Yes, you can become a certified teacher in Texas if your degree is from outside the United States — but you’ll need to have your transcripts evaluated by an approved credential evaluation service before you can apply to an alternative certification program. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires that your foreign degree be equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Once that evaluation is complete and your degree is verified, you follow the same path as any other alternative certification candidate.
Key Takeaways
- If your degree is from outside the U.S., TEA requires a foreign credential evaluation before you can apply to an Alternative Certification Program (ACP) in Texas.
- You must use a TEA-recognized evaluation service — not just any translation or notarization service.
- Your degree must be equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree, and your transcripts must show enough coursework in the subject you want to teach.
- The evaluation process typically takes two to eight weeks, so it's one of the first steps you should take.
- Once your evaluation is complete, the path to certification is the same as it is for any other candidate: coursework, passing your TExES content exam, earning your Statement of Eligibility (SOE), getting hired, and completing your internship year.
- An Admissions Advisor at 240 Certification can walk you through what's needed for your specific situation before you apply.
Do You Qualify to Teach in Texas with an International Degree?
The short answer is: probably yes, but there's one important step before you can find out for sure.
Texas requires all teacher certification candidates to hold a bachelor's degree (or higher) from an accredited institution. If your degree is from outside the United States, TEA — the Texas Education Agency, the state agency that sets the rules for teacher certification — can't evaluate a foreign transcript the same way it evaluates a U.S. one. That's not a barrier. It's just a process.
Before you apply to any TEA-approved Educator Preparation Program (EPP), you'll need a foreign credential evaluation. This is a formal review of your international transcripts that translates your degree into U.S. equivalency terms. It tells TEA — and your certification program — that your degree counts.
What Is a Foreign Credential Evaluation?
A foreign credential evaluation is an official document produced by an accredited evaluation service. It reviews your academic records from your home country and confirms:
- That your degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree
- How many credit hours you completed (and in what subjects)
- Your final GPA as translated to a U.S. scale
This document is what you'll submit when you apply to an Alternative Certification Program (ACP) — a certification route designed for people who already have a bachelor's degree and want to earn their teaching certificate without going back to school for a traditional education degree.
Which Credential Evaluation Services Does TEA Accept?
TEA requires evaluations from services that are members of one of two professional associations:
- NACES — National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (naces.org)
- AICE — Association of International Credentials Evaluators (aice.tamu.edu)
Both associations maintain lists of approved member organizations on their websites. Common services used by Texas certification candidates include World Education Services (WES), Josef Silny & Associates, and Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) — but any NACES or AICE member will meet the requirement.
Don't stress about choosing "the right one." As long as the service is a member of NACES or AICE, the evaluation will be accepted.
What Kind of Evaluation Do You Need?
Most evaluation services offer several levels of review. For teacher certification in Texas, you'll typically need a course-by-course evaluation — not just a document equivalency report.
Here's why that matters: your certification program and TEA need to see not just that you have a degree, but that you have the right coursework to qualify for the subject area you want to teach. A course-by-course evaluation lists each of your courses and their U.S. credit hour equivalents, which makes that review possible.
When you contact an evaluation service, ask specifically for a course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts.
How Long Does the Evaluation Take?
This varies by service and how quickly you can get your original transcripts sent. In general, expect:
- Standard processing: 4–8 weeks
- Rush processing (if available): 1–3 weeks, usually for an additional fee
Because this is one of the first steps in the process, it's worth starting early. You can research certification programs and talk to an Admissions Advisor while your evaluation is in progress — you don't have to wait to start learning about your options.
What Happens If Your Degree Doesn't Fully Qualify?
In some cases, an evaluation might show that your degree doesn't fully meet Texas requirements — for example, if your total credit hours fall short of the U.S. bachelor's degree standard, or if you don't have enough coursework in your intended teaching subject.
This comes up more often than you'd think, and it doesn't automatically disqualify you. Here's what to do:
- Check whether you need additional coursework. If you're close to meeting the requirements, taking a few courses at a community college or online institution may be enough to fill the gap.
- Ask about the PACT exam. For candidates whose transcripts don't meet GPA or credit-hour thresholds, some programs offer a Pre-Admission Content Test (PACT) as an alternative path to qualify. Ask whether this applies to your situation.
The point is: don't rule yourself out before getting an expert opinion. The path may look different than you expected, but it may still be there.
What Comes Next After Your Evaluation?
Once you have your foreign credential evaluation in hand, you're ready to apply to an ACP. From there, the process is the same as it is for any other candidate in Texas:
- Apply to a TEA-approved ACP and submit your evaluation in place of your transcripts.
- Complete your program's early coursework and prepare for your content exam.
- Pass your TExES exam — the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards, the state certification tests that verify you know your subject.
- Complete required observation hours (50 hours of classroom observation in a Texas school).
- Receive your Statement of Eligibility (SOE) — the document your program issues that shows you're ready to be hired as a teacher intern.
- Get hired into a qualifying teaching position and complete your internship year.
- Apply for your standard Texas teaching certificate through ECOS, the Educator Certification Online System.
The credential evaluation is the extra front-end step for international candidates. Everything after that follows the same path.
A Note on English Language Proficiency
English language proficiency is a TEA requirement for certification. TEA requires all certification applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English by meeting one of the following:
Option A: You completed your undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited U.S. institution. If this is you, you've already met the requirement. You'll submit official transcripts directly from your institution to TEA (transcripts from the applicant are not accepted).
Option B: You pass the TOEFL-iBT at the High-Intermediate (B2) level in all four sections. Score requirements differ depending on when you take the exam.
Exams taken before January 21, 2026: Reading 18–23, Listening 17–21, Speaking 20–24, Writing 17–23.
Exams taken on or after January 21, 2026: A score of 4 in each section
Option C: Your degree is from a country that TEA recognizes as an English-proficiency-sufficient country. TEA maintains a specific list of qualifying countries in the rules. If your degree is from one of those countries, no additional submission is needed — TEA verifies this during the credential evaluation review. Check the figure in 19 TAC §230.11(b)(5)(C) to see if your country is on the list.
Option D: You hold a standard certificate from another U.S. state where you passed certification exams. This also satisfies the proficiency requirement, though you'll still need to complete all Texas certification requirements.
Don't stress if you're not sure which category applies to you. Your Admissions Advisor can help you figure out where you stand before you apply.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Texas allows internationally educated candidates to pursue teacher certification through an Alternative Certification Program (ACP), as long as your foreign degree is evaluated and confirmed to be equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. You’ll need to complete a credential evaluation from a NACES- or AICE-approved service before applying.
TEA accepts evaluations from any member organization of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) or AICE (Association of International Credentials Evaluators). Common options include World Education Services (WES), Josef Silny & Associates, and Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). Any current member of either association will meet the requirement.
For teacher certification in Texas, you’ll typically need a course-by-course evaluation. This type of evaluation lists each of your courses and their U.S. credit hour equivalents, which your program needs to confirm you have the right background for your intended teaching subject.
Standard processing typically takes four to eight weeks, depending on the service and how quickly you can submit your original transcripts. Rush processing is available through some services for an additional fee and can be completed in one to three weeks.
If your evaluation reveals a gap — in credit hours, GPA, or subject area coursework — don’t assume you’re automatically disqualified. Talk to an Admissions Advisor first. Some situations have a path forward through additional coursework or the PACT (Pre-Admission Content Test). Your advisor can review your specific evaluation and give you honest next steps.
There is no separate English language proficiency requirement in the TEA certification process. However, individual programs or districts may have their own considerations. If you have questions about your specific situation, ask your Admissions Advisor directly.
