General Requirements for Certification

Anyone seeking educator certification in Texas must pass examinations of professional knowledge and subject matter knowledge approved by the State Board for Educator Certification. To obtain information on these testing programs, click here.

In addition to passing the appropriate certification examinations, applicants for a Texas educator certificate must satisfy other requirements by following one of the several routes to educator certification listed below and must apply for certification using the Online Services for Educators link that is accessible from our secure web site. To obtain additional information related to application procedures, click here.

Routes to Educator Certification

1. University-based Programs

These programs are usually delivered as part of a baccalaureate degree program. However, most colleges and universities have programs designed to prepare people who already hold a bachelor's degree and want to obtain educator certification. These programs may vary by institution.

Approved Educator Preparation Programs

2. Alternative Programs for Educator Preparation

Some institutions of higher education and large school districts have been approved by the State Board for Educator Certification to operate alternative programs of preparation for teachers and administrators. These programs may involve university coursework or other professional development experiences as well as intense mentoring and supervision, during the candidate's first year in the role of educator. In addition, some regional education service centers and private entities offer alternative programs of preparation similar to the university/college based programs.

Approved Educator Preparation Programs

3. Additional Certification Based on Examination

A teacher who holds an appropriate Texas classroom teaching certificate and a bachelor's degree may add classroom certification areas by successfully completing the appropriate certification examination(s) for the area(s) sought. Certification by examination is not available for:

• initial certification;
• career and technology certification based on skill and work experience;
• a class of certificate other than classroom teacher (e.g. School Counselor, Principal, Superintendent, Learning Resources/School Librarian, Educational Diagnostician);
• a certificate for which no certification examination has been developed.
  
  To apply online for additional certification based on examination, click here.

4. Certification Based on Credentials from Outside Texas

An applicant who has been issued a standard certificate or credential from another state, territory of the United States , or another country may apply for a Texas certificate. The credential must be equivalent to a certificate issued by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), and must not have been revoked, suspended, or pending such action. SBEC will evaluate an expired credential provided it was standard at the time of issuance. A statement issued by another state department of education specifying eligibility for standard certification upon completion of certain employment or examination requirements will have the same standing as a standard certificate.

To apply online for a review of credentials, click here.

An applicant who holds a standard credential issued by a jurisdiction outside Texas , and who meets specified requirements as determined by the review of credentials completed by the SBEC may be issued a One-Year Certificate in one or more subject areas. During the validity of this temporary, nonrenewable certificate, the applicant must complete satisfactorily all appropriate examinations for each certification area for which continued certification is desired. If the person has completed an examination administered under the authority of a jurisdiction outside Texas that is determined to be comparable to a Texas test, they may request an exemption of the Texas test. To review information on comparable out-of-state tests, click here.

To review information on comparable out-of-state tests, click here.

To apply online for a One-Year Certificate, click here.

To establish eligibility for the Standard Certificate, certified applicants from outside Texas must complete all requirements specified in the certification plan prepared by the SBEC.

To apply online for a Standard Certificate, click here.

5. Additional Routes to Certification

An applicant who holds a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education with an academic major that is related to at least one area of the Texas public school curriculum and related to the 8-12 certificate structure that currently has an exam under the Texas Examination for Educator Standards (TExES) program may be approved to enter the teaching profession on a Temporary Teacher Certificate (TTC.) Applicants for the TTC must undergo a review of transcripts by SBEC. For additional information on the Temporary Teacher Certificate, click here.

To apply online for a review of transcripts or to apply for issuance of the TTC, click here.