Undergraduate Degree FAQ

Middle grades (4-8), secondary (8-12), and all-level (EC-12) certification programs are based on degrees earned from colleges within The University with academic majors in the student's chosen teaching field. Certification requirements for undergraduate students seeking middle grades, secondary, and all-level school teacher certification include all the courses required for the major the student is pursuing in the College of Liberal Arts, Natural Sciences, Fine Arts, or Education, as well as the pre-professional and professional education courses.

Students pursuing middle grades or secondary teacher certification in mathematics, computer science, or science must follow the curriculum prescribed by the UTeach Natural Sciences program, a collaboration between the College of Education and the College of Natural Sciences. Program advising is available in the College of Natural Sciences Office of Special Projects, Painter Hall 4.02, or by calling (512) 232-2770. There are post-baccalaureate programs for the certification fields housed in the College of Natural Sciences.

Students pursuing middle grades or secondary teacher certification in English language arts and reading, history, languages other than English, or social studies must follow the curriculum prescribed by the UTeach Liberal Arts program, a collaborative program between the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts. Program advising is housed in the College of Liberal Arts. Information is available from the College of Liberal Arts Office of Special Projects, Gebauer Building 4.316, or by calling (512) 232-3480. There are post-baccalaureate programs for the certification fields housed in the College of Liberal Arts.

Program advising for students seeking all-level certification in art, music, or theatre arts is provided in the specific department in the College of Fine Arts, and in the College of Education Student Division, Office of the Dean, George I. Sanchez Building 216, (512) 471-3223.

Program advising for students seeking All-level certification in Kinesiology is provided in the Department of Kinesiology, Bellmont Hall 1005, (512) 475-6146, and in the College of Education Student Division, Office of the Dean, George I. Sanchez Building 216, (512) 471-3223.

Program advising for students seeking all-level certification in generic special education is provided in the College of Education, Student Division. Students may also contact Dr. Anne Fuller, faculty advisor, in the Department of Special Education, SZB 306, (512) 471-4161.

All students must apply to, and be accepted by, the UT Austin Office of Admissions prior to registering for courses at The University of Texas at Austin. The phone number for Admissions is (512) 475-7399 (for transfer/readmitted students) or (512) 475-7440 (for freshmen).

Please note that the application to The University is separate from the one required to begin the Professional Development Sequence in the College of Education. This sequence is administered by the Education Services in the College of Education (512/471-1511).

Current undergraduate students at UT Austin who would like to transfer into the College of Education should meet with an academic advisor in SZB 216 or BEL 1005 to go over a proposed degree plan and complete the form to change colleges.

Students with less than 45 semester hours who are interested in Applied Learning and Development majors may transfer into the College of Education at any time. Students with 45 or more semester hours must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA to transfer into the College of Education. Students with more than 36 hours who are interested in Kinesiology majors must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA to transfer into the College of Education.

Research on college students shows that the most successful students are those who are involved in university life. Take advantage of the more than 900+ student organizations to choose from at UT Austin. There is everything from sailing to student government to ballroom dance. For information about UT Austin student organizations, please call (512) 471-3065, or visit the Student Activities and Leadership Development Website.

See the list of Student Organizations within the College of Education. Remember to choose your extracurricular activities carefully since the expected level of academic performance in college is more rigorous than at the high school level.

Students generally complete at least thirty semester hours each year. Many students take fifteen hours each long semester and six to nine hours over a summer session. Others might only take twelve semester hours each long semester and work during the summer. Students should consider their time management skills, financial situation, and other individual factors.

All degree and teacher certification requirements must be taken for a letter grade; therefore, only elective courses can be taken pass/fail. Keep in mind that most College of Education certification degree programs require no more than a total of three semester hours of electives! Kinesiology degrees, however, do require a number of elective hours. Please check with an advisor in BEL 1005 about your specific situation. Be aware that if you fail a class taken on a pass/fail basis, the grade does count toward your GPA!