Policies and Information
These policies pertain to the DBU Educator Preparation Program (EPP).
DBU offers two levels of educator certification - teacher and non-teacher/advanced certification.
DBU offers three avenues of teacher certification – traditional bachelor’s degree (Undergraduate), Master of Education in Teaching (MEDT), and an alternative certification (Pathways). The programs have slight differences, and those differences are noted below.
The DBU non-teacher/advanced certifications include Educational Diagnostician, Principal, School Counselor, and Superintendent.
Educator Preparation Program (EPP) Policies
Teacher Certification Policies
- Admission to the EPP (Undergraduate)
- Admission to the EPP (MEDT)
- Admission to the EPP (Pathways)
- Admission to Clinical Teaching
- Admission to Internship Teaching (MEDT/Pathways)
- Retention in the Program (Undergraduate)
- Releasing a Student Teacher for Full-Time Employment (Undergraduate)
- TExES Teacher Certification Testing Guidelines
Non-Teacher/Advanced Certification Policies
- GPA Requirement for Internship/Practicum
- The minimum grade of a successful practicum experience is a 3.0. A grade lower than a 3.0 will require a repeat of the practicum.
- TExES Non-Teacher/Advanced Certification Testing Guidelines
Policies Pertaining to All Certification Levels
- Educator Code of Ethics
- EPP Transfer Document
- Exit Policy
- Fingerprinting Information
- English Proficiency Requirement
- Candidates must demonstrate English language proficiency prior to admission to the EPP through undergraduate coursework or passing the TOEFL exam. The DBU standard of English language proficiency may exceed the minimum requirements listed in Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 230; Subchapter B (5) for native speakers of English and/or second language speakers. Requirement: verification of minimum scaled scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) of 20-24 for speaking, 17-21 for listening, 18-23 for reading, and 17-23 for writing for international students.
- GPA Requirement
- The minimum GPA to be admitted into the DBU EPP is a 3.0. Please talk to your prospective program director with questions about the admission GPA.
- TEA ID Number: For MEDT, Pathways, and Non-Teacher/Advanced applicants, you will need to provide your TEA ID number on the screener. The number will be 7 or fewer digits. See below if you need help accessing or creating your TEA ID number.
- Finding Your Existing TEA ID Number
- Creating a New TEA ID Number
- For EPP Admission to the MEDT, Pathways, and *School Counseling programs.
- *School Counseling applicants will only need to create a TEA ID Number if they were not previously a teacher. Applicants will have a TEA ID Number if they were previously a teacher.
Criminal History Acknowledgement
As required by Texas HB1508, applicants need to be aware of the following requirement per the Texas Education Code (TEC), §22.083 and §22.0835 and the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §227.1(b) and §227.1(d)(1-3).
- Eligibility for Texas teacher certification in Texas requires that you pass a criminal history background check.
- If you were convicted of an offense that is not considered appropriate for an educator, you could be ineligible to earn this certification in Texas.
- You have a right to request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) prior to admission into this program. The TEA currently charges a $50 fee for this criminal history evaluation.
- For more information on Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation: Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation-FAQs
Program Completion Transition Points
EPP General Information
DBU Academic Policies
Complaints Procedure (TEA)
The link below will lead you to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) complaints page.
