Program Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in Education—Secondary degree program prepares students for teaching certification with dual majors. A student following this course of study will complete the UIW Core Curriculum, coursework in a discipline (teaching field) major, and the Education—Secondary Major (pre-professional courses and the professional development sequence). Education—Secondary Majors may also choose to add the optional minors in special education and/or literacy.
Upon successful completion of UIW Teacher Education Program requirements, Texas Education Agency certification requirements, and applicable TExES certification examinations, students are eligible to apply for state teaching certification to teach within their specialization field.
The UIW Teacher Education Program currently offers preparation in the following teaching fields:
Education-Secondary Major
English Language Arts and Reading (7-12)
History (7-12)
Biology / Life Science (7-12)
Chemistry / Physical Science (6-12)
Mathematics (7-12)
Admission Requirements
Students seeking entry into the Teacher Education Program must first apply and be admitted to the University. See the Admissions section for complete university admission requirements.
Students who plan to pursue initial teaching certification must also formally apply to and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) before enrolling in professional development coursework. Students should apply for admission the semester prior to beginning the professional development coursework. Application dates (spring and fall) are announced by the Dreeben School of Education. Acceptance to the Teacher Education Program does not guarantee acceptance to the Clinical Teaching or Teaching Residency Cohort or the granting of state certification.
NOTE: Effective March 15, 2017, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires a fee for each admitted teacher candidate. The $35.00 fee will be paid to UIW upon offer of acceptance and is then forwarded to the Texas Education Agency.
Students who plan to pursue initial teaching certification must meet all requirements for admission to the UIW Teacher Education Program. TEP applications are accepted each semester during announced application periods. Applicants are responsible for meeting posted deadlines. Application requirements are subject to change in accordance with TEA regulations. Current (as of January 2026) application requirements include:
- A current transcript (dated within three months of the TEP application) from each college or university attended, verifying that:
-
A minimum of 60 credit hours has been completed with a minimum of 12 credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought (15 hours for mathematics or science candidates).
-
The student has a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or greater at the time of application. Students are responsible for maintaining the minimum GPA requirement of 2.75 until program completion. All courses taken at all institutions will be calculated to determine the cumulative grade point average. If courses are repeated at the same institution, only the highest grade earned will be included in the GPA calculation (in accordance with UIW policy).
-
For undergraduates, a grade of “C” or higher must have been earned for every course taken toward the major and supporting coursework. Education-Elementary majors must earn a "C" or higher in all coursework included in the full degree plan (UIW core included). A minimum grade of B- is required for all professional development coursework. If a grade below the required standard is earned, the course must be repeated.
- A copy of a current degree plan (from Degree Works) will be provided by the applicant for review by the DSE Certification Officer.
- Verification of basic skill proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics. This requirement may be met with coursework or test scores. Options are available from the Teacher Education Program.
- Verification that EDUC 2305 Foundations of Education has been successfully completed or is in progress.
- Submission of two faculty feedback forms. Whenever possible, the applicant should request feedback from their discipline faculty and from the Teacher Education Faculty.
- NOTE: Additional information from the UIW community (solicited and non-solicited) may be considered regarding applicants' professional disposition--maturity, independence, responsibility, interpersonal relations, communication, etc. This information is of great significance to the decisions made by both the Dreeben School of Education and the university-wide Teacher Education Advisory Council regarding acceptance into the TEP.
- A signed DSE Texas Educator's Code of Ethics Statement of Affirmation form must be submitted with the application packet, acknowledging that the applicant is informed of and consents to the professional expectations for Texas educators.
- Applicants will participate in a group interview to assess effective and professional oral communication skills.
- The group interviews typically consist of one-hour sessions with five to eight applicants in each session. Dreeben School of Education faculty and administrators, as well as University faculty and administrators from other disciplines, will make up the interview teams. Recommendations from the interview teams will then be included as part of the application packet. Teacher Education faculty and the Teacher Education Advisory Council review all components of the TEP applications and make a recommendation for program admission. A formal decision letter will be emailed to each applicant by the end of the semester. The committees may decide to "hold" an application if a requirement is missing but work is in progress. The Dreeben School of Education Office will not make any announcements regarding the status of any applicant until those letters are sent.
Bachelor of Arts in Education—Secondary Degree Plan
The Bachelor of Arts in Education—Secondary degree program requires a concurrent major in a teaching discipline. Students earn a Bachelor of Arts with dual majors while developing their content and pedagogical knowledge for Texas teaching certification in secondary grades (7-12). The Education—Secondary Major prepares students for certification in the following teaching fields: English Language Arts & Reading, History, Life Science/Biology, Mathematics, and Physical Science/Chemistry.
The Bachelor of Arts in Education—Secondary degree program includes:
Total hours in UIW Core Curriculum: 43
Total hours in the Education—Secondary Major: 39
Total hours in Teaching Discipline Major: Varies
UIW Undergraduate Core Curriculum
UIW core coursework is required. Review the Undergraduate Core Curriculum Here and review the degree plans for each concentration for scheduling of the core curriculum classwork. In addition, 45 Community Service hours are part of all bachelor's degree programs. See Community Service.
| UIW Core Curriculum |
| Composition and Rhetoric |
6 credit hours |
| Literature and Art** |
6 credit hours |
| Science and Mathematics |
7 credit hours |
| History and Behavioral Science |
6 credit hours |
| Philosophy and Religion |
9 credit hours |
| Second Language |
6 credit hours |
| Wellness and Physical Education |
3 credit hours |
| |
43 total core credit hours |
| |
|
| Community Service |
45 clock hours (non-credit) |
| ENGL 1311 | Composition I | 3 |
| ENGL 1312 | Composition II | 3 |
| ENGL 2310 | World Literature Studies | 3 |
| PHIL 1381 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
RELS 13XX
| Religious Studies | 3 |
RELS/PHIL 33XX/43XX
| 3 additional upper-division hours from Philosophy or Religious Studies | 3 |
Modern Must be two consecutive courses of the same language or equivalent
| Second Language | 6 |
| HIST 1321 | The United States to 1865 | 3 |
| POLS 1315 | American Politics | 3 |
| BIOL 1401 | Diversity of Life and Laboratory | 4 |
| MATH 1304 | College Algebra | 3 |
| DWHP 1200 | Dimensions of Wellness | 2 |
PEHP 11XX
| Physical Education Activity Course (1 hour) | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 43 |
Students in Education-Secondary take EDUC 3385: Culturally Responsive Teaching as their Social Science requirement.
Education-Secondary Major Coursework
Professional Development Sequence
Application to the Teacher Education Program (TEP)
Students must apply for and receive full acceptance into the Teacher Education Program to enroll in the professional development courses. TEP acceptance is by cohort, with each cohort beginning in the spring semester. See the Education Advisor or the Director of Teacher Education for information on TEP requirements and the application process. Program admission requirements are subject to change in accordance with the Texas Education Agency requirements for certification candidates.
Basic Skills Requirement for TEP
An applicant must demonstrate basic skills in reading, written communication, and mathematics by meeting the Texas Success Initiative requirements under the rules established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (Texas Administrative Code 227). As of March 2025, the UIW Teacher Education Program will accept coursework to meet this requirement, provided a grade of C or higher was earned. Students may provide test scores instead of coursework (Next Generation Accuplacer, ACT, SAT, Redesigned SAT); contact the Teacher Education Office for score requirements.
· Reading & Writing Requirement: Composition II
· Mathematics Requirement (1 of the following): College Algebra, College Geometry, Pre-Calculus, or Calculus.
Teaching Discipline Major
The Bachelor of Arts in Education—Secondary degree program requires a concurrent major in a teaching discipline. Students earn a Bachelor of Arts with dual majors as they develop their content and pedagogical knowledge for Texas teaching certification in all-level grades (Early Childhood-12th grade).
The Education-Secondary Major prepares students for certification in these teaching fields: English Language Arts & Reading, History, Life Science/Biology, Mathematics, and Physical Science/Chemistry.
Students with a discipline major yielding a different degree (such as a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Music) may complete certification requirements with the Education Minor.
Total Credit Hours: 120