Certification Overview
What are the basic requirements to become a teacher in Texas?
(1) You must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Texas institutions do not offer a degree in education. Every teacher must have an academic major, as well as teacher training courses.
(2) You must complete teacher training through an approved program, such as Trinity’s M.A.T. program.
(3) You must successfully complete the appropriate teacher certification tests for the subject and grade level you wish to teach.
Once these three conditions are met, you will be eligible to be certified to teach in an EC-12 public school in the State of Texas. Trinity's Program in Teacher Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and graduates who wish to obtain certification in other states will benefit from this association.
What are the costs associated with teacher certification?
State Certification $77.00
Fingerprinting $47.00
Fingerprinting Processing Fee $10.00
Exam Costs $240.00* (minimum) 
TOTAL $374.00
*All students take a minimum of two exams (one TExES Pedagogy & Professional Responsibilities & one Subject-Area Test). Additional subject tests, the TOPT, and re-takes are $120.00 each. There are additional fees associated with late registration and for tests taken on a computer. A full list of related fees can be found online.
FAQ About Certification
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS RELATED TO CERTIFICATION
How do I add additional certification areas?
After you receive your initial teaching certification, you may choose to add additional certification areas by passing other content-specific TExES exams. To do so, register and pass additional exam(s) ($120/per test) and log-in to your SBEC account to apply for additional certification areas. Note, you will not be able to register for additional certification exams until AFTER you receive your initial certificate.
What if I change my name or address?
Since your teaching certificate is a legal document, you are required to notify SBEC every time you update your contact information or change your name.
When and how do I renew my certification?
A “Standard Teaching Certificate” from SBEC will remain valid for five years. When it is time to renew your certificate, you must satisfy several criteria, including the completion of 150 hours of continuing professional education (CPE); passing a criminal background check; and you may not be in default of any student loan payments or child-support payments.
Remember to track your CPE hours and collect certificates of participation as you attend workshops, conferences, training sessions, and engage in a structured mentoring program. Additionally, you may satisfy up to 20% of your total CPE hour requirement with independent study (reading or watching articles or documentaries related to education or your subject area). When using independent study hours to complete the CPE requirement, student should prepare an annotated bibliography of the materials consulted. Note, you will only be required o produce back-up documentation if you are audited by the state. The cost to renew your certification is currently $20.
How do I become certified to teach in another state?
In order to become certified to teach in another state, please contact the department to discuss the specifics of your situation. You will likely have to register with an education agency in your new state (and pay a fee) and may be required to fulfill additional testing requirements. Questions regarding state reciprocity may be answered on the NASDTEC homepage.
