Certifi-ED Program

UHCL Hawks Teach Certifi-ED: For paraprofessionals ready to teach — earn your PK-3 certification without leaving your school community

Turn classroom experience into teacher certification.

As a paraprofessional, we know you balance:

• Full school days
• Demanding classroom responsibilities
• Family commitments

The Hawks Teach Certifi-ED Distance Education Program is designed to remove these barriers by providing a flexible pathway that allows you to continue supporting young learners while advancing your education and earning your degree.

Eligible Programs

• BS Education: Early Childhood: PK-3 Generalist
• BS Education: Early Childhood: PK-3 with SPED EC-12 Certification
• Master of Art in Teaching (MAT) - Early Childhood: PK-3 Generalist

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Employment Requirements

• Full-time educational aide, or teacher of record for MAT candidates only
• Employed in a TEA-accredited school
• Working in a PK through 3rd grade classroom aligned with desired certification area

Hawks Teach Certifi-ED Program Admission Requirements

You may have answered yes to the four questions above, but there is one more item to consider before applying. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements for admission to the UHCL Teacher Education Program. Which includes the following;

• Minimum overall GPA or GPA in last 60 hours must be 2.5.
  • Note: The GPA for enrollment to UHCL is not the same requirement for enrollment to the UHCL Teacher Education Program (TEP).
  • Acceptance to the Hawks Teach Certifi-ED Program is not guaranteed if accepted to UHCL. If accepted to UHCL but not the Hawks Teach Certifi-ED Program, students may take online and Hyflex courses where TEP Admission is not a prerequisite until their GPA meets requirements for enrollment into the TEP.
• Verification of Subject-Specific Credit Hours–
  • 12 hours in a combination of the following courses: English Language Arts and Reading, History, Social Studies, and Math.

Application Submission and Acceptance

Applications for the UHCL Hawks Certifi-ED Program are accepted year-round. However, to ensure acceptance for a specific entry time: Fall, Spring, or Summer, applicants must submit a completed application no later than the date noted on the chart below to allow ample time for program paperwork to be processed.

Applications received after the deadlines, but before the beginning of the new semester, may be reviewed before the semester begins, but does not guarantee approval in time for enrollment for the current semester. Paperwork received after the first day of classes will be considered for the next semester’s enrollment.

Information on the application is reviewed and confirmed by the program director which involves contacting the district representative. Depending on the response time of the district representative, the approval process may take a day to a month to complete. If you have not received an acceptance or denial email within two weeks of applying, you are encouraged to remind the district representative that they will receive a confirmation email from the program director.

Please note:

• Applicants that do not meet the minimum requirements as noted on the flow chart and GPA requirements will not be considered for enrollment in the Hawks Teach Certifi-ED Program. A new application is required if you choose to reapply at a later date.
• Incomplete applications will not be accepted. There are three pages to the application, and all fields of each page must be completed. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all fields of all three pages are completed before submitting the application.

UHCL Teacher Education Program Admission

Once you have been accepted to the UHCL Hawks Certifi-ED Program, you must enroll in ECED 4100 or ECED 5010 in your first semester at UHCL. During this course you will submit your application to the UHCL Teacher Education Program (TEP). Admission to the TEP is required for courses with Field-Based Experiences. The acceptance requirements and application process can be found at Teacher Education Program (TEP) Application.

Ready to Apply?

If you answered yes to the questions above and you know your GPA will meet the minimum requirement, please read through Application Steps below and the Certifi-ED Application requirements as noted in the directions.

1. Apply to either the BS Education: PK-3 Generalist or BS Education: PK-3/SPED Certification programs or the MAT PK-3 Certification program at UHCL through the UHCL Admissions webpage.
2. Complete the UHCL Hawks Certifi-ED program application. * Please note that acceptance to UHCL does not secure admission into the UHCL Hawks Certifi-ED program or the UHCL Teacher Education Program (requires separate application process). Once you have been accepted to UHCL, your application for the UHCL Hawks Certifi-ED program will be approved if you meet the eligibility criteria.

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Frequently Asked Questions