Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Education Building Room 3044
Telephone: 512-245-2157 Fax: 512-245-7911
http://www.txst.edu/ci

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) offers a variety of degrees and programs, both master's and doctoral, that are intended to enhance the professional development and career goals of teachers and other educators. C&I also offers post-baccalaureate initial teaching certificates (available only to those not already certified) that may be obtained at the graduate level with or without the master’s degree. Before proceeding into any field of education at Texas State, the degree applicant should inquire as to certification requirements associated with or prerequisites to the degree. Those seeking initial teacher certification must keep in mind that certification requirements and graduate degree requirements may not be related and that the satisfactory completion of degree requirements may not always lead to certification. You will find more information on specific programs as well as contact information on the College of Education and C&I websites. For additional information regarding requirements for admittance to teacher certification, please visit the Office of Educator Preparation website.

Background Requirements

Students seeking either a master’s degree or certification combined with a master’s degree can typically begin their studies without completing background or leveling classes. An exception to this would be approximately 6-9 hours of college level math, speech communication, computer literacy, and 6 hours of English composition necessary for students seeking initial teacher certification. Additionally, students seeking initial secondary teacher certification may be required to take additional undergraduate or graduate course work in their desired teaching fields. Note: Criminal background checks are required by Texas law for all teachers, and no one convicted of a felony may be certified to teach in Texas.

Post-Baccalaureate Programs

  • Post-Baccalaureate Initial Teaching Certification serves individuals who have earned bachelor's degrees in fields other than education and have not previously participated in a teacher preparation program. Students may earn teacher certification for elementary, middle school, secondary, bilingual, or special education by taking graduate level courses that may count toward a graduate degree.
  • Professional Certification is also available for the reading specialist.

Admittance to the Educator Preparation Program

All degrees that lead to teaching certification require formal admittance into the Educator Preparation Program by the Office of Educator Preparation Program. This acceptance includes payment to the university of a state mandated Texas Education Agency technology fee. Please see https://www.education.txstate.edu/oep/ for current admittance requirements and procedures. Note that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires multiple background checks for progression through the Educator Preparation Programs. If you are concerned about your criminal history, you may obtain a Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation from TEA. For more information, click here.

Initial Certification Options

An individual may seek initial teacher certification as a post-baccalaureate student in several of the certification areas offered by the State of Texas. Satisfactory performance on a State Board for Educator Certification test is required for provisional or professional certificates in education. For updated information please go to the website for The Office of Educator Preparation at: http://www.education.txstate.edu/oep/. Note: Criminal background checks are required by Texas law for all teachers, and no one convicted of a felony may be certified to teach in Texas.

Student Fitness and Performance

Program Standards

Students enrolled in all academic programs in The Graduate College must maintain high scholastic standards and develop a mastery of the knowledge and methods of their respective discipline. Students are expected to demonstrate emotional and mental fitness in their interactions with others, use skills and methods that are generally accepted by others in the profession, and conform to the code of ethics of their respective discipline, and the university’s honor code. A student’s acceptance in any program does not guarantee the student’s fitness to remain in that program. The faculty is responsible for verifying that only those students who continue to meet program standards are allowed to continue in any program.

Evaluation of Student Fitness and Performance

Members of the faculty, using their professional judgments, evaluate student fitness and performance continuously. The criteria used by the faculty to make such judgments include instructors’ observations of student performance in class or in activities related to courses, evaluations of student performance on theses and practicum, site supervisors’ evaluations of student performance in practicum, and the codes of ethics noted above. Students who are not making satisfactory progress or who are not meeting program standards should consider withdrawing from the program.

In this context, the term “satisfactory progress” refers to an academic judgment made regarding the student’s fitness and performance. It is a judgment that the student has failed to meet program standards rather than a judgment made on the basis of the student’s violation of valid rules of conduct.

Student Review Process

If a faculty member believes that a student is not making satisfactory progress or meeting program standards, he or she should discuss the situation with the student. If the faculty member believes that the student’s performance cannot improve to acceptable standards, the faculty member should refer the student to the Program Standards Committee of the appropriate department. The Program Standards Committee consists of three faculty members appointed by the department chair in consultation with the department’s senior faculty.

The Committee will notify the student of the reasons that he or she is not making satisfactory progress or meeting program standards and will give the student an opportunity to meet with the Committee to respond and to present information and witnesses to the Committee. The Committee will also meet with the faculty member who referred the student to the Committee. After considering the matter, and within ten working days of meeting with the student, the Committee will report its decision to the student and the department chair, stating that the student should either remain in or leave the program. The Committee may make other decisions, such as placing restrictions or conditions on the student’s continuing in the program. Within ten working days of receiving the Committee’s decision, the student will notify the department chair of the student’s acceptance or rejection of the Committee’s decision. If the student rejects the Committee’s decision, he or she may appeal to the department chair.

Within ten working days of receiving the student’s appeal, the chair will make a decision as to the student’s continued presence in the program. Before making the decision, the chair will meet with the student. However, the chair need not meet with the student before making a decision if the student was given a reasonable opportunity to meet, and the student either failed or refused to meet. The chair will notify the student of the decision.

If the student is dissatisfied with the chair’s decision, he or she may appeal to the dean of the appropriate college. However, in order for the dean to consider an appeal, the student must submit a written notice of appeal to the chair and the dean within ten working days of receiving the chair’s decision. The dean will consider the matter based on information compiled by the chair and notify the student of the decision within ten working days of the dean’s receipt of the appeal from the chair. The dean may meet with the student and give the student an opportunity to address the issues. The dean’s decision is final.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Master of Education (M.Ed.)

Minors

Certificates

Baker, Candace K, Lecturer, Curriculum & Instruction, Ph.D., Southern Illinois Univ Carbondale

Chamberlain, Katharine Lynette, Lecturer, Curriculum & Instruction, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Floyd, Erinn Camille Fears, Lecturer, Curriculum & Instruction, Ph.D., University of Georgia

Furjanic, David James, Lecturer, Curriculum & Instruction, Ph.D., University of Oregon

Horony, Staci E, Lecturer, Curriculum & Instruction, Ed.D., Concordia University

Mendoza, Martin, Lecturer, Curriculum & Instruction, Ph.D., Texas A&M University

O'Neal, Sharon F, Associate Professor Emeritus, Curriculum & Instruction, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Ruiz Winner, Veronica Diane, Lecturer, Curriculum & Instruction, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Thompson, Courtney T, Lecturer, Curriculum & Instruction, Ph.D., Univ of Texas at San Antonio

Williams, Deirdre Aurora, Asst Professor of Practice, Curriculum & Instruction, Ed.D., Argosy University, Washington DC