College of Education

Administrative Officers

About the College

The College of Education is comprised of four academic units:

1. Educational Leadership;
2. Counseling
3. Library Science
4. School of Teaching and Learning

Teacher Certification is also under the administrative purview of the College of Education.

Website: http://www.shsu.edu/academics/education/

Vision Statement

Preparing leaders to impact a diverse and evolving world.

Belief Statements

• What we all do matters.
• Innovation fosters creativity, critical thinking, and passion.
• Relevant experiences promote growth and inspires change.
• Strength is found in valuing diversity.
• Positive relationships influence success.

Academic Programs

Note: There is not an undergraduate major in Secondary Education. The primary teaching field will be listed as the major for students seeking certification in Grades 7-12.

Teacher Preparation Programs at Sam Houston State University

Levels of Certification

College/Department Housing Major

Graduate Study

Graduate degrees offered through the College of Education are:

• Master of Arts,
• Master of Education,
• Master of Library Science,
• Master of Science,
• Doctor of Education, and
• Doctor of Philosophy.

The Graduate Catalog provides detailed information.

Internships

Internships in public schools are permitted only for candidates who already have a baccalaureate degree. The Student Teaching experience provides intensive, extended activity in the field for undergraduate teaching candidates. 

Scholarships

Several academic scholarships are available for undergraduate teaching candidates through the academic departments in the College of Education; other scholarships are also available through the University. Information about departmental scholarships and application forms may be obtained at the College of Education Website. Information on University scholarships may be obtained by calling  (936) 294-1672.

Required Field Experiences

Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate candidates are required to participate in field experiences in the public schools. Requirements for these activities vary by course and are coordinated by the Director of Educator Preparation Services. The Educator Preparation Services office facilitates a review of the criminal history background of each candidate to assure the safety of the public school children who interact with SHSU teaching candidates. This review is required by state law.

Admission to the Educator Preparation Program Admission Standards

In the first education class, candidates seeking initial Teacher Certification apply online for admission to the program. A one-time application fee is charged upon application. In addition, candidates for admission must obtain an online account in the College of Education data management system. Admission to the Educator Preparation program requires meeting each of the criteria listed below and will be pending until each requirement is satisfied. Teaching candidates will not be permitted to participate in the Literacy Methods Block, Content Methods Block, or Student Teaching without full admission and continued academic good standing in the Educator Preparation Program.  The requirements are: Demonstration of successful college performance:

• 2.75 overall GPA (includes transfer hours and SHSU hours)
• 2.75 GPA in content area or teaching field
• “C” or above in all courses in the teaching field
• Video Interview
• Basic Skills Requirements found at Educator Preparation Services

Regular admission to the Educator Preparation program is required prior to placement in the Literacy Methods Block and/or Content Methods Block coursework. The requirements for admission to blocks are:

• Clear criminal history background check;
• Full admission and continued academic good standing in the Educator Preparation Program;
• Satisfactory demonstration of oral communication skills;
• 2.75 GPA in the teaching field or area of specialization; and
• No grade below “C” in courses required for the teaching field or certification.

Full Admission and continued academic good standing in the program are also required for placement in Student Teaching.

Teacher Certification

The preparation of teachers for the public schools in Texas is the responsibility of the entire Sam Houston State University community and the public school districts that participate Sam Houston’s Innovative Partnerships with Schools (SHIPS). Students seeking certification in grades EC-6 or 4-8 will follow the degree plan for Interdisciplinary Studies. Students who wish to teach a content subject in grades 7-12 or 8-12 will major in a teaching field area (i.e. Mathematics, English, History) with a minor in Secondary Education (SED). Some specialized areas of teaching require certification for a wider range of grades, usually 6-12 or EC-12. The Certification Officer, located in the Steele Center for Professional Practice, will provide certification and grade level assignment information upon request.

All teaching certificates are issued by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) under the supervision of the Texas Education Agency, upon recommendation of the University, and are subject to change. This recommendation includes verified completion of an approved program in educator preparation and a statement affirming the academic, moral, and physical fitness of the individual for service as a teacher. Sam Houston State University regards this recommendation process as a serious responsibility and has high standards for admission to candidacy in the SHSU Educator Preparation program, checkpoints throughout the program, and exit requirements.

Initial certification requires completion of a state-approved educator preparation program (programs are described below).

Individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a state approved certification area may apply for admission to the post-baccalaureate alternate route to certification which includes admission to candidacy in the SHSU Educator Preparation Program. Information on this program may be obtained through the College of Education Graduate Studies Office at (936) 294-1105.

State of Texas Certification Tests

Candidates must successfully complete state-mandated certification examinations in order to be recommended for a standard certification by Sam Houston State University. Candidates take certification tests in the teaching field/s and in professional and pedagogical knowledge. Guidelines and procedures for taking state mandated certification tests are available on the website for TExES or at Educator Preparation Services or in the Garrett Teacher Education Center, Room 217.  It is the responsibility of the student to be familiar with the Texas standards for their area to become familiar with the testing guidelines and procedures, to be aware of test registration deadlines, and to complete registration forms correctly.

Application for State Teaching Certification

After the undergraduate has successfully completed the program requirements for graduation and certification and passed the appropriate certification exams, application should be made online to the State Board of Educator Certification for the standard teaching certificate. The University makes a recommendation for certification after the online application and fingerprinting process has been completed and the degree has been posted on the student’s transcript. After the post-baccalaureate candidate has successfully completed the program requirements for certification and passed the appropriate certification exams, the candidate applies online to the State Board of Educator Certification for his/her standard certificate using the same process. For further information, contact the SHSU Certification Officer at (936) 294-1045.

Candidates with a baccalaureate degree who wish to seek teacher certification as a post-baccalaureate student should contact the COE Graduate Studies Office at (936) 294-1105 for a transcript analysis.

Interdisciplinary Studies Leading to Certification in Early Childhood Through 6th Grade (EC-6) or 4th Grade Through 8th Grade (4-8)

For teaching in grades EC-6, the major is Interdisciplinary Studies with three choices for certification: The primary purpose of the Interdisciplinary Studies program is to prepare candidates to become exemplary teachers in Early Childhood through 6th grade (EC-6) classrooms and 4th grade through 8th grade (4-8) classrooms. The Interdisciplinary Studies program consists of at least 125 semester credit hours, including student teaching. In addition to meeting Texas Standards for EC-6 or 4-8 Teachers, these degree plan programs also prepare candidates to secure a supplemental certificate in English as a Second Language teaching, preferred by many school districts in Texas. The ESL supplemental certificate does not require proficiency in a second language, but prepares certification candidates for effective teaching of English language learners. Candidates registered for nine hours during the student teaching semester are considered to be full-time students by SHSU. Candidates majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies have the following choices of teaching certification:

• Generalist (EC-6 Generalist), or
• Generalist (EC-6 Generalist with Bilingual Education Supplement), or
• Generalist (EC-6 Generalis with EC-12 Special Education).

For teaching in grades 4-8, the major is Interdisciplinary Studies with three choices of a minor:

• English Language Arts and Reading/ Social Studies composite (4-8 ELAR/SS),
• Mathematics (4-8 Mathematics), or
• Mathematics/Science composite (4-8 Math/ Science).

While the Interdisciplinary Studies major is assigned to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, interdisciplinary content courses in Reading, English as a Second Language, Special Education, Early Childhood and Bilingual Education are offered by the faculty in the Department of Language, Literacy and Special Populations. For Interdisciplinary Studies majors, the current Texas Teaching Certificates awarded upon completion of all program requirements and successful performance on the related certification examinations are:

• EC-6    Generalist
• EC-6    Generalist with Bilingual Education Supplement
• EC-6    Generalist, with EC-12 Special Education
• 4-8      English Language Arts/Social Studies and ESL supplement
• 4-8      Mathematics and ESL supplement
• 4-8      Mathematics/Science ESL Supplement (all Interdisciplinary Studies candidates for this additional certificate)

Candidates majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies may also choose to minor in Early Childhood. That route DOES NOT lead to teaching certification. A teaching certificate for Early Childhood teachers is not offered by the State Board for Educator Certification. All of the above programs have a 42-hour common core of Foundation Courses and a common set of Professional Education Courses that does not exceed 24 semester credit hours. Each major has a unique set of Interdisciplinary Studies courses which vary in the number of hours depending on choice of certification. The Interdisciplinary Studies major component has a minimum of 48 hours. Degree plans which include dual certification fields will require additional semester hours of course credits. Students choosing one of these majors/minors should contact the education advisor in the SAM Center as soon as possible to learn the exact courses required for the selected minor and for advising to assist in a smooth progress through the program. All Interdisciplinary Studies majors are assessed at multiple benchmarks throughout their program and must be recommended at each checkpoint to progress through the program. Thus, they are:

1. required to apply for admission to Educator Preparation (see Admission to the Educator Preparation Programs, Admission Standards),
2. required to apply for placement in Literacy Block,
3. required to apply for placement in Methods Block, and
4. required to apply for Student Teaching.