Degree Holders

2. What courses do I take for certification?
The UTeach program is comprised of courses in our professional development sequence in combination with content course work, like mathematics, biology, chemistry, etc. The exact content courses required vary by certification, so look for content requirements on our Certifications Offered page. How much content coursework is required depends on your educational background. For example, students who hold an undergraduate degree in mathematics generally need only a couple of extra classes. Students with little or no background in mathematics would need a number of courses. To determine which content courses are required, UT faculty evaluate a student's transcript and generate a list of requirements. Typically, students take the content courses concurrently with courses in the professional development sequence.

3. How long will the program take?
That varies considerably from student to student. If you have a degree in the area you want to certify in, like math for example, then you probably won't have to take very many content courses. Other variables include when you start (summer, fall, spring) and how many hours you take each semester. UTeach courses are taught in sequence, so you cannot take them all at once. You should count on a minimum of a year.

4. What if I want to certify in an area outside of my undergraduate degree?
The UTeach program does accept students who do not have undergraduate degree in the desired certification area. It's a good idea, though, to have demonstrated some proficiency in the content matter. For example, before applying, you might take appropriate lower division courses at a local community college, like calculus, biology, or chemistry, both to refresh your skills as a student, but also to show that you are likely to succeed in the content area. You can find course equivalencies for 2- and 4- year institutions in Texas here.

5. Is there a GPA requirement?
To be certified through the UTeach program, students must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA. You may apply with less than a 2.5 GPA. Being able to show academic improvement, however, would be helpful. This could be another reason to take a few courses at a local community college.

6. How do I know how many hours I'll be signing up for and what will it cost?
At UT Austin, the first digit in the course number tells you the number of credit hours. For example, UTS 101 is a one-credit course, while EDC 365C is a three-credit course. A fairly common schedule for degree-holders is 5-9 hours: UTS 101, UTS 110, EDC 365C--a total of 5 hours--plus content hours like mathematics, biology, or chemistry, etc. All students take all of the courses in the professional development sequence. Many students take content courses. Without a transcript review, it's not possible to determine in advance the exact amount. However, you can look at requirements for certification and think about your educational background to get a sense of what you might need. Tuition in the College of Natural Sciences is set at a flat rate based on the number of hours for which students register. Click here for the most recent schedule.

A note for prospective certifiers in mathematics: Students intending to certify in math may need to (re)take calculus. If you have never taken calculus for math and science majors or if you haven't had calculus in over 3 years, it is strongly recommended that you take a calculus course. The University of Texas and the UTeach program accept calculus from community colleges. The Automated Transfer Equivalency page can help you decide which courses to take. In general, if it's been a while since you've taken college courses, retaking a couple of lower-division courses can help jump start your academic skills and get you up-to-date on changes in your content area.

We offer certifications in a number of areas. The only "single field" certification we offer, i.e. certified in only one area, is math. Every other area is a "composite" certification, like physics/math or physics/chemistry. For a description of the certifications we offer, click here.

Click here for a list of the required courses in our professional development sequence. (At the University of Texas at Austin, the first digit in the course number tells you the number of credit hours. So, for example, M 315C meets 3 hours/week.)

Click here for a list of required content courses for each certification. If you have coursework from any other Texas institution, you can click here to find out how those courses transfer to the University of Texas at Austin.

Naturally, prospective students want to know how long it will take to finish the program. The answer to that question varies a great deal from student to student, depending on:

• how much content coursework you need

• how many hours you can take in a given semester

• when you start (summer, fall, spring)

Take a look at the content requirements and think about your own educational background to get an idea of how many hours you'd need. How many hours you take in a semester is entirely up to you. The UTeach program does not have any minimum requirements for a certain number of hours per semester. Degree-holders take as few as one course per semester all the way up to full time.

If you hold a degree, you need to apply to the University of Texas at Austin and to the UTeach Natural Sciences Program. These are 2 separate applications. Do not send UTeach material, like the essays and letters of recommendation, to the University of Texas Office of Admissions. The UTeach program has no way to know that the material was sent and your application to our program will not be circulated.