Teacher Program Admissions Requirements & Application Process

  • Image of a rainbow of pencils; courtesy of Shutterstock.

    Teacher Admissions Minimum Prerequisites

    • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution
      • If degree is from another country TOEFL Internet Based Test (minimum scores of 24 in speaking; 22 in listening and reading; and 21 in writing) Candidates who complete an additional bachelor's degree or higher in U.S. are exempt from TOEFL requirement
      • An overall GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, or 2.75 GPA in the last 60 hours of coursework, and core content GPA of 2.75 a special consideration may be granted to overall/last 60 hours GPA in the 2.50 to 2.74 range with the director's approval
    • Coursework requirements:
      • Core Subjects EC-6/Bilingual Core Subjects EC-6/ESL Core Subjects EC-6/Special Ed. EC-12 – 24 hours of college credit in the core content subjects of math, English, science, and social studies (psychology and sociology do not count)
      • Secondary single subject – 24 hours of college credit in the content certification area being sought
      • Science 7-12 composite – 36 hours of college credit in specific categories of Life Science, Physical Science, Chemistry, and Earth/Space
    • TSI – applicants with a conferred Bachelor’s degree meet the TSI (Texas Success Initiative) exemption; applicants in their last semester of graduating with a Bachelor’s degree or with a degree from another country will need to show evidence of mastery of basic skills
    • Clear criminal background check
    • Proof of English Language Proficiency shown by:
    • Earned college degree in the U.S., or
    • Successfully complete interview in English

    Teacher Application Process

    Step 1: Online Application

    • $100 Non-refundable Transcript Review Fee
    • Transcripts - Submission of all official (sealed) college transcripts
    • Three references from professional sources, ie. employers, supervisors, teachers, professors, or school administrators
    • Resume
    • PACT Scores (if applicable) - Beginning January 27, 2020, applicants will be able to take a new series of Pre-Admission Content Testing (PACT) exams. Learn more about these new PACT exams and see the List of PACT exams effective January 27, 2020.

    Step 2: Interview

    • Interview - virtual format during COVID-19
    • Interview in English
    • Bilingual certification applicants will also be interviewed in Spanish
    • Teach a 10-minute interactive lesson
    • Complete writing sample

    Step 3: Issuance of Admissions Letter or DNQ letter

    • A Letter of Admission will be issued electronically to applicants who meet all admissions criteria in Step 1 and Step 2
    • A Does Not Qualify (DNQ) Letter will be issued electronically to applicants who do not qualify due to deficiencies in either Step 1 and/or Step 2.

Contact Us

  • Center for Educator Success
    A division of the Harris County Department of Education
    6300 Irvington Blvd.
    Houston, TX 77022
    Phone: 713-694-6300
    Email