ATCP Eligibility

Bachelor’s Degree Requirement for Education Preparation Programs (EPP) Admissions

To be eligible for admission, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a 2.5 GPA or higher.

The bachelor's degree must be earned and conferred by an institution recognized by one of the regional accrediting agencies approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)

International Degrees

If you earned your undergraduate or graduate degree outside the United States, you must submit an official evaluation of your international transcripts from a foreign credential evaluation service.

Refer to International Transcripts for a list of acceptable evaluation services.

Your evaluation must include:

• U.S. degree equivalency
• Overall grade point average (GPA)
• Course-by-course analysis
• Divisional course analysis (required for grades 7–12 certification)

A "teacher certification" evaluation is preferred.

For additional transcript details, visit International Transcripts or atcp@hccs.edu

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) internet-based (iBT) exam scores are required if the language of instruction is not English. 

The required scores are:

Reading:         18–23

Listening:     17–21

Speaking:     20–24

Writing:         17–23

Houston Community College’s (HCC) destination code (DI) is 6296.

TOEFL Exemptions

• English is the primary language of instruction. The institution may provide a letter on official university letterhead confirming English as the official language of instruction.
• If an additional degree is obtained within the United States. However, a credential evaluation service must still evaluate the degree obtained outside the U.S.

Students without a bachelor's degree:

1. Meet with an academic advisor to discuss the Teacher Education, AAT
2. This transferrable program includes the required foundational courses for a bachelor’s degree.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Applicants must have a minimum 2.5 GPA, as determined by official transcripts. The GPA calculation is based on the following:

• The completed bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited institution.
• The most recent 60 semester credit hours of the bachelor's coursework from an accredited institution.
• If fewer than 60 hours have been completed at the current institution, coursework from previous institutions will be included.

Content Mastery

Demonstrate content mastery in the content area for the certification sought by meeting the prerequisite coursework requirements or submitting a passing score on the content examination through the Pre-Admission Content Test (PACT) TExES Program.

The program requires a minimum number of content-specific semester hours before program acceptance.

Students who do not meet the prerequisite requirements may demonstrate content mastery by submitting a passing score on the PACT TExES Program in the specified content area. Please review the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Pre-Admissions Content Test for more information. 

Background Check

Chapter 227 of the Texas Education Code (TEC) outlines requirements for Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs), including informing applicants about background checks and certification eligibility.

• Candidates must undergo a criminal history background check before employment as an educator. 
• A background check is also required before clinical teaching.

Applicant Notifications

• Potential Ineligibility – Individuals with certain criminal convictions may be denied certification.
• SBEC Rules – Guidelines on how criminal history affects certification eligibility.
• Right to a Criminal History Evaluation – Applicants can request a preliminary evaluation to check their eligibility before starting the program.

Texas Education Code 227