State Certification Checklist

In addition to successfully completing student teaching and all of your degree requirements, in order to obtain a P-12 Art teaching certification in Texas you must complete the following:

Certification Requirements in Texas

• apply to SBEC 
• complete an undergraduate degree
• complete an approved certification program (UT is an approved program)
• pass both TeXES required exams–the PPR and Art Content exams (access to exams is provided only to students who have been accepted into Apprentice Teaching)
• complete the required fingerprinting process. Some students may have already completed this process. Check with your Apprentice Teacher seminar instructor if you have questions.

Certification Process

As soon as grades are posted, UTeach provides program completion documentation to the University’s Certification Officer.  The COE Certification Officer checks the list above and automatically recommends students for state certification if all of the requirements are met.

Documentation is not sent if:

• you are registered for courses after your student teaching semester
• you are missing degree requirements
• you have not applied to graduate

Undergraduates: Degrees must become official before you can be recommended for certification.

Where’s My Certification?

Wondering where your certification is? Here are some possibilities:

• Did you apply to graduapply to graduate? Is your degree official yet?
• Did you apply to SBEC?
• Have you completed the fingerprinting process?
• Have you taken and passed all exams? IMPORTANT: The number of retakes is now limited. More information about these new limits is available from TEA.
• Did you finish course work or degree requirements after Apprentice Teaching? Send us an email to let us know you’re ready to be certified.
• Did you finish course work for certification after your degree became official?
• Did you complete the fingerprinting process, but your SBEC application still shows that as incomplete? This is a known glitch in the system. Call TEA Fingerprinting at 512 936 8400.