The single biggest influence on a student's learning is the teacher standing in front of them. Texas needs more of them — and it needs the kind who show up with both mastery of their subject and genuine care for the kids in their room.
At LeTourneau University, you'll earn a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Education and the Texas teacher certification that goes with it. You'll be in real classrooms starting your freshman year, not just your senior year. And you'll learn to teach from faculty who treat a Christian worldview and rigorous educational practice as the same conversation, not two separate ones.
Choose Your Certification
Start with one question: who do you want to teach? Every path below leads to a bachelor's degree plus Texas certification, and every one is available online or on campus.
Teach Elementary School
One certification, every subject. The broadest preparation we offer, and the most requested by Texas districts.
|
Certification |
Degree |
|---|---|
|
Early Childhood- Grade 6 |
B.S. |
Teach Middle School
|
Certification |
Degree |
|---|---|
|
Grades 4-8 Core Subjects |
B.S. |
|
Grades 4–8 Language Arts & Social Studies |
B.S. or B.A. |
|
Grades 4–8 Math & Science |
B.S. |
Teach High School
|
Certification |
Degree |
|---|---|
|
B.S. or B.A. |
|
|
B.S. or B.A. |
|
|
B.S. |
|
|
B.S. |
|
|
B.S. |
|
|
B.S. |
Teach Every Grade
|
Certification |
Degree |
|---|---|
|
Special Education, EC–Grade 12 |
B.S. |
|
B.S. |
B.S. or B.A. — What's the Difference?
Three certification areas are offered both ways: English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Language Arts & Social Studies.
The Bachelor of Science leans harder into your teaching field. Choose it if you want maximum depth in your content area or expect to add a second certification.
The Bachelor of Arts trades some of that for humanities breadth and language study. Choose it if you want a wider liberal-arts foundation underneath your teaching field.
Either one certifies you to teach the same grades and subjects in Texas. Your advisor will help you pick during your first year — you don't have to decide before you apply.
Online or on campus — same degree either way
The degree, the certification, and the faculty are identical. What changes is how you take it.
On campus in Longview — Traditional semesters, in-person classes, campus life, and field placements in East Texas school districts.
Fully online — Coursework online with field placements arranged near where you live. Built for working adults, career changers, and paraprofessionals already in a classroom.
Your diploma and your Texas certificate don't note the modality.
Why teachers start here
- 94% or higher pass rate on state certification exams for LETU students since 2010
- Field experience from freshman year — you'll be in real classrooms every year, not just during student teaching
- Texas Student Teacher of the Year — LETU students have earned the honor multiple times
- TEA-approved Educator Preparation Program — secondary approved 1992, elementary approved 1998
- A Christian polytechnic approach — hands-on, practice-first, and grounded in the conviction that teaching is a calling
Your path to the classroom
- Apply and enroll at LeTourneau in the education degree that matches your certification goal.
- Start observing. Field-based coursework puts you in classrooms during your first year.
- Apply to the Educator Preparation Program (EPP) once you've completed 45 credit hours, including at least 9 hours of EDUC or READ at LETU, with a 2.50 cumulative GPA.
- Build your teaching field. Maintain a 2.50 GPA in your teaching field and education courses, with no grade below a C.
- Prepare for and pass your TExES exams. You'll take departmental practice tests first — score 80% or higher and you're cleared to sit for the state exam.
- Complete clinical teaching. A full semester in a Texas classroom with a mentor teacher, placed by LETU near where you live.
- Get certified. Once your degree is conferred and your exams are passed, LETU recommends you to the state for certification.
Add to your certification
You can broaden what you're qualified to teach without adding a full second degree.
Minors: Reading · Exceptional Students · Education (Non-Certification)
Supplemental certifications: English as a Second Language (ESL) · Special Education
The ESL supplemental exam is a strong add for anyone planning to teach in Texas — districts across the state are actively recruiting bilingual and ESL-certified teachers.
Already have a bachelor's degree?
You don't need to start over.
Alternative Certification Program (ACP) — Up to three online education courses plus field experience gets you to initial Texas certification in EC-6 or grades 4–8. Most candidates finish in two to three semesters.
Questions people actually ask
How long does it take? Four years full time for the bachelor's degree and certification. Transfer students and career changers often finish faster — talk to an advisor about what transfers.
Can I teach outside Texas? Texas certification transfers to most states through reciprocity agreements, though requirements vary. It's your responsibility to confirm what your state requires.
What GPA do I need? A 2.50 cumulative GPA, plus a 2.50 in both your teaching field and your education coursework. Any course finished with a D or F has to be repeated before graduation.
What exams will I take? At minimum, a content exam and the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) exam. Core Subjects, English Language Arts & Reading, ESL, and Special Education plans require a third — usually Science of Teaching Reading (STR).
Do I need to take my student teaching at LETU? Yes. Transfer students complete the clinical teaching semester through LeTourneau and meet all LETU teacher education requirements.
Can I transfer teaching-field courses in? Some, with review. Because coursework is built around TExES competencies, most of your teaching-field courses need to be taken at LETU. Faculty review substitution requests case by case.
What if I'm not sure which certification I want? Apply anyway. You'll declare a certification area with your advisor as you build your degree plan, and switching early costs you very little.
