College Teaching Certificate
Colleges and universities are expecting potential and future faculty hires to be equally skilled in the practice of research and teaching. Since 2001, the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource has offered a College Teaching Certificate Program for masters and doctoral level graduate students across the university who are interested in learning about the scholarship of teaching and learning, and documenting these professional development efforts for potential employers.
Benefits of completing our certificate program include:
- Colleges and universities are looking for faculty skilled in teaching. Even research universities want developed teaching skills so new faculty can focus on their research.
- Documenting teaching and other professional development efforts for potential employers can make candidates more competitive.
- A survey of junior faculty published in the Chronicle of Higher Education revealed that documentation (e.g., experience teaching and/or e-portfolio) was indeed helpful in the job talk process.
- Student’s ability and confidence to provide engaging classroom experiences for all students is enhanced.
Course Requirements
The certificate requires nine credit hours and a three-hour internship experience, for a total of 12 credit hours.
After completing all program requirements, students should apply for graduation from the certificate program.
Please contact the EAHR Advising Office if you have any questions about applying for graduation.
Coursework List
Required courses (9 credit hours)
Choose two courses from the following:
- EDAD 602 Community College
- EDAD 603 Advanced Student Development Theory
- EDAD 650 Professional Development in Higher Education
- EDAD 669 The College Student
- EHRD 616 Methods of Teaching Adults
- EHRD 630 Adult Learning
View full EHRD catalog listings
Equivalent courses might be taken in place of listed courses, but must be approved by the certificate coordinator prior to registering for the course.
Internship (3 credit hours)
- EDAD 684 Internship*
* The internship (EDAD 684) should be taken as the last course. All students are required to have their internships approved by the Certificate Coordinator before registering for classes.
Please note, because this is not an approved distance education program, students are limited to taking no more than two online courses to count toward the certificate.
After completing all program requirements, students will apply for graduation from the certificate program. Please email the EAHR Graduate Advising Office if you have any questions about applying for graduation.
Internship
Through an internship, students will have the opportunity to apply course readings, lectures, and assignments in a real-world setting. Each internship is a unique learning experience tailored to move students to the next level as a scholar.
There are two main components that act as a driving force in this certificate program:
- Effective college teaching internship experiences
- Student self-reflection on their college teaching
Students who have co-taught a course should be involved in course planning, syllabus development, course delivery, and student assessment. The co-teaching experience should be more than just observation.
Students are encouraged to find a supervisor/co-teacher in their subject area of expertise.
Internship Possibilities
- Co-teach an undergraduate or graduate class with a qualified supervisor.
- Observe and consult with at least five Teaching Award-Winning Faculty in a college classroom.
- Work or co-teach with a faculty mentor that is a Teaching Award-Winning Faculty in community colleges and universities in the surrounding area.
- Work with faculty development professionals in the Texas A&M University Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) in different areas.
- The CTE provides graduate students with opportunities to broaden their teaching experiences through internships. Students accepted for internships are mentored by Instructional Consultants as they engage in areas of teaching and learning. New and creative ideas related to teaching and learning are welcomed.
- Conduct research in the area of faculty development and/or college teaching issues in higher education.
- Work with professionals to learn more about faculty and TA development issues in higher education.
Former Student Success
Our former students have:
- Developed web-based modules for the Texas A&M Faculty Teaching and Learning Portal
- Coordinated the university’s Teaching Assistant Training program
- Designed and facilitated workshops/learning communities supporting graduate student professional development in teaching.
- Designed and facilitated learning communities emphasizing innovative approaches to teaching such as inquiry-learning and Backward Design (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005)
- Developed projects related to the Faculty Peer Review of Teaching Initiative
- Organized teaching and learning projects related to the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP): Aggies Commit to Learning for a Lifetime
- Worked with/shadowed a university program faculty in the process of curriculum revision or program review
Students applying for an internship in the CTE are encouraged to state their areas of interest. Please email cte@tamu.edu for further information.
Admissions
- Current Texas A&M University students who are in good academic standing can begin taking certificate courses any semester, after completing the current student application.
- Interested applicants who are not current Texas A&M University students will apply through the Texas A&M University Graduate CAS Application. Select “College Teaching, Certificate” as your major.
- Application fee: a non-refundable $89 application fee for domestic applicants and $114 application fee for international applicants.
- Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended are required to be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office.
Application Deadlines
- Fall: July 1
- Spring: November 1
Advisors
In the event that the main program advisor is not available, contact the EAHR Advising Office with any questions.
Kerri Smith
Director of Academic Advising
Faculty
Christine Stanley
Regents Professor, Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity Emerita
Glenda Musoba
Associate Professor, Program Chair
Luis Ponjuan
Associate Professor
Vicente Lechuga
Associate Professor
