Formal Admission to Graduate Program(s) with Advanced Certification
Admissions Requirements and Procedures
Requirements
The College of Education and P-16 Integration requires candidates have a 3.0 undergraduate GPA or higher (on a 4-point scale) for unconditional admission into its graduate programs. Students whose undergraduate GPA is below a 3.0 may still be accepted on a conditional basis. Individual programs may have additional requirements for admission that can be found in the program descriptions.
- 1. Review the program descriptions and requirements for graduate programs offered by the College of Education and P-16 Integration, which can be found on the Graduate Programs web page.
- 2. Interested applicants are encouraged to meet with a UTRGV Graduate Recruiter who can answer any questions about graduate programs and the admissions process.
- 3. Determine the semester admissions deadline for your selected graduate program. If you have any questions about the admissions deadlines, please visit the Graduate Programs web page or contact the academic department offering the degree program.
Department of Organization School Leadership offers:
Department of Bilingual and Literacy Studies offers:
Department of Counseling offers:
- 1. In order to be accepted into a graduate program, students must first be admitted to the Graduate College of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Complete an online application to begin the admission process.
If you have questions about how to apply to a graduate program, please contact the Graduate College in person, via phone, or by email (gradcollege@utrgv.edu). You can schedule an appointment to meet with a graduate recruiter to assist with any concerns. - 2. Once your application has been submitted and processed by the Graduate College, it will be sent to the appropriate academic program for review.
- 3. Depending on your chosen graduate program requirements, you may receive an email (sent to your ApplyTexas profile email) with instructions to schedule an appointment for an admissions interview.
- 4. Check your application status by completing the Check Application Status form or by calling the Graduate College at 956-665-3661 or 956-882-6552.
- 5. Upon admission to the graduate program, you will receive a graduate orientation packet via your ApplyTexas profile email.
(There will be a processing fee for criminal background check.)
Teacher Education Program(s) require field work in the public schools. This requires that a student be able to clear a criminal background check conducted by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley during formal admission and during the program by school districts. It is the responsibility of the student to determine if their criminal history background will present a problem before applying for admission to the teacher education program.
Note that students with a problematic criminal history will encounter difficulty in completing any field work requirements and therefore, may not be able to complete the program. Questions about criminal history background checks can be referred to the Office of Educator Preparation and Accountability.
The applicant must submit a Criminal Background Check (CBC) through the following link: https://utrgv-students.quickapp.pro/positions. Pursuant to the Texas Education Code (TEC), §22.083, candidates must undergo criminal history background check prior to employment as an educator. Pursuant to the TEC, §22.0835, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to clinical teaching.
Read all items carefully and submit the required information. Print the payment confirmation page and submit with application. Note: Admission to Teacher Education Program may be denied or rescinded based on a review of the background check.
Criminal History Acknowledgement
As required by Texas HB1508, applicants need to be aware of the following.
- 1. In order to receive certification in Texas, you must pass a criminal history background check.
- 2. If you have been convicted of an offense that is considered not appropriate for an educator, you could be ineligible to earn this certification from the state of Texas.
- 3. You have a right to request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter from the Texas Education Agency prior to admission into this program. The Texas Education Agency currently charges a $50 fee for this criminal history evaluation.
In accordance with 19 TAC 228.35 (a)(5), UTRGV’s College of Education may accept military service, training, or education toward the fulfillment of program requirements. Military service, training, or education must be directly related to the certificate being sought and may not take the place of certification examinations. Service, training, or education may not count as part of an internship, clinical teaching, or practicum requirements and must be provided by an approved Educator Preparation Program or accredited institution of higher education within the past five years. The Program Director will determine whether or not military service, training, or education is relevant and could be used as a substitution.
Request for accommodations to complete the graduate application
Applicants who require accommodations/assistance to complete the graduate application can register with Student Accessibility Services. Applicants can contact Accessibility Services in person, via phone, or by email (sas@utrgv.edu).
Campus | Phone (956) | Room |
---|---|---|
Brownsville | 882-7374 | BMSLC 1.107 |
Edinburg | 665-7005 | University Center 108 |