About Post-Baccalaureate / Professional / Certification

APPLYING FOR YOUR INITIAL CERTIFICATE

Applications for all Texas Educator Certificates are now made online at the State Board for Educator Certification website.

At the website, click on “How do I Apply for My Certificate?” You must first set up an account if you have not done so previously. Once you have an account, select “Applications” from the main menu and proceed as instructed. You are applying for a STANDARD certificate, and the recommending entity is University of Texas at San Antonio – UNIVERSITY BASED (not Master Teacher).

When you have completed the process, UTSA will receive notification that you have applied for your certificate. At that point, if you are eligible, UTSA will complete the recommendation and you will be notified by email that you have been recommended. Please note, however, that you will not be officially certified until SBEC has (i) received and applied the required fee, (ii) received your fingerprint card (if applicable) and (iii) completed a criminal history background check.

NOTE: Please do not begin the application process until you are eligible to be recommended. You are eligible when ALL of the following conditions have been met:

• The required degree has been awarded and posted on your transcript (the latter occurs approximately one month after graduation date), OR we have received a Letter of Degree Completion from the appropriate advising office or department. (Note: IDS majors are not required to submit a Letter of Degree Completion.)
• Your final grades have been posted; and
• You have passed all required TExES exams.

Student Teachers: If you are enrolled in your final course (student teaching) and all required exams have been passed, you may begin the application process at any time after April lst or November lst of your student teaching semester.
Students who apply without meeting eligibility requirements may be removed from the UTSA list of candidates and required to reapply at a later date.

If you have questions, please contact a certification officer at 210-458-6287. Technical questions regarding problems with the SBEC website should be addressed to SBEC representatives at 1-888-863-5880.

IMPORTANT: If you did not student teach and are substituting experience based on a Probationary or Emergency certificate, you must supply evidence of that experience. You must ask your school district personnel office to fax either a copy of your service record or a letter detailing your experience (grade level taught and dates of employment) to 210-458-5410, attention Certification Officer.