Dallas Ft. Worth Eligibility Requirements

Jump to:

• Overview
  • Academic History
    • International Applicant Requirements
• Apply with PACT or Coursework
  • Courses that Count
  • Programs that Accept Coursework
    • Undergraduate Transfer Programs
    • Graduate Programs

If you have any questions about your PACT exam or this process, reach out to a TeachDFW application coach or teacher preparation program staff for support. We’re here for you.

To prove your eligibility for a teacher preparation program, you may need to meet coursework requirements.

By providing proof of this coursework, admissions staff can rest assured you have the right background to pursue a teaching certification at their program.

Academic History

When applying for your program, be prepared to provide your:

• Previous degree(s)
• GPA
• Completed content area/coursework

International Applicant Requirements

Do you have a degree from an English-speaking country?

• Yes: Typically, you will need to provide a letter from your university verifying the language of instruction.
• No: You need to pass the TOEFL with the minimum scores as determined by your program. Common requirements are:
  • Speaking: 24
  • Listening: 22
  • Reading: 22
  • Writing: 21

For some programs, you will have to submit test scores as part of your application. (See PACT Guide to learn more.) Others allow you to apply without PACT exam scores, if you’ve completed certain coursework.

Even if you don’t think you have the right coursework under your belt, reach out to programs staff. You may be a qualified candidate, even if you don’t think you are.

Typically, programs that allow you to use just coursework in your application require:

• 15 hours of “content coursework” for students pursuing Math and Science(s) certifications (grades 4-8, 6-12 and 7-12).
• 12 hours (at least) of content coursework for students pursuing Arts and Humanities certifications.

For instance, the Dallas ISD Alternative Certification program provides a Non-PACT Interest Form, which details the requirements outlined above.

Courses that Count

Which courses count towards minimum humanities/STEM hours?

Program staff at teacher preparation programs are incredibly skilled at assessing which courses can count toward the minimum content area coursework requirement. In many cases, they’ll be able to identify courses from your transcript that will help you satisfy the minimum requirement that you might not have thought would count.

Once you’ve chosen the teacher preparation program(s) you want to apply to, reach out to program staff if you have questions about the coursework eligibility requirements (even if you don’t think you’re eligible based on your past academic history). They’ll be able to help!

Programs that Accept Coursework

Which programs in DFW allow you to use coursework to start your application?

Undergraduate Transfer Programs

Generally speaking, undergraduate programs will review your transcript to see how many content area coursework hours you have completed.

Based on that review, your advisor will create a personalized degree plan that allows you to finish any remaining content area coursework and complete all education coursework as quickly as possible.

In DFW, the only exception to this flexibility is TechTeach 2+1. This program, designed as a partnership between Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) and Texas Tech, requires that a specific 66 hours of coursework be completed to enter the program. If you’re interested in TechTeach, check out this form to learn about these specific requirements.

Graduate Programs

If you have your bachelor’s degree (nice work), you may or may not be required to have a minimum number of prior content area coursework hours to apply to a program, based on each program’s specific eligibility requirements.

Some programs even offer multiple eligibility pathways based on your prior coursework. See below for the programs that require a minimum number of content area credit hours in order to apply:

Program	Requirements
Dallas ISD Alternative Certification	You can qualify for admission if you meet the coursework requirements described. Alternatively, you can pass a Pre-Admission Content Test.
University of Texas at Dallas - Certification-Only Program	You must have a minimum of 12 credit hours for all humanities subjects and 15 credit hours for all STEM subjects. UT Dallas program staff will let you know whether or not you meet the requirements as part of the application process.
Southern Methodist University - All Graduate Programs	For single-subject certification, you must have 24 total credit hours in subject area, with 12 in upper-division courses and GPA with no grade lower than a C. For core subjects (EC-6) certification you must have at least 6 credit hours each in English, Math, Science and Social Studies with no grade lower than a C.
Texas Woman’s University - Master’s of Arts in Teaching	TWU offers flexibility based on your past coursework. If you meet the minimum coursework requirements (generally, 12 hours for humanities subjects and 15 for STEM subjects), that can make you eligible to apply. If not, you can take the Pre-Admission Content Test in lieu of meeting coursework requirements.