Students seeking initial teacher certification who hold at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited university can choose from two sets of programs. Students wishing to combine their pursuit of initial teacher certification with the pursuit of a master's degree can follow a graduate teacher certification program (see University of Houston-Clear Lake [UHCL] Graduate Catalog). Students who do not wish to pursue a master's degree can follow a post-baccalaureate teacher certification program. Students pursuing a second bachelor's degree are also considered to be post-baccalaureate students.
Although it is not necessary for students holding at least a bachelor's degree and seeking initial teacher certification to pursue a second bachelor's degree, those who wish to do so must meet the lower-level requirements of the university in addition to requirements for both teacher certification and the second degree, unless such requirements were met in the first bachelor's degree. These lower-level requirements are described in the Core section of the catalog.
Graduate Teacher Certification Plans
To be eligible for admission to a graduate teacher certification plan, students must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited university and also be pursuing a master's degree. Students must meet the graduate admissions requirements for both the university and the School of Education (SoE). These requirements are described in the graduate plan section of the graduate catalog.
Graduate teacher certification students are considered graduate students; therefore, they must maintain graduate academic standards and pay graduate tuition rates. Some courses listed on the graduate teacher certification plans can also be applied to the pursuit of a master's degree.
At UHCL a graduate student can pursue the following Graduate Teacher Certificates:
To be eligible for admission to a post-baccalaureate teacher certification plan, students must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited university and meet the university admissions requirements for post-baccalaureate students. Post-baccalaureate students are considered undergraduate students; therefore, they must maintain undergraduate academic standards and pay undergraduate tuition and fees. Post-baccalaureate teacher certification students are not eligible to enroll in graduate courses and course work taken toward earning initial teacher certification may not be applied to a master's degree.
To be "Highly Qualified" for employment to teach at the Elementary level (Grades EC-6), teacher candidates must pass an EC-6 Generalist or 4-8 Generalist Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) exam. Candidates may take a TExES Generalist exam after completing an initial certification program. Fully certified teachers may register for the additional TExES as "By Exam Only" at the Educational Testing Service (ETS) test registration Web site. Then they may apply at the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC)/Texas Education Agency (TEA) Web site as "Certification by Examination" to add the Generalist certificate. Contact TEA’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) office for further information at 1-512-463-9374 or http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/taa/stanprog012210a.html.
To be "Highly Qualified" for employment with an EC-12 Special Education teaching certificate to teach at the Secondary level (grades 7-12), teachers must also earn the 4-8 Generalist, a 4-8 content specific or an 8-12 content specific teaching certification. Fully certified teachers can register for the additional TExES as "By Exam Only." As of Fall 2008, the federal government is allowing Texas school districts some flexibility in this requirement. For secondary teachers, the federal government is allowing use of passing an additional content test or holding an additional academic major, graduate degree, or hours of course work to be considered Highly Qualified. For information pertinent to a Special Education job within a specific school district, contact the TEA's NCLB representative at 1-512-463-9374 or view their Web site http://www.tea.state.tx.us/nclb/hqteachers.html. See the section called "Guidance for Implementation of NCLB Highly Qualified Teacher Requirements."
Any student seeking initial teacher certification is required to attempt the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) prior to the end of his/her first semester at University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL). Any student who has not passed the THEA (see Admission to the Teacher Education Program [TEP]) or attempted the THEA in the previous long semester will not be permitted to register.
The following Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Plan is under consideration:
8-12 Physical Science
Contact an academic adviser for the status of this plan.
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