Professional Certification
College of Education and Psychology
Professional Certifications
When you are in the last week of your last semester of required coursework, you can apply for the certificate, i.e., the last week prior to graduation (or completion of certification requirements, if a degree is not required).
- Do not apply until you have passed the appropriate certification exam.
- UT Tyler can only recommend you for certificates for which you have completed the required program of study.
- UT Tyler cannot recommend a candidate until his/her degree has been posted and the certification exam has been passed.
- If a candidate applies prior to the last week of the semester, i.e., program completion or exam completion, he/she will be removed from the recommendation queue and will reapply when it is appropriate.
How do I apply for my certificate?
When it is time to apply, the candidate will
- Complete the UT Tyler application form (the blue form) for advanced certification.
- Submit the application form and a copy of his/her service record to the Office of Educator Certification.
- The Service Record can be obtained from the candidate’s Human Resources or Personnel office.
- For candidates with experience from out-of-state, a similar form may be used in the state/country of your experience, or the Texas form may be downloaded and completed by the school officer equivalent of superintendent or personnel officer.
- The Service Record is a requirement for the recommendation of a candidate. A letter from the former school where the candidate taught will not suffice.
- Go to the TEA website
- Choose TEAL Login in the blue banner at the top of the page
- If you have a TEA account, follow the directions for certification application.
- In all cases except Master Reading Teacher, choose the University route for certification; do not choose “alternative” or “master teacher”.
- This Powerpoint illustrates the process. Note: If the wrong route is chosen, your application will be removed, and you will have to reapply using the correct route. TEA cannot process an application made using the incorrect route. If you have applied using the incorrect route and made a payment, that payment will transfer to the new certificate. If this does not happen, contact TEA and they will make the transfer.
- You will need a credit card to complete the payment process.
- A minimum of two* (2) years of full-time classroom teaching experience is required for an advanced certificate.
*Exceptions:
- Master Reading Teacher: The MRT requires three (3) years of full-time, classroom teaching experience as the teacher of record.
- Superintendent: For information about the classroom teaching requirement for the superintendent certificate, please see your advisor.
- Applying for the Master Reading Teacher:
- If seeking the MRT, the candidate must make a separate application for the certificate—separate from the Reading Specialist certificate—and with this application he/she should choose the Master Teacher route rather than the University route.
- If the Reading Specialist degree/certificate is earned, the candidate will not be required to take the MRT certification exam.
In SUMMARY:
1. You are eligible for recommendation by UT Tyler when…
a. Your degree is posted,
b. Your required certification exam has been passed, and
c. You have completed all degree requirements satisfactorily according to your program’s standards.
2. TEA will not grant the certificate until…
a. You have applied at the TEA website.
b. You have paid the required fees for the certificate.
- You cannot be recommended for certification until your degree is posted.
- Degrees are usually posted within two weeks of graduation—not counting the holidays.
- If degree isn’t posted by the third week after graduation, contact the Registrar’s Office. The most common problem is that all transfer credits are not on file. The only way to know is to contact the Registrar’s Office.
- Remember—all grades must meet the standard set by your program. If a grade falls below this, the course must be retaken before certification can be recommended.
- You will not receive a paper certificate. Instead it is digital and can be printed if you want to display it in your classroom. Your virtual certificate can be found at the TEA website. Type in your last name, your first name, and middle name, and your certificate will appear.
For questions about your degree, contact the Registrar’s Office at 903.566.7180 or enroll@uttyler.edu.
As a certified teacher, you are able to take additional content exams for classroom certification “by exam only”. You will not need to get permission to take an additional content exam. When you have passed an additional content exam, you will apply directly to TEA for your new certificate. Professional certificates can only be earned by completing a program for the certificate at an accredited Educator Preparation Program (EPP).
You are receiving a standard, five-year certificate. During the next five years, the state expects you to complete at least 200 clock hours of professional development that is geared to increasing your knowledge and skills in the certificate you are earning. One part of the TEA website is dedicated to this information.
At this website, you will find very important information, including:
- CPE Providers offering free online CPE;
- Approved CPE Providers;
- A form to keep track of your CPE clock hours;
- Updates about new CPE requirements;
- How to renew your Standard Certificate.
When you have been recommended, you will receive an email from TEA.
You and any school district that is interested may view the progress of your certificate online, as it moves from application to recommendation to completion/granting of the certificate.
Several years ago, TEA stopped sending hard copies of the certificate. Instead, they now issue virtual certificates. Your certificate may be viewed online by accessing your TEA account. Additionally, school districts can view your certificate online. For display purposes, you can print the certificate and frame it for your classroom or office.