UT Dallas 2014 Undergraduate Catalog

Undergraduate Programs

Teacher Education Certification Preparation Programs

UT Dallas offers rigorous university-based teacher certification curricula and has built an outstanding reputation for producing excellent teachers.

At UT Dallas, coursework and field experiences leading to teacher certification are planned and delivered through two separate teacher preparation programs - the Teacher Development Center in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies (972-883-2730) and UTeach Dallas in the School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics (NS&M) (972-883-2496) - in coordination with the other UT Dallas academic programs that provide the content for the teaching fields. Both of the UT Dallas Teacher Certification Preparation Programs use the total resources of the university rather than relying on a school of education. Students interested in pursuing teaching certification preparation through UT Dallas should preview program requirements of both the Teacher Development Center and UTeach Dallas. While both of these programs cover the same curriculum, they are uniquely independent, not interchangeable, and differ in course design and some requirements. The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board have approved the content and procedures for both programs' curricula.

Initial teaching certificates may be earned by UT Dallas undergraduates, concurrently with their degree studies, or by graduates from UT Dallas or other institutions. Prior to enrollment in the Teacher Development Center program, undergraduate students must first meet with their academic major advisor before being advised in the Teacher Development Center for the development of their teacher certification plan. Students enrolling in UTeach Dallas can meet directly with the UTeach Dallas advisor who also serves as the NS&M academic advisor for NS&M students in UTeach Dallas. Post-baccalaureate students interested in completing teacher certification requirements are advised in either the Teacher Development Center or UTeach Dallas.

SBEC (State Board for Educator Certification), working in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, has revised the rules governing educator preparation, shifting the process away from a prescribed schedule of required classes and semester hours to a standards-based system that identifies the knowledge and skills required for a beginning teacher in Texas. These standards are aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, the state's required curriculum for public school students. Texas law requires persons seeking educator certification to perform satisfactorily on comprehensive examinations. The educator preparation program is required to determine the candidate's eligibility to test. The TEA (Texas Education Agency) and ETS (Educational Testing Service) websites are the best source of updated information.

Certification Subject Areas

The University of Texas at Dallas offers approved teaching fields leading to teacher certification in the following subject areas. The Teacher Development Center supports all of the following certifications while UTeach Dallas supports only the secondary mathematics and science certifications.

Secondary (Grades 7-12) Certification

Undergraduate students must have an academic major and a minimum of 24 semester hours of appropriate coursework in the teaching field, a reading course in the content area for the Teacher Development Center program, and 18 semester hours of professional education, including student teaching. All UT Dallas student teacher candidates must pass state required TExES examinations for Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities as well as the content exam in the appropriate certification area prior to being placed in a student teaching assignment. Certification for secondary education is offered in the following fields:

7-12 English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR)¹
7-12 History¹
7-12 Social Studies¹
8-12 Computer Science¹
7-12 Mathematics
7-12 Chemistry
7-12 Life Sciences
6-12 Physical Sciences
7-12 Science

Secondary (Grades 4-8) Certification

Undergraduate students must have an academic major with a minimum of 24 semester hours of appropriate coursework in the teaching field and 18 hours of professional education, including student teaching. In addition, students must have two reading courses for the Teacher Development Center program or one reading course for the UTeach Dallas program. All UT Dallas student teacher candidates must pass state required TExES examinations for Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities and content in the appropriate certification area prior to student teaching. Students who wish to teach grades 4-8 may choose "4-8 Generalist" certification or a specialized teaching field. They may be enrolled in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, or in the school of their major subject.

Certification fields for Grades 4-8:

4-8 Science
4-8 Mathematics
4-8 Social Studies¹
4-8 English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR)¹
4-8 Generalist¹ - because this certificate qualifies a candidate to teach multiple subjects, additional academic coursework is required in order to prepare the candidate for the rigorous, broad-based "Generalist 4-8" TExES examination.

Early Childhood - Grade 6 Certification

Generalist

The Generalist Certification is the only certification available for students interested in Early Childhood - Grade 6. The content related TExES examination for this certificate will test for a broad-based content mastery. Students are advised to work with advisors in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies or the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences if they seek degrees that lead to teaching certification for Generalist EC-6. Because most elementary schools now seek to hire EC-6 teachers with ESL or Bilingual supplemental certification, UT Dallas highly recommends that students working on this certification prepare to take the ESL Supplemental exam when they complete their initial certification. The Teacher Development Center supports this by offering electives designed to prepare students to work in an ESL classroom.

All Teaching Fields

All undergraduate students must meet the 42-hour core curriculum for The University of Texas at Dallas.

All candidates seeking fulfillment of certification requirements through the Teacher Development Center are required to pass 18 semester hours of appropriate professional development courses, including six semester credit hours of full day student teaching. In addition to the professional education courses, state requirements for courses in Reading are required for each certification level. Candidates must also demonstrate technology, online educational literacy, and effective public speaking.

All candidates seeking fulfillment of certification requirements through the UTeach Dallas program are required to pass 18 semester credit hours of appropriate professional development courses, including six semester credit hours of student teaching. Candidates must also complete History and Philosophy in Medicine and Science and demonstrate technology literacy, online educational literacy, and effective public speaking.

Admission

Upon admission to the university, undergraduate students should meet with an academic advisor in the major field to develop a degree plan, indicating to the advisor that they are seeking teacher certification. NS&M and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) undergraduate students seeking certification preparation through UTeach Dallas should meet initially with the UTeach Dallas academic advisor. Students must then apply for admission to either the Teacher Development Center's or UTeach Dallas's teacher education certification preparation program, meet program's GPA (grade point average) and basics skills (THEA, SAT, ACT, or GRE) standards, and complete a Certification Plan through either the Teacher Development Center or UTeach Dallas.

Post-Baccalaureate Program

Persons who already have baccalaureate degrees may seek teacher certification. They should consult with an advisor in either the Teacher Development Center or UTeach Dallas to develop a certification plan after they have been admitted to the university through the Office of Admission and Enrollment Services. Prior to being admitted to the university Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program, students must meet basic skills (THEA, GRE, SAT or ACT) standards.

Post-baccalaureate students must meet the 24 semester credit hours content requirement in the appropriate teaching field and required professional education coursework. A certification plan will be developed based on an evaluation of the student's transcript. If additional content coursework is needed, students may take the required courses in their teaching field(s) at the graduate or undergraduate level. Post-baccalaureate students must demonstrate technology literacy and effective public speaking. Post-baccalaureate students in the Teacher Development Center must complete 12 semester hours of English. All students must fulfill either the Teacher Development Center or UTeach requirements for student teaching or supervised internship.

Guidelines for Admission to The University of Texas at Dallas Teacher Certification Program

Guidelines are in compliance with Chapter 227 of the Texas Administrative Code and the HEA Title II accountability requirements.

Students seeking Texas teaching credentials at UT Dallas must meet the following requirements:

Provisional Admission - Entitles a prospective student who has applied for admission to UT Dallas to be advised for a certification plan and/or to take the initial courses related to certification.
GPA of 2.750 overall or on last 60 hours of coursework.
Undergraduate students must have 60 semester hours of undergraduate coursework. This should include 12 semester hours at UT Dallas with no grade below a "C".
Post-baccalaureate students must have an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited university. If the students have never enrolled in an Educator Preparation Program (EPP), they might qualify to register for a Pre-Admission Content Test (PACT). Detailed PACT information is available at the ETS website. Taking PACT does not ensure admittance into an Educator Preparation Program. Individual programs may have additional admission requirements.
THEA - Unless exempt, a candidate must pass the THEA with the following minimum scores: 260 in Reading, 240 in Math, and 240 in Writing.

Students are exempt from taking the THEA if they meet the qualifying standards on the GRE, ACT, or SAT.

GRE: For tests taken prior to August 1, 2011: a minimum Verbal score of 450 and a minimum Quantitative score of 450 for a combined Verbal/Quantitative minimum score of 900 and a writing score of 3 or higher; for tests taken after August 1, 2011: a minimum Verbal score of 135 and a minimum Quantitative score of 135 for a combined Verbal/Quantitative minimum score of 270 and a writing score of 3 or higher.
ACT: A composite score of 26, and English and Math sub scores of at least 22. (Scores can be no more than five years old).
SAT: A total score of 1650 with 550 minimums in the math, critical reading, and writing sections of the test. (Scores can be no more than five years old).

Appropriate documentation is required to qualify for the exemptions from THEA. The Official THEA Test Study Guide may be purchased in the UT Dallas Bookstore. Preregistration is required to take the THEA test at the UT Dallas Student Success Center located in the McDermott Library building, room 1.302. Undergraduate students enrolling in the Teacher Development Center program should meet with a faculty advisor in their academic major to develop a degree plan, no later than the end of the second regular semester following the semester in which the student earned 45 or more semester hours, per the Texas Education Code, Section 51.9685, indicating to the advisor their interest in pursuing teacher certification. Students can then make an appointment for certification plan advising with the Teacher Development Center whenever they are ready to take upper division courses.

For undergraduate students enrolling in the UTeach Dallas program, all students (including freshmen) interested in exploring or pursuing secondary mathematics or science teaching as a career are encouraged to enroll in UTeach Dallas certification coursework as early as their first semester at UT Dallas due to early field and teaching experiences and compacting degree plans with certification preparation. Students should make an appointment for certification plan advising with the UTeach Dallas advisor, who also serves as the academic advisor for all NS&M majors enrolled in UTeach Dallas.

Official Admission

Teacher Development Center Program:

Meet all requirements for "Provisional Admission."
Complete an application for admission to the Teacher Development Center program. A committee of faculty, administrators, and public school educators will review all applications before students can proceed in the program.
Complete American Public School (ED 3314) and Educational Psychology for Teachers (ED 3339).

Students must adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators (Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 247, Rule 247.2) and to the Fitness to Teach Policy (to be provided at the first advising appointment in the Teacher Development Center).

UTeach Dallas Program:

Meet all requirements for "Provisional Admission."
Complete an application for admission to the UTeach Dallas program.
Complete STEP 1 (NATS 1141), STEP 2 (NATS 1143), and Knowing and Learning (NATS 3341); be at least currently enrolled in Classroom Interactions (NATS 3343); and have a 2.750 GPA or higher in university coursework.
Receive approval of the preliminary portfolio.

Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES)

All candidates for initial teacher certification must pass two TExES certification examinations:

Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities test EC-12.
Content specialization test for the appropriate grade level.

Students must be officially admitted to the Teacher Development Program to take the TExES certification examinations. For information on TExES registration and eligibility, please review the Teacher Development Center website - www.utdallas.edu/teach or contact the Teacher Development Center or contact UTeach Dallas at www.utdallas.edu/uteach. TExES preparation manuals and Tests at a Glance can be downloaded from the web at ETS website. Students should access this information before or during the first semester of enrollment in the Teacher Certification program or the UTeach Dallas program at UT Dallas. Students are encouraged to prepare early for the content related specialization TExES examination and to take the PPR TExES exam during or immediately after completing Classroom Management (ED 3342 or ED 4361) through the Teacher Development Center program or beginning of Project-Based Instruction (NATS 4341) through the UTeach Dallas program. Practice tests are available through the Teacher Development Center. UT Dallas provides a free six-hour test preparation workshop twice each long semester.

Requirements for Student Teaching

Applications for student teaching will be accepted at one of several information sessions held early in each long semester (before October 15 in the fall and before March 15 in the spring). For further information contact the Teacher Development Center or UTeach Dallas.

A committee of faculty, administrators, and field placement educators will review all applications for supervised student teaching or Post-baccalaureate internships. All candidates must have exhibited professional maturity, acceptable class attendance, and meet the following requirements.

Teacher Development Center Program:

Adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators as listed in Appendix III in the student teacher handbook.
Meet all requirements for official admission to the Teacher Development Center's teacher certification preparation program.
Pass both required TExES exams.
Complete all required coursework in teaching field with a 2.750 minimum GPA.
Have no grade lower than a "B" in Classroom Management (ED 3342 or ED 4361); Curriculum and Instruction (ED 3370, ED 3371, ED 3380, or ED 3382); Methods courses (ED 4343, ED 4344, or ED 4345).
Have no grade lower than "C" in other required certification courses.
Request a student teaching assignment where no family member works or attends.
Clear district criminal background check.
Register for student teaching (6 semester hours). A student teaching fee will be included in the total registration charges.
Pay tuition expenses before beginning official student teaching assignment.

UTeach Dallas Program:

Adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators as listed in Appendix III in the student teacher handbook.
Meet all requirements for official admission to the UTeach Dallas's teacher certification preparation program.
Pass both required TExES exams.
Complete all required coursework in teaching field with a 2.750 minimum GPA.
Have no grade lower than a "B" in STEP 1 (NATS 1141) and STEP 2 (NATS 1143) for certification through UTeach Dallas as well as a 3.000 GPA in UTeach Dallas coursework.
Have no grade lower than "C" in other required certification courses.
Request a student teaching assignment where no family member works or attends.
Clear district criminal background check.
Register for student teaching (6 semester hours). A student teaching fee will be included in the total registration charges.
Enroll concurrently in the NATS 4141 Apprentice Teaching Seminar course (1 semester credit hour).
Pay tuition expenses before beginning official student teaching assignment.

UT Dallas Requirements for Teacher Certification

Teacher Development Center:

A 2.750 GPA or higher in all professional education coursework and in content areas.
Grade of "A" or "B" in Classroom Management (ED 3342 or ED 4361); Curriculum and Instruction (ED 3370, ED 3371, ED 3380, or ED 3382); Methods courses (ED 4343, ED 4344, or ED 4345).
No grade lower than "C" in other required certification courses.
Professional education coursework taken at UT Dallas.
Online Educational Technology course, ED 4372.
Appropriate documentation of effective public speaking.
12 semester hours of English with no grade lower than a "C."
40 clock hours of early field experience.
14 weeks/semester student teaching experience with grade of "A" or "B" in Student Teaching.

UTeach Dallas:

A 2.750 GPA or higher in content areas.
Grade of "A" or "B" in STEP 1 (NATS 1141) and STEP 2 (NATS 1143) and overall GPA of 3.000 in UTeach Dallas courses with no grade lower than a "C" in Knowing and Learning (NATS 3341), Classroom Interactions (NATS 3343), or Project-Based Instruction (NATS 4341).
No grade lower than "C" in other required certification courses.
Professional education coursework taken at UT Dallas.
Appropriate documentation of educational technology competency.
Appropriate documentation of effective public speaking.
40 clock hours of early field experience.
14 weeks/semester student teaching experience with grade of "A" or "B" in Student Teaching.

Application for Certification

Students who successfully fulfill all requirements for Texas teacher certification (GPA, coursework, Basics Skills exam, and TExES examinations, etc.) should apply for certification on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website (www.tea.state.tx.us). The Certification Officer will access student online applications and, upon verification of all certification requirements, will make recommendations for certification online. Students will immediately receive an email from the certifying agency verifying recommendation. When TEA posts the certificate online, the teacher candidate can print a copy of the certificate on paper suitable for framing if they wish. The online certificate is the official credential.

Contact Information

UT Dallas Teacher Development Center
School of Interdisciplinary Studies
Hoblitzelle Hall 2.900
Telephone: 972-883-2730
Fax: 972-883-4330
www.utdallas.edu/teach

UTeach Dallas
Department of Science/Mathematics Education
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Founders North 3.218
Telephone: 972-883-6485
Fax: 972-883-6797
www.utdallas.edu/uteach

1. Available only through the Teacher Development Center.

Updated: 2015-03-26 17:35:43 v1.e602a6