Applying for your Teaching Certificate

• Apply for your Teaching Certificate
• Adding New Levels or Fields of Certification by Exam After Receiving Initial Certification
• Applying for a Professional Certificate

Applying for your Teaching Certificate

To apply for your certification, you must do the following:

1. Complete all coursework (your degree must be posted on an official transcript). For students who already hold a bachelor's degree, all of your certification courses must be on a UT Austin transcript.

2. Take and pass the appropriate TExES, ExCET, or TOPT certification exams.

3. Pick up an Application for Certification Information Card in SZB 216.

4. Apply for certification through the State Board for Educator Certification website given on the certification information card.

5. As part of the certification application process, you will be required to submit a fingerprint packet to the State Board for Educator Certification. Directions for this process are included within the online application. A $45 fee is required.

6. Fill out and return the information card to SZB 216.

Within 3 weeks of submitting the certification information card to the UT Certification Specialist (SZB 216), your recommendation for certification from UT Austin can be submitted to the State Board for Educator Certification. SBEC will notify you directly when you have been recommended. School districts should have access to your "virtual certificate" within 2 weeks of your notification from SBEC unless there is a delay caused by fingerprint rejection. Unfortunately, this happens in 40% to 45% of cases.

If you decide to wait to apply for your certification, you will still go through the same process when you finally decide to apply. However, if you wait longer than three years after you finished your coursework for certification, your situation may have to be reviewed. You may be required to take additional coursework or participate in additional field experiences before you can be recommended to the State for certification.

Note: In accordance with Texas Civil Statutes, the Commissioner of Education may suspend or revoke a certificate, or refuse to issue one, for a person who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor for a crime that directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of the teaching profession.

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Adding New Levels or Fields of Certification by Exam After Receiving Initial Certification

Once you have received your initial teaching certification, you may test for additional levels or fields without having to get a bar code from UT Austin. Once you have received an email from the State Board for Educator Certification saying you have been recommended, you are allowed to add new certification levels or fields through taking the appropriate ExCET, TExES or TOPT exam(s). You apply for these exams through the State Board for Educator Certification. Call 1-888-863-5880 (toll free) for information and applications. You DO NOT APPLY for this type of certification through the UT Certification Officer (SZB 216).

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Applying for a Professional Education Certificate

Professional education certificates include those for the positions of:

• Counselor
• Educational Diagnostician
• Learning Resource Specialist
• Master Reading Teacher
• Principal (Mid-Management Administrator)
• Reading Specialist
• School Counselor (available after 9/1/2002)
• School Librarian (available after 9/1/2002)
• Superintendent
• Temporary Assistant Principal
• Temporary Principal (Temporary Mid-Management Administrator)
• Temporary Superintendent.

To be recommended for a professional certificate, you must have all coursework completed with grades (and your degree, if applicable) posted on the University mainframe, and you must have taken and successfully completed all required tests. A form is sent to the faculty advisors for these types of certificates asking them to confirm and sign that the appropriate courses and possible internships have been completed. Because of this, it often takes longer than three weeks for recommendation of a professional certificate.

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