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School of Education and Human Development

Teacher Certification

Those who wish to pursue careers as teachers in Texas are governed by the rules of the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC.) All Texas public school teachers and some private school teachers must be certified by SBEC for the grades and subjects they will teach.

Teaching Certificates are currently divided into three grade ranges:

  • Early Childhood through Grade Six (EC-6 or Elementary Education)
  • Grade Four through Grade Eight (Grades 4-8 or Middle School Education)
  • Grades Eight through Twelve (High School or Secondary Education)

Elementary and middle school teachers may obtain generalist certificates which allow them to teach all subjects in their grade range within self-contained classrooms.

Secondary school teachers must choose a subject/content area for certification.

Teachers may also seek certification for the following in the grade level of their base initial certificate

  • Special Education (EC-12)
  • English as a Second Language (EC-8)

Paths to Teacher Certification

UHV offers several options for Texas teacher certification including undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate programs with classes online and face-to-face in Victoria and at two Houston locations. You can choose the program that is best for you.

Undergraduate Certification

Those who wish to pursue undergraduate degrees can take their junior and senior level courses through UHV to complete their Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (BSIS) degree and obtain teacher certification at the same time.

Post-Baccalaureate Certification

Our post-baccalaureate (PB) certification program allows those who have bachelors' degrees to take the necessary course work for certification without having to obtain another undergraduate degree. PB students may hold full-time paid teaching positions while completing their certification requirements or may choose to student teach in their last semester.

VOICE Program

Victoria Online Initial Certification for Educators (VOICE) is a unique teacher certification program that allows our students to become certified online in as little as one year while earning graduate level credit toward masters' degrees. VOICE students have the options of completing internships while in the program or student teaching in their spring semesters.


Secondary Teacher Certification

Programs leading to the certification of teachers for grades 8-12 are offered in cooperation among UHV's Schools of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, and Education and Human Development. Students earn their academic degrees through the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Business Administration while obtaining their teacher certification through the School of Education and Human Development.