Admission Procedure
Students will apply in writing for admission to clinical teaching one semester prior to the anticipated semester of clinical teaching. An orientation meeting will be held each semester. Students should contact the C&I Department early in the semester to determine the time and location of the meeting.
In extreme circumstances, applications for fall clinical teaching may be accepted as late as July 1. Submitting a late application carries no guarantee of placement for the fall. Placement in such an instance is dependent upon circumstances beyond the control of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Students are strongly urged to meet normal application deadlines.
Successful completion and passing of all certification tests in your area as required by the State of Texas. If a student does not pass on the first attempt, the student must wait 30 days before taking the test again. The State allows 5 attempts per certification test.
Fingerprinting and background checks are required.
Application for certification must be completed before a student can be recommended for a standard certificate
Field Experiences and Criminal History Checks
The Department wants each McMurry student to have as much classroom experience as possible. In many classes, there will be a field experience component that is embedded. This will include hand-on learning experiences in local schools. The number of hours of field experiences vary by courses.
Prior to clinical teaching and all field-based experiences, students will undergo school district criminal history checks. The state of Texas also requires a criminal background check before an individual can receive a Texas teacher certification. Information regarding requirements for certification may be found on the TEA website.
Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 227.101c) states that a person who is enrolled or planning to enroll in a State Board of Educator Certification-approved educator preparation program or planning to take a certification examination may request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter regarding the person’s potential ineligibility for certification due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense.
For more information about the Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation, click below.