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Step 5: Request Certification Plan

Admittance to the Educator Preparation Program

Step 5: Request a Certification Plan

STOP! Read before you request a Certification Plan. The Certification Plan application is ONLY for students in the Certification + M.Ed. (CMED), Teacher Recruitment Program (TRP), and Stand-Alone Teacher Certification programs (graduate level programs).

  • About the Certification Plan

    • According to the Texas Education Agency (TEA), completion of an Educator Preparation Program requires a Certification Plan. All CMED, TRP, and Stand-Alone Teacher Certification students must apply for a Certification Plan.

      • Certification Plan: The Certification Plan is a Texas Education Agency (TEA) required document that specifies the coursework, student teaching or internship, and tests that teacher candidates must complete to be eligible for teacher certification in the state of Texas.
      • A note about secondary and all-level Certification Plans: your transcript will be officially evaluated by a faculty member from the appropriate department to determine if you are required to take additional undergraduate subject-specific coursework.
        • These additional undergraduate courses are referred to on your Certification Plan as Content courses.
        • The undergraduate Content courses may not be available online or in the evening, and some are only offered once a year in the fall or spring.
        • Please be aware that state requirements for certification differ from university requirements for degree completion; therefore, even if you have a degree in the field for which you are seeking certification, you should expect to take (or possibly repeat) some additional undergraduate Content courses.
    • There are several non-refundable fees that may or may not be covered by financial aid, scholarships, Veterans benefits, etc. You are responsible for understanding the costs and making arrangements accordingly. 

    • Only CMED, TRP, and Stand-Alone Teacher Certification students need a Certification Plan. Undergraduate students must not apply for a Certification Plan. Please see table below to determine if you need a Certification Plan:

      Your degree program Do you need a Certification Plan?
      Bachelor's + Certification No
      Second Bachelor's + Certification No
      M.Ed. + Certification (CMED) Yes
      Teacher Recruitment Program (TRP) Yes
      Stand-Alone Teacher Certification Yes

       

       

    • Please allow a few weeks to receive your Certification Plan.

  • Eligibility Requirements

    • A background check is not required for a Certification Plan. However, please be aware the Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires multiple background checks for progression through the Educator Preparation Program. Based on information recorded in your criminal history, you may be ineligible for issuance of a certificate upon completion of the Educator Preparation Program. If you have a criminal history, the Office of Educator Preparation (OEP) recommends you

      1. pay for a Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation from the Texas Education Agency,

      2. schedule an appointment for free legal counseling services through Texas State University’s Attorney for Students, and

      3. disclose this information to the Office of Educator Preparation.

    • Before you apply for a Certification Plan, make sure you have been admitted to Texas State University as a student enrolled in a major or program that includes teacher certification.

    • Before the Office of Educator Preparation will prepare your Certification Plan, a staff member will check to ensure you have been formally admitted to the Educator Preparation Program.