Longhorns in Residence: EC-6 Teacher Certification Program

Longhorns in Residence offers an 18 credit hour graduate certificate. At least six hours can be used toward a graduate degree in education if the teacher resident would like to apply for a master’s degree or Ph.D. 

Coursework includes online asynchronous independent learning modules as well as online synchronous coursework in a cohort model with an instructor. All courses are online; however, teacher residents will receive face-to-face coaching and field support in their district residency placement. 

Summer

• Online Coursework
  • Foundations of Teaching Diverse Learners
  • Literacy Assessment, Development, and Instruction
• Residency Experience
  • Complete 50 hours of Field-Based Experience and 60 hours of Independent Learning Modules
  • Resident Orientation with assigned district (late July/early August)

Fall

• Teacher Certification Activities: Science of Teaching Reading preparation and exam (August and September)
• Online Coursework
  • Holistic Approaches to Elementary Teaching
  • STEAM Content and Methods
• Residency Experience
  • Four days per week in the classroom
  • One day per week for UT coursework

Spring

• Teacher Certification Activities: TExES Core subjects (EC-6) prep and exam (March) and English as a Second Language exam
• Online Coursework
  • Practice-based Reflective Teaching of Diverse Learners
  • Early Childhood and Elementary Methods of Social Inquiry
• Residency Experience
  • Four days per week in the classroom
  • One day per week for UT coursework

After successfully completing the program and passing the required exams, candidates will be recommended for an Early Childhood – 6th grade certification with an ESL supplemental certification OR an Early Childhood (EC)–Grade 6 with Bilingual Education supplemental certification to the Texas Education Agency.

You are eligible to apply if you:

1. Will have completed any bachelor’s degree from an accredited university by June 1 of the year you apply.
2. Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. GPAs below 3.0 will be considered holistically.
3. Are seeking your initial teaching license.
4. Are able to work in a district partner school for the duration of the program.
5. Have advanced academic proficiency in reading and writing in Spanish that is comparable to a native speaker who has completed higher education coursework in Spanish, if applying for the bilingual certification program.

Bachelor’s degrees earned outside the United States are accepted as long as the degree is from a comparable foreign academic institution. Visit the Graduate School’s website to learn about TOEFL requirements and more.

Already certified to teach?

Those who have completed an educator preparation program in Texas or already hold a teaching certificate from another state or another country may already be eligible for a teaching certificate in Texas. Learn more on TEA’s website:

• Becoming a certified teacher in Texas
• Out-of-state certified educators
• Out-of-state application checklist
• Additional certification by exam information

Longhorns in Residence teacher residents are required to complete: 

• 50 hours of field-based experience in the summer (first semester) of the program.
• 60-100 hours of independent online learning.
• 18 semester hours of online coursework – one course each in Summer I and Summer II semesters, two courses in the fall semester and two courses in the spring semester.
• Resident orientation with their local school district as well as planning and preparation prior to the first day of school. This will likely take place in late July and early August depending on the district’s schedule.
• 750 hours in clinical teacher residency experience from the first day of school to the last day of school in the partner school district.
• Pass all required exams: Science of Teaching Reading (STR), English as a Second Language (ESL), TExES Core Subjects (EC-6th) and TExES Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (bilingual certification only).

Background Checks

Teacher resident candidates are required to pass a criminal background check before starting the clinical teacher residency experience. Additionally, candidates are required to complete a fingerprinting process and national criminal background check when applying for teacher certification with TEA. Learn more.

International Students

TEA also has specific TOEFL requirements for students pursuing teacher certification. Please visit the TEA website for more information. 

Since our students enroll as non-degree seeking and work towards a certificate rather than a degree, we are unable to issue visas for the program. 

Exams

If your undergraduate GPA was below 2.5, you will be required to take the PACT exam. Learn more about the PACT exam on the TEA website.

The GRE is NOT required.

Applications for Longhorns in Residence are managed by UT Austin’s Graduate School and are accepted between February 1 and March 1 each year. If accepted, you will begin the program in June.

Be sure to:

• Complete all of the necessary information and answer all of the required questions.
• Supply names and email addresses for three letters of recommendation. The letters can be academic references or letters related to community-based or education/youth-related employment or volunteer experience. Be sure to include at least one academic reference and at least one reference related to your experience with youth.
• Press the Submit button and pay the application fee. Only then will you be moved to the next stage.

You will receive an email from the Graduate School within 48 hours directing you to the MyStatus website where you will be asked to upload important additional application materials including your resume/CV, statement of purpose, transcripts and letters of recommendation. 

Learn more about the application process.

Faculty will review all applications. Afterward, you may be selected to participate in a Zoom interview. Faculty will select candidates based on their applications and the Zoom interview. 

We encourage you to attend an information session prior to applying to the program. Please sign up to receive program updates, including information session details.

Tuition for the Longhorns in Residence program is the same as the College of Education graduate tuition rates. The program is 18 credit hours. A tuition calculator is available.

The Longhorns in Residence program is eligible for federal financial aid. The College of Education also has scholarship opportunities.

Additionally, partner school districts will pay teacher residents $20,000 for the August through May assignment. 

A residency is a type of educator preparation program. Residents in our program will work four days a week in an Austin-area school under the guidance of a host teacher who supports the resident’s learning and practice. Residents also receive face-to-face coaching and field support from UT Austin personnel.

Potential residents will be placed in a local partner school district. After placement, the resident will apply for the role and pass a criminal background check.

Residents are required to be on campus at one of our district partners’ schools for 50 hours of field-based experience in June/July at the beginning of the program and for four days a week during the school year.

Residents will be required to attend their school district’s new staff orientation at the beginning of August. Additionally, residents will start working at their assigned campus one week before the district school year starts and continue in their placements until the last day of school for the district.