Secondary Certification
Secondary Graduate Certification
The Secondary Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program (8-12) is designed for those candidates who have completed or will complete a baccalaureate degree and desire initial certification to teach in Texas public schools at the secondary level. Candidates are admitted upon recommendation of Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture faculty and progress through the Summer, Fall, and Spring semesters as a cohort.
The certification program requires the completion of twenty-one (21) graduate semester credit hours and the successful completion of the appropriate State examinations and a full-year public school internship is required of all students. Most candidates have completed the internship requirement through a paid teaching position.
For more information, visit the Secondary Graduate Certification Program or contact Danielle Bairrington (danielle-nicole-bairrington@tamu.edu) at (979) 458-0629.
Accelerate Online Program
The Texas A&M University Accelerate Online certification program is an innovative approach to preparing secondary teachers in the state of Texas. Certification may be obtained in Life Science 8-12, Physical Science 8-12, Science 8-12, Mathematics 8-12, History 8-12, Social Studies 8-12, or English Language Arts and Reading 8-12. The program is designed to provide graduates and professionals possessing a bachelor's degree, as well as students late in their undergraduate careers, with an accelerated online program of educator preparation that can be completed in 12-18 months.
For more information, visit: the Accelerate Online Program website or contact Lynn Beason at (979) 458-3968 or accelerate@coe.tamu.edu.
aggieTEACH Math and Science Program
Current estimates indicate that the numbers of mathematics and science teachers must increase by 22% by 2010 to meet the needs of the students and classrooms in today's public schools. Texas A&M University has developed the aggieTEACH Program in an effort to address this need and to positively affect the future of mathematics and science education in the state of Texas.
The aggieTEACH program, formerly known as Math and Science Scholars, is a collaborative effort of the College of Science and the College of Education and Human Development to recruit and prepare the best and brightest students at Texas A&M to become secondary teachers in math and science. Utilizing a field-based, hands-on, and mentored approach to teacher education, the aggieTEACH Program enables students to gain secondary teacher certification with no additional hours added to their degree plan. Students in the aggieTEACH Program gain experience in math and science classrooms with some of the area's best teachers as well as access to top scholarships.
For information, visit the aggieTEACH website or contact Dr. Carolyn Schroeder at (979) 458-4450 or cschroeder@science.tamu.edu.
University Studies STEM Minor
The Minor in Applied Learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is a collaborative certification option between the College of Education & Human Development and the College of Science. It is a minor that can be added to a University Studies Degree Program in the College of Science. The area of concentration for this certification is in the high need field of either Math or Science. A 2.5 overall GPR and a 2.5 GPR in the concentration area is required to pursue this program. To review the course requirements for this program, visit the University Studies website and review the degree requirements for University Studies in the College of Science.
University Studies Degree in Mathematics for Teaching Concentration
The Mathematics for Teaching area of concentration consists of courses that are designed to give students desiring a secondary-school teaching credential a solid foundation in mathematics. In particular, the courses chosen encompass the mathematical areas tested by the State of Texas on the TExES secondary mathematics examination. These are the courses currently required for the secondary mathematics teaching field at Texas A&M University.
There is a critical shortage of students certified to teach mathematics in secondary schools in Texas and the nation; this shortage is anticipated to grow worse in the coming years as long-time teachers retire. This degree option will provide an additional degree avenue to students desiring mathematics teaching careers, on with the flexibility of allowing them to take coursework in other areas of teaching interest simultaneously in the minor areas. For more information, visit the University Studies website and scroll down to the Mathematics for Teaching Concentration information.
Agricultural Science
The Agricultural Science major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences works to prepare future Secondary Agricultural Science Teachers. This degree plan provides a broad and diverse background in agriculture through courses in animal science, plant and soil science, agricultural systems, and agricultural economics. The content in agriculture is paired with teacher education coursework designed to prepare students for a career as an Agricultural Science teacher in public schools. For more information on this degree, contact Dr. Julie Harlin at (979) 862-3014 or j-harlin@tamu.edu. You can also visit the Agricultural Science website.
Other Certification Options
The College of Education & Human Development provides certification for Early Childhood, Middle Grades, Bilingual Education, Special Education, and Physical Education. For more information regarding any certification option, contact David Byrd at byrd99@tamu.edu.
