The aggieTEACH-Arts & Sciences program is committed to assisting you every step of the way in preparing you to be a teacher while earning your undergraduate content degree. From the very beginning, you’ll meet with a program advisor to create a personalized certification plan. This plan is essential to your timely completion of the program.
To become a certified secondary mathematics or science teacher through the aggieTEACH-Arts & Sciences program, you must:
- Meet the prerequisites, apply, and accept admission into the aggieTEACH-Arts & Sciences program
- Complete a Bachelor’s Degree in a content area related to current Texas Teacher Certifications field
- Complete 18 hours in a minor called SEED – Secondary Education through the TLAC Department in the College of Education and Human Development
- Complete the content courses required for the desired area of certification
- Undergo a criminal history background check prior to clinical teaching
- Complete one semester of clinical teaching (clinical teaching starts after all academic coursework is completed)
- Pass the standardized Texas Teaching Certification exams
- Submit a State Application
- Complete fingerprinting
For more information about becoming a classroom teacher, visit the Texas Education Agency websites about initial certification and certification through a university program.
Certifications & Degrees
Students are not required to have a specific major to be in aggieTEACH-Arts & Sciences, however the degree earned must contain a significant number of content courses related to one or more certifications offered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Usually, the degree declared determines the area of certification.
The table below gives the types of certification you can obtain with selected degrees. If your degree is not listed below, contact the aggieTEACH-Arts & Science Office to see if your degree plan can be adjusted to fit an area of certification.
| Certification | Certification Description | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry 7-12 | Holders of this certificate are eligible to teach science in Grades 7 and 8 and all chemistry courses in Grades 9-12. | Chemistry, Nutrition (General Nutrition Track), Biomedical Sciences |
| English Language Arts & Reading 7-12 | Holders of this certificate are eligible to teach any English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) courses in Grades 7-12. | English, Communication |
| History 7-12 | Holders of this certificate are eligible to teach any history course in Grades 7-12. | History |
| Life Science 7-12 | Holders of this certificate are eligible to teach science in Grades 7 and 8 and all biology, environmental systems, environmental science, and aquatic science courses in Grades 9-12. | Animal Science, Biology, Biomedical Science, Ecology and Conservation Biology, Forensic Science, Health, Horticulture, Kinesiology, Nutrition, Public Health, Zoology |
| Mathematics 7-12 | Holders of this certificate are eligible to teach mathematics in Grades 7 and 8 and all mathematics courses in Grades 9-12. | Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, University Studies – Math for Teaching |
| Physics/Math 7-12 | Holders of this certificate are eligible to teach mathematics and science in Grades 7 and 8 and all mathematics and physics courses in Grades 9-12. | Mathematics, Physics |
| Physical Science 6-12 | Holders of this certificate are eligible to teach science in Grades 6, 7, and 8 and all physics and chemistry courses, including Integrated Physics and Chemistry, in Grades 9-12. | Coastal and Environmental Science, Chemistry, Forensic Science, Kinesiology, Marine Science, Physics |
| Science 7-12 (Composite Science) | Holders of this certificate are eligible to teach science in Grades 7 and 8 and all science courses in Grades 9-12. | Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Ecology and Conservation Biology, Forensic Science, Environmental Geosciences, Geology, Kinesiology, Nutrition, Physics |
| Social Studies 7-12 | Holders of this certificate are eligible to teach any designates social studies course in Grades 7-12 including, Economics, Geography, Government, History, Psychology, or Sociology. | History |
Professional Licensure & Certification Disclosure
Since the aggieTEACH-Arts & Sciences program leads to a professional certification that is required for employment, it is important to note that professional certification requirements vary from state to state. This may affect a student’s ability to apply for a professional certification upon the completion of the program. The U.S. Department of Education regulation, 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v), requires an institution to disclose whether the program will fulfill educational requirements for certification for each state. The administrative departments that offer the programs have made the following determination regarding their curriculum. We recommend students contact the appropriate state licensing agency in their state or the state where they intend to work to seek the most up-to-date information about state licensure/certification requirements before beginning the program. For more information, visit http://certification.tamu.edu/professional-licensure/
| Meets | Does Not Meet | A determination has not been made |
|---|---|---|
| AL, AZ, AK, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, OH, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, DC, GU, PR, VI, | AS, CNMI, MH, FM, PW | |