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Return
to Official Publications Blue Text Reflects Updates to the Printed Catalog Catalog Contents Introduction |
College of EducationQuick Links
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| General Information: | Departments: |
110 D Education |
 Sheryl Santos, Ph.D. Dean |
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The College of Education is devoted to promoting excellence and equity through scholarship, research, and reflective practice in education. The college provides degree and certification programs for both undergraduate and graduate students who plan careers in education. For many individuals, this means a future in teaching. College faculty work closely with public school personnel and practitioners in the field to design programs that will prepare leading educators for the 21st century.
The college prepares teachers who will become certified to teach in elementary schools (from the early childhood years to grade four), at the middle level (from grades four to eight), and in secondary schools (from grades eight to twelve). The college offers undergraduate degree programs leading to certificates in middle level education, bilingual education, special education, and science. In addition, a variety of advanced degrees and certificates are available.
The College of Education is accredited by the State Board for Educator Certification, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Texas Tech University holds membership in the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. The teaching certificate earned at Texas Tech is accepted in a majority of the states in the nation through reciprocity agreements.
Programs in the college are housed in two departments. The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers undergraduate programs leading to initial teaching certificates and graduate programs in bilingual education, curriculum and instruction, elementary education, language literacy, and secondary education. The Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership offers graduate programs in counselor education, educational leadership, educational psychology, higher education, instructional technology, and special education.
All students interested in becoming teachers or pursuing graduate programs in education should visit the college Web site for further information (www.educ.ttu.edu).
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The preparation of teachers and the provision of knowledge and skills for teachers seeking advanced certificates are important functions of Texas Tech University at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The coordination of the educator certification programs is a responsibility of the College of Education.
Passing rates on licensing exams taken by students seeking initial teaching certificates are reported to the U.S. Department of Education. The certification rate for students taking their exams in 2005-2007 was 97 percent.
The College of Education prepares students for a variety of teaching certificates. For a list of available certificates, please see the college Web site (www.educ.ttu.edu/certification).
Students preparing to teach in secondary schools (grades eight to twelve) will generally complete an academic major within the Colleges of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Human Sciences, Mass Communications, or Visual and Performing Arts with additional courses in professional education required for certification. Students interested in teaching composite science (certified to teach all sciences in grades eight to twelve) may complete a multidisciplinary science major through the College of Education or an academic major in one of the science teaching fields. Students preparing to teach grades four to eight will complete a multidisciplinary studies major in the College of Education. Those who wish to become certified as elementary teachers with specializations in special education, English as a second language, or bilingual education will major in the College of Education. Students seeking elementary certification with a specialization in early childhood will do so through a degree from the College of Human Sciences. See www.educ.ttu.edu for degree and certification information.
General advice on specific degree requirements is available in the office of the academic dean of the college in which the student is enrolled. The student will be advised on certification requirements by an appropriate advisor in the College of Education See www.educ.ttu.edu for additional information.
Degree and Teacher Certification Programs. Freshmen or transfer students are admitted by an appropriate college to a degree program leading to a bachelor’s degree. Eligible students at the junior level are admitted to a teacher certification program that leads to a Texas teaching certificate. The certification program culminates with the state-mandated Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) exams. Students must pass all appropriate TExES exams for certification, but not for the bachelor’s degree. Language-related certification also requires passage of the Texas Oral Proficiency Test (TOPT).
Admission to the Teacher Certification (Education) Program. Admission to College of Education certification programs is open to all individuals on the basis of academic preparation, achievement, and availability of space in the program selected. When there are more qualified applicants than can be instructed adequately by the available faculty or accommodated in available facilities, the college will control enrollment in specific programs by limiting the admission of new students. The number of students accepted into the undergraduate elementary, middle-level education, all-level education, secondary education, and career and technology programs is limited. Therefore, admission into a teacher education program is competitive and based on GPA and other criteria. A complete description of eligibility requirements is available in the Educator Certification Office in the College of Education. (Entrance criteria may be subject to change.)
Admission to a college degree program does not ensure admission to an upper-division teacher certification program. Students seeking teacher certification may apply to a certification program through an admission process. Application forms are available at www.educ.ttu.edu. The middle-level program and special education program accept applications once a year in the spring for the fall semester. Students seeking all other certificates may apply twice a year. Application deadlines are generally February for the fall semester and mid-September for the spring semester. For specific details, consult a College of Education advisor. To be considered for admission to teacher certification programs, students must meet the following minimum prerequisites:
Admission to upper-division teacher education programs will be subject to additional entrance criteria depending on availability of space in the program selected.
No otherwise qualified student will be denied admission to a degree program, certification program, or student teaching because of race, religion, national origin, age, gender, or disabling condition.
Under some circumstances a student may be requested to leave a certification program. Such a request can be initiated by the college or by the student. Due process will be observed during this time.
Individuals who lack the minimum GPA due to extenuating circumstances may also apply for admission to teacher education. The Admission Committee will review each request.
Transferability. Developmental courses (e.g., basic introductory reading and mathematics courses) and vocational courses (e.g., auto mechanics, nursing) will not transfer for degree or certification programs. Courses with D grades may or may not transfer, depending on the guidelines of the Coordinating Board of Higher Education, the university, and/or the college.
Certification Plan. Any undergraduate student working toward a teacher’s certificate should file a certification plan in the College of Education after 60 hours or, for transfer students, during the first semester of attendance at Texas Tech. The student’s advisors will assist in completing the certification plan. The requirement for filing a certification plan applies regardless of the degree sought, the subject that the student expects to teach, or the level (elementary, middle-level, secondary, or all-level) at which he or she expects to be certified. Degree plans and certification plans are not to be confused because they may be two separate documents. The degree plan is to be filed in the office of the student’s academic dean, whereas the certification plan must be filed in the College of Education.
Certification plan forms must be obtained from the College of Education. Once the form is secured, the student is responsible for consulting with the appropriate advisors to complete the plan.
Admission to Student Teaching. Completing 12 semester hours in the student teaching semester, including all-day student teaching for one full semester, is required for certification. Normally a student will take the student teaching course in a single semester during fall or spring of the senior year. Because student teaching requires the majority of the student’s time during the semester, the student should plan to register only for student teaching and the required corequisite capstone education course. Any request for an additional course with student teaching must be approved by the certification officer. The following are prerequisites for admission to student teaching:
Under some circumstances a student may be requested to leave a student teaching placement. Such a request can be initiated by the college, by the student, or by the school district. Due process will be observed in considering whether an alternate placement will be made or the student teaching experience terminated.
TExES and TOPT Exams. All persons who have completed teacher training programs and are candidates for initial Texas certification (i.e., those who do not hold a current valid Texas teaching certificate) must pass proficiency tests—Texas Examinations of Educators Standards (TExES)—in their fields of certification. All candidates for initial teacher certification must pass a test on pedagogy and professional responsibilities at the appropriate level and a content specialization test in each area for which certification is sought. The Texas Oral Proficiency Test (TOPT) is also required of individuals seeking language-related certificates. A fee is associated with all such examinations. To be eligible to take the exams, a student must complete a registration process online. Students will find information about the exams and access to the registration process at www.educ.ttu.edu/certification. Students should also consult the Web site for exam testing dates, dates to take practice exams, and test preparation opportunities.
Recommendation for Teacher Certification. An individual who has maintained the levels of performance stated as prerequisites for admission to student teaching; who has demonstrated the knowledge, dispositions, and skills to teach; and who has completed student teaching or an internship successfully is eligible to apply for the appropriate teaching certificate. The student must apply online to the State Board for Educator Certification at www.sbec.state.tx.us. The state requires that applicants complete a fingerprint criminal background check before they may be certified. The state charges a fee for the certification process. Upon completing all requirements, including the appropriate TExES examinations, the College of Education recommends the student for certification. The TOPT also is required of individuals seeking language-related certificates.
While completing the requirements, a student must maintain a 2.5 GPA in the professional education courses and a 2.5 GPA in the teaching field(s). Grades of D are not acceptable in the professional education courses or in the teaching field(s). An acceptable overall GPA is required (2.7 for elementary; 2.5 for middle-level, secondary, all-level, and career and technology). All students seeking initial teaching certification at Texas Tech must complete an electronic professional portfolio based on the Texas Education Standards.
Post-baccalaureate programs are available to meet initial certification requirements for teaching in elementary, middle-level, and secondary schools. Students must have a bachelor’s degree. Those seeking a certificate to teach elementary children must have a 2.7 grade point average for their last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework. Those seeking all other certificates must have a 2.5 GPA in their last 60 hours. Although the professional certification programs require work at the graduate level, these programs are not concurrent with degree programs. The state-mandated TExES test is required for persons who complete certification programs. For guidance concerning professional certification, the student should consult with a certification advisor. Students wishing to pursue post-baccalaureate certification must also apply to the Texas Tech University Graduate School. Upon acceptance to the Graduate School, students will contact a graduate certification advisor in the College of Education and file a certification plan. The provisions in previous sections pertaining to admission to student teaching, TExES and TOPT exams, electronic professional portfolio, and recommendation for teacher certification also apply to post-baccalaureate candidates. Students should expect to complete field experiences as part of their program requirements. Information about all certification matters may be found at www.educ.ttu.edu.
Students who become certified on the graduate level sometimes complete an internship of one year rather than complete a semester of student teaching. To be eligible for an internship, a post-baccalaureate student must meet eligibility requirements for student teaching, become employed as a classroom teacher by a school district in Texas, and enroll in 6 credit hours in the fall (including a capstone class) and 3 credit hours in the spring semester. For more information, contact the college coordinator of field experiences or view the Web site www.educ.ttu.edu/clinicalexperiences.
Supplemental Certificates. Supplemental certificates are available for teachers holding an initial teaching certificate. Students may seek advanced certification in bilingual education, English as a second language, gifted and talented, generic special education, and visual impairment. Details are available on the college Web site under the appropriate program area. The bilingual and English-as- a-second-language certificates are available through the bilingual program area (www.educ.ttu.edu/edbl). Supplemental certificates in generic special education, visual impairment, and gifted and talented are available through the special education program area (www.educ.ttu.edu/edsp).
Professional Certification Programs. The college offers professional certifications programs in the following areas: principal, superintendent, counselor, educational diagnostician, master reading teacher, and professional reading specialist. Some certificates may be combined with graduate programs leading to master’s degrees or doctoral degrees in the related program areas. Admission criteria for these certification programs are set by the program area faculty in which they are housed. For admission information and details about the programs, see the college Web site for the appropriate program area. The educational leadership program offers the principal and superintendent certificates, the counselor education program oversees counselor certification, the special education program offers the educational diagnostician certificate, and the language literacy program supervises the master reading teacher certificate and the professional reading specialist certificate.
Recommendation for Supplemental and Professional Certificates. Students seeking supplemental and professional certificates must pass the appropriate TExES exam. The registration process is explained online at www.educ.ttu.edu. After completing all requirements, students may apply for their certificate online from the State Board for Educator Certification www.educ.ttu.edu. After completing all requirements, students may apply for their certificate online from the State Board for Educator Certification (www.sbec.state.tx.us).
This interdisciplinary program leading to a Master of Science degree with a major in multidisciplinary science is administered by the College of Education with faculty and courses drawn from participating units throughout the university. The program is designed to meet the professional needs of K-12 teachers in science. The program requires the completion of 36 semester hours of graduate courses in the sciences, mathematics, and science education culminating with the completion of a special project.
Program Coordinator: Dr. Ratna Narayan and Dr. Walter Smith
| ATMO 5302 | Weather, Climate, and Applications (3:3:0) |
| BIOL 5311 | Ecology for Teachers (3:3:0) |
| BIOL 5312 | Cellular, Molecular Biology for Teachers (3:3:0) |
| CHEM 5360 | Conceptual Chemistry for Teachers I (3:3:0) |
| CHEM 5361 | Conceptual Chemistry for Teachers II (3:3:0) |
| EDSE 5377 | Science Curriculum and Instruction (3:3:0) |
| GEOL 5340 | Advances in Historical Geology (3:3:0) |
| IS 5301 | The Nature of Science for Teachers (3:3:0) |
| MATH 5360 | Advanced Mathematics for Teachers I (3:3:0) |
| MATH 5364 | Computer Literacy and Programming I (3:3:0) |
| PHYS 5371 | Conceptual Physics for Teachers (3:3:0) |
| PHYS 5372 | Astronomy for Teachers (3:3:0) |
The College of Education offers the Doctor of Education and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in various program areas. The specific requirements for the major, foundations core, and research core for each doctoral degree are specified by program and vary between programs. However, all doctoral programs in the College of Education require a period of residency for doctoral candidates to ensure that each has a time of concentrated study as a full-time student with minimal outside obligations. Such a period of coursework, reading, reflection, study, research, and interaction with peers and faculty without the distraction of major outside responsibilities is necessary and no one should contemplate doctoral candidacy who is unable or unwilling to spend a substantial portion of time as a full-time student. During the residency, the student should be free of other employment responsibilities, except as specified below.
A candidate may satisfy the residency requirement in one of the following patterns:
The proposal for doctoral study (degree plan), including the plan for meeting the residency requirements, should be submitted to the Graduate School well in advance of the proposed residency period.
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