How to Become a Science, Mathematics or Technology Teacher in Texas

In order to be recommended for teacher certification at this university, a candidate must fulfill three basic requirements:

1. have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university which includes an academic major and teacher training courses,
2. complete teacher training through an approved program, and
3. complete successfully the appropriate teacher certification tests for the subject and grade level that the candidate wishes to teach.

Additional information on the requirements to become a teacher in Texas can be obtained at the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) website: http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/certinfo/becometeacher.asp. This website also provides information on the resources available to help students pay for a teacher training program.

SBEC has approved three levels of teacher certification for regular educators:

1. Early childhood to grade 4 which includes foundation subjects and enrichment areas such as art, PE, and music,
2. Grade 4-8 which includes the foundation areas only, and
3. Grade 8-12 certification.

Students can find information on the different certifications at the official Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) and Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) Web site: http://texes.ets.org/. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi offers several degrees leading to a number of these teacher certifications. The College of Education (COE) offers several degrees leading to teacher certification. The College of Science and Technology offers bachelor’s degrees leading to teacher certification in the sciences, mathematics and technology at the 4-8 and the 8-12 levels. These bachelor’s degrees are the following; they are described in Section V below, in the order listed:

• Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science – Science Education Concentration leading to the Science 4-8 teacher certification (137 sem. hrs.)
• Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (BSIS) leading to the Mathematics 4-8 teacher certification
• Bachelor of Science in Biology – Life Science Education Concentration leading to the Life Science 8-12 teacher certification (124 sem. hrs.)
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry – Physical Science Education Concentration leading to the Physical Science 8-12 teacher certification (124 sem. hrs.)
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – Computer Science Education Option leading to the Computer Science 8-12 teacher certification (136 sem. hrs.)
• Bachelor of Science in Mathematics leading to the Mathematics 8-12 teacher certification (127 sem hrs)
• Mathematics 8-12 teacher certification is also possible with an undergraduate major other than mathematics. Details immediately follow the BS in Mathematics listing.

The individual programs, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, and Mathematics offer these degrees and courses.

Students seeking Teacher Certification are also strongly urged to contact the Certification Officer in the College of Education about current requirements and procedures that must be met to obtain the certificate. In particular students following a degree plan leading to teacher certification must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi PRIOR to enrolling in any 4000 level EDCI or EDUC courses. Application forms for admission to the teacher education program may be obtained from the Undergraduate or Certification Office, room FC 201. The students are referred to the COE section of this catalog for more information on the Teacher Education Program.

Grade Point Average for Students Seeking Teacher Certification!

A minimum grade point average of 2.50 (4.0 = A) in all work attempted, a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in all science, math, or specialization areas, and no grade below “C” in any science or mathematics course on a student’s degree plan and/or education courses within the professional block of courses are required. (See College of Education, “Admission to Teacher Education” and “Admission to Student Teaching” for other requirements. You can find most of this information through the College of Education website at: http://catalog.tamucc.edu/catalog05/undergraduate/ug_programs/education/.)

Alteration of a Certification Plan!

Any amendment to a degree plan originally filed must be approved by the student’s academic advisor, the Department Chair, the Dean of the College of Science and Technology, and the Certification Officer of the College of Education for the degree to be granted.