Internship Option

An Internship is a full-time, paid position on a Texas school campus and is the mandatory capstone course of the Educator Preparation Program in lieu of Student Teaching. 

• Start Date: You can begin an Internship in either Fall or Spring semesters. There are no Internship assignments during Summer semesters.
• Support: You will be assigned a Mentor Teacher by the school district and a University Faculty Supervisor by your academic department.
• Assignment: You will be the employee of the school district and the teacher of record. You will be at the school for 100% of each school day for one school year.
• Registration and Tuition: You will be a registered student and will pay Graduate Tuition for 6 credit hours of coursework (Part-Time) for both semesters of Internship. See Graduate Tuition Rates.

You must meet certain criteria, including a minimum Overall GPA of 2.75 to participate in an Internship.

Please be aware the Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires a background check for employment at a school campus. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires multiple background checks for progression through the Educator Preparation Program and ultimately for issuance of a standard certificate. Pursuant to Texas Administrative Code 249.16, you may be ineligible for issuance of a certificate upon completion of the Educator Preparation Program due to offenses considered to relate directly to the duties and responsibilities of the education profession. If you have a criminal history, the Office of Educator Preparation (OEP) recommends you

1. review Texas Administrative Code 249.16, Eligibility of Persons with Criminal History for a Certificate for more information about specific offenses considered to relate directly to the duties and responsibilities of the education profession;
2. pay for a Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation from the Texas Education Agency;
3. schedule an appointment for free legal counseling services through Texas State University’s Attorney for Students; and,

4. disclose this information to the director of the Office of Educator Preparation at Texas State University.

You must meet certain criteria, including Admittance to the Educator Preparation Program.

Even if you are doing an Internship, you must apply for Student Teaching for both semesters of Internship.

You must hold a Bachelor's Degree from Texas State University or an accredited institution of higher education. 

You must complete all coursework on your Certification Plan prior to the Internship, and you must not register for additional courses during your Internship.

You must have passing scores on all required Certification Exams, including any required supplemental exams. For a full list of exams, see Certificates + Required Exams.

A Statement of Eligibility Form (and/or Letter of Intent to Certify) tells districts you have completed all the coursework and exams for your certification. The Form is required to obtain an Internship. You will use this form when applying for jobs and return the Form to the Office of Educator Preparation when you have a job offer. 

A Probationary Certificate is required for a teacher candidate to be a full-time teacher of record on a school campus. Please note, a Probationary Certificate is not the same as an Emergency Certificate or Permit.  

In order to do an Internship, you, the teacher candidate, must apply for and obtain a job at a school. The school must be within a district from the list of eligible Texas school districts, see Choose District Preferences.

An Internship is a full-time job and is the mandatory capstone course of the Educator Preparation Program in lieu of Student Teaching. You must be a registered student, and you must pay Graduate Tuition Rate for 6 credit hours of coursework for both semesters of Internship. 

Undocumented and DACAmented students are valued members of the Texas State University community. If you have questions or concerns about how your legal status affects your eligibility to complete the Educator Preparation Program, please take the following steps:

• Review the resources available through the TXST Monarch Center for Immigrant Students.
• Contact a proud supporter of Bobcat DREAMers in the Office of Educator Preparation.

The Texas Education Agency has very specific requirements for Interns.

• Read the TEA guidelines for internships, specifically review "Becoming a Certified Texas Educator through a University-Based program," steps 6-7.

There are several forms that are specific to you as an Intern.

• Download, save, and print the Internship Handbook from Internship Resources.
• There you will also find documents that you will use when applying for jobs. Prospective employers may want to see the Principal Form and Internship in Brief Form.

Even though you are doing an Internship, submit an application for each semester of internship: submit an application the semester prior to beginning the Internship, and another at the beginning of your internship for the upcoming semester. 

1. Visit Apply for Student Teaching.
2. IMPORTANT: Indicate in the "Notes" or "Comments" section of the Student Teaching application that you are seeking an Internship.

Register for the appropriate coursework: 6 credit hours of EDST for each semester of internship.

• See Register for Student Teaching Courses.
• Contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss how part-time status will affect your disbursement.

If you plan to do an Internship, you must pass the certification exams before you can start applying for Internship positions. 

• You must pass all the exams required for your certification area, including any required supplemental exams. For a full list of exams you need to pass, visit Certificates + Required Exams.
• To gain access to your exams, the Office of Educator Preparation must approve you. For instructions, read Apply for Test Approval.

Request a Statement of Eligibility Form & Apply for Jobs:

1. Immediately after you pass your TExES exams, email your Student ID and a brief request for a Statement of Eligibility Form to the Office of Educator Preparation.
2. OEP will return the Form to you so that you can begin applying for Internship positions.

When you request your Statement of Eligibility Form, also go ahead and submit the state application for a Probationary Certificate and pay the fee.

1. Go to your TEA Login and submit the state application for a Probationary Certificate and pay the fee.

Look up district websites and search their job postings. For a list of eligible districts, see Choose District Preferences.

Search for job postings from school districts through the university's Jobs4Cats.

Each semester, the Office of Career Services hosts a Teacher Job Fair. For upcoming dates, visit the Office of Career Services, Events. 

When you have a job offer, have the district complete the Statement of Eligibility Form and return it to the Office of Educator Preparation.

1. When the district returns the completed Form to our office, the Certification Officer will process your application for a Probationary Certificate. 
2. NOTE: Your Probationary Certificate is valid for one calendar year. In order to qualify for full certification, you must successfully complete your Internship and submit the state application for standard certification. See Issuance of Standard Teaching Certificate.

Liability insurance for Interns is mandatory.

• To find an organization through which to obtain FREE liability insurance, see Obtain Liability Insurance.

Do not forget . . . 

• During the first 12 class days of the first semester of your Internship, Apply for Student Teaching again.
• When Registration opens, be sure to Register for Student Teaching again.