Post-Baccalaureate Initial Teacher Certification
The Department of Teacher Education offers a post-baccalaureate certification-only program for candidates who wish to pursue teacher certification and hold at least a bachelor's degree. This program (a) consists of a minimum of 21 semester credit hours, (b) leads to initial teacher certification, and (c) is offered online except for the clinical practice components required by the Texas Education Agency. Courses from the certification-only route may be applied to a master's degree program if students are interested in a graduate degree.
Students who wish to obtain a graduate degree concurrently with initial teaching certification can find information at the Master of Arts in Teaching.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Effectively create a classroom environment with both respect and rapport; this environment fosters a positive climate for learning, equity, and excellence (PPR Standard 2; T-TESS Standard 3).
- Effectively promote student learning by providing responsive instruction using effective communication techniques, instructional strategies that actively engage students in the learning process, and feedback that is both timely and of high quality (PPR Standard 3; T-TESS Standard 2).
- Effectively teach in accordance with the professional roles and responsibilities expected of an initial educator and adhere to the legal and ethical requirements of the profession (PPR Standard 4; T-TESS Standard 4).
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
21-27 semester credit hours (SCH) which includes 12 SCH of coursework in pedagogy and professional responsibilities and 6-12 SCH supervised teaching experience. Students have the option of adding ESL, Bilingual, or Special Education supplemental (with added coursework) to the certification plan.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities | ||
| EDUC 5113 | Foundations of Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| EDUC 5123 | Learning Theory, Development, and Research | 3 |
| EDUC 5133 | Assessment and Instructional Design and Delivery for Diverse Learners | 3 |
| EDUC 5143 | Effective Design and Management of the Classroom Environment (EC-12) | 3 |
| READ 5213 | Foundational Skills for the Teaching of Reading in the Early Grades | 3 |
| or READ 5543 | Introduction to Literacy and Learning in the Disciplines | |
| Clinical Student Teaching or Internship | 6-12 | |
| A full-time, one-semester clinical student teaching experience in a TEA-accredited school setting. | ||
| OR | ||
| A full-time, two-semester internship in a TEA-accredited school setting in which the student is employed as the teacher of record. | ||
| Total SCHs | 21-27 | |
Special Requirements
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Students complete early field experiences prior to clinical student teaching or professional internship. These experiences are designed to introduce students to diverse classroom settings and provide opportunities to generalize course content in an applied setting. Please refer to course descriptions for the number of field hours required for specific courses. The Office of Clinical Practices works with faculty to place students in approved districts; faculty will provide information about required assignments related to field experiences.
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Students must pass all TExES exams prior to clinical student teaching or professional internship.
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Only courses in which the student achieved a grade of ‘B’ or higher may be included on the certification plan.
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Students are required to enroll in at least one semester credit hour of coursework each long semester (i.e., fall and spring) until they complete their program; failure to do so may result in removal from the program (and require re-applying if a student wishes to continue). Any exceptions require the permission of the M.A.T. Coordinator.
