requirements. You may be required to submit a separate application for the program prior to submitting a PDS application to the College of Education.
Fine Arts (Visual Arts, Music, Theatre Arts)
Length: 2 semesters (Intern, Student Teacher)
Starts: Fall only
Application Period: February 1 to March 1 (Fall)
For more information about Fine Arts certifications, please visit:
UTeach Natural Sciences (Science and Math)
Length: 1 semester (Student Teacher)
Starts: Fall and Spring
Application Periods: February 1 to March 1 (Fall) or September 1 to October 1 (Spring)
For more information about UTeach Natural Sciences certifications, please visit:
UTeach - Liberal Arts (English, Social Studies, and Languages Other Than English)
Length: 2 semesters (Intern, Student Teacher)
Starts: Fall and Spring
Application Periods: February 1 to March 1 (Fall) and September 1 to October 1 (Spring)
For more information about UTeach - Liberal Arts certifications, please visit: