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TVCC's Education & Teaching Department offers two levels of education for students seeking to enter the field of Early Childhood Education and Teaching:

  • Associate of Arts in Teaching degree

  • Bachelor's of Applied Arts and Sciences, Early Childhood Education & Teaching

Associate of Arts in Teaching degree

The Associate of Arts degree in Teaching is designed for students intending to transfer their coursework to a university program and pursue a career as a teacher in Texas. The AAT, developed and approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), is intended to provide students at the community college with a fully transferable curriculum to any public Texas university or college with teacher preparation degrees.

TVCC offers two AAT pathways:

EC-6th Grade, complete core curriculum and:

  • MATH-1350 Mathematics for Teachers I (Fundamentals of Mathematics I), MATH-1351 Mathematics for Teachers II (Fundamentals of Mathematics II) or equivalent (6 SCHs)

  • EDUC-1301 Introduction to the Teaching Profession, EDUC-2301 Introduction to Special Populations (6 SCHs)

  • TECA-1311 Educating the Young Child, TECA-1354 Child Growth and Development (6 SCHs)

  • Additional science beyond the core curriculum may be required. Check the transfer university for requirements.

7th-12th Grade, complete core curriculum and:

  • EDUC-1301 Introduction to the Teaching Profession, EDUC-2301 Introduction to Special Populations (6 SCHs)

  • Content area teaching fields/academic disciplines (13 SCHs)

Bachelor's of Applied Arts and Sciences, Early Childhood Education & Teaching

Bachelor's of Applied Arts and Sciences in Early Childhood Education and Teaching, complete core curriculum, and:

  • Program prerequisites: EDUC-1301: Introduction into Education, EDUC-2301: Introduction into Special Education, MATH-1350: Mathematics for Teachers I (Fundamentals of Mathematics I), MATH-1351: Mathematics for Teachers II (Fundamentals of Mathematics II), TECA-1311: Educating Young Children, and TECA-1354: Child Growth & Development. These 18 credit hours are equivalent to the elective requirement for TVCC’s EC-6th Grade AAT; transfer students should submit transcripted coursework with their program application for review and meet with an advisor and/or the program director to determine if they have met prerequisite requirements.

  • An additional 60 credit hours of upper-level coursework composed of EDEC, EDEL, EDIT, EDLL, and EDTP division courses.

Note: Criminal history may disqualify individuals from volunteering, substitute teaching, and/or obtaining or maintaining teaching certifications. The State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) requires all applicants to submit fingerprints for a national criminal history background check. This includes applicants for a:

  • Standard teaching certificate

  • Probationary certificate

  • Educational aide certificate

  • One-year certificate

  • Temporary teaching certificate

  • Permit

Individuals who have been convicted of an offense or placed on probation may not be eligible to volunteer, substitute teach, or become certified by the Texas SBEC, even after completing an educational or training program. SBEC’s criminal history guidelines are available at https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Certification/Fingerprinting/Requirements_for_Certification_Applicants/

University requirements for teacher education programs vary. Students are encouraged to contact the intended transferring university for specific degree requirements.