EDUCATCP000 - Alternative Teacher Certification
Embark on a new career as a K-12 educator. The Alternative Teacher Certification program (non-credit, non-transcribable) at Rice’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies prepares new graduates and career changers for the rigors of the classroom. Students will meet Texas Education Agency requirements and complete a paid teaching internship, supervised by Rice faculty.
Program Details
Application Requirements Checklist
- Alternative Teacher Certification Application
- Content hour requirements
- 15 hours (min.) for math and science
- 12 hours (min.) for English language arts and reading, social studies, and history
- Official transcripts of all college or university coursework
- 2.75 or higher GPA, overall
- 2.75 or higher GPA, content area
- Three letters of reference
- Must be professional or academic
- Includes recommender evaluation form
- Statement of Intent
- Criminal background check/Fingerprinting* (optional)
- Complete Breakthrough online application (if applicable)
- Application Fee ($85)
If content hours requirements are not met, please contact us at education@rice.edu for alternate options.
Calendar
| Admissions Cycle | Classes Start | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Entry | January | October 15 |
Participants in Rice University's Alternative Teacher Certification program will:
- Prepare to successfully earn their state of Texas teacher certification
- Complete minimum 300 clock hours of (non-credit) coursework and 30 hours of field observations
| Module | Clock Hours |
|---|---|
| Field Observations | 30 (minimum) |
| Professional Education Coursework | 180 |
| Internship Fall Semester | 90 |
| Internship Spring Semester | 45 |
Passing of the content exam is necessary to secure a teaching position for the internship and for approval of teaching certificates.
Passing of edTPA test and the completion of your first year of teaching with principal approval for your continued work as a teacher are necessary for approval for standard teacher certification.
Rice University is committed to keeping the costs of the Alternative Teacher Certification program as low as possible to attract the most qualified people to teach in Houston-area public schools. The tuition for this non-credit, alternative teacher certification program is $5655 ($5499 + $156 activity fee). Other fees like books, exam fees, certificate fees, parking, etc. are not included in the tuition fees.
Candidates will not be issued either a probationary or a standard teaching certificate from the State of Texas without the fingerprinting/criminal background check. Candidates may apply for the criminal background check prior to submitting an application into an educational preparation program, but must be done prior to being on any school campus with the program. If the results of the process are unsatisfactory, the candidate may petition the TEA for reconsideration of the results.
For further information about preliminary checks:
A school district may deny the placement of a participant with a criminal background.
Criminal history record information includes both conviction and arrest records. The State of Texas (by House Bill 1508 in 2017) the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) require that an educator preparation program inform all certification program applicants and candidates about the State’s rules on criminal background checks from the Texas Occupations Code Chapter 53, the Texas Education Code Chapter 22.0831 and the Texas Administrative Code, Part VII, Chapter 227, Subchapter B. For further information about criminal history checks see TEA’s Investigations web page: http://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Investigations/