Last reviewed October 2026.

Short answer: If you already have a bachelor’s degree, an alternative certification program like Teachworthy lets you skip going back to school. You test and train online on a plan you build with your Program Advisor, then teach for one school year on an intern certificate with full salary and benefits. After your internship, once you’ve passed the PPR exam and finished your remaining training, you can be recommended for your Texas standard certificate. Apply online for free in less than 10 minutes.

How long it takes depends mostly on you: how quickly your transcript arrives, how fast you move through training, and when you pass your content exam. Among candidates who completed Teachworthy’s internship route, more than half were teaching in their own classroom within a year of admission and earned their standard certificate within two years.

The four stages at a glance

Stage What happens How long
1. Apply Free online application. Your official transcript is sent to Teachworthy and a Program Advisor reviews your eligibility. The application takes less than 10 minutes. Review starts when your official transcript arrives.
2. Test and train Online Pre-Service Training (PST), classroom observation hours (Field-Based Experience), and your TExES content exam. On a plan you set with your Program Advisor. Exam preparation can take a few months.
3. Teach (internship) You’re hired as a full-time teacher on an intern certificate, with full salary and benefits, while Teachworthy observes and supports you. One school year
4. Standard certificate Pass the PPR exam and complete Capturing Kids’ Hearts (CKH) training. Recommended once all requirements are met. Valid for 5 years.

Stage 1: Apply and confirm you’re eligible

You can apply to Teachworthy at any time of year. To be admitted you’ll need:

  • A bachelor’s degree, or be in your final semester of one (final-semester students can enroll on a contingency basis)
  • A 2.5 GPA, either overall or in your last 60 semester hours
  • College coursework in the subject you want to teach: at least 12 semester credit hours for most certification areas (some areas require 24)
  • An official transcript sent directly from your university to admissions@teachworthy.org

Below the GPA or coursework minimums? You may still qualify by passing a Pre-Admission Content Test (PACT) before admission. See Do I need to take the PACT?

Degree from outside the U.S.? You’ll need a course-by-course transcript evaluation, and you may need the TOEFL iBT. Your advisor will tell you which applies. You’ll also need authorization to work in the U.S. and a Social Security number.

What slows this stage down: waiting on an official transcript. Ask your university to send it the day you apply.

Stage 2: Test and train on your plan

Before you can lead a classroom, you’ll complete three things. They don’t have to happen in order, and most can run at the same time:

  1. Pre-Service Training (PST): nine online courses. A realistic goal is to complete them within four months.
  2. Field-Based Experience (FBE): 50 hours of observing in real classrooms. It can run alongside PST. Plan around the school calendar, because it’s hard to observe instruction in the summer.
  3. TExES content exam: the state exam for your subject. You can take it before or after finishing PST. Texas requires you to show “test readiness” before you’re given permission to test.

When all three are done, you’re ready to interview for teaching jobs.

Stage 3: Teach as a paid intern

Once you’re hired, you teach for one full academic year on a certificate, with the same salary and benefits as any teacher at your district. Teachworthy observes you, gives feedback and provides professional development throughout the year.

Prefer a shorter, unpaid route? Clinical teaching places you alongside an experienced teacher for 14 weeks (one semester), and you can receive your standard certificate at the end if all program requirements are met. See Clinical Teaching.

Stage 4: Earn your standard certificate

To be recommended for your standard certificate you’ll need to:

  • Pass the PPR (Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities) exam (The PPR Exam Explained)
  • Complete Capturing Kids’ Hearts training
  • Finish your internship or clinical teaching

Your standard certificate is valid for 5 years. To renew it you’ll complete continuing professional education (150 CPE hours) and renew through the Texas Education Agency.

Traditional vs. alternative: which is faster?

Traditional route Alternative route (like Teachworthy)
Who it’s for Students earning a bachelor’s degree in education Anyone who already has a bachelor’s degree in any field
How certification fits in Built into a four-year degree Done after your degree, online, on a plan with your advisor
Paid while you train? No. Student teaching is unpaid. Yes, during your intern year

More detail: Traditional vs. Alternative Teaching Certification.

What does it cost?

The application is free, and you pay most of your program fees after you’re hired. See current pricing for the full breakdown.

Frequently asked questions

Can I become a teacher in Texas without an education degree?

Yes. With a bachelor's degree in any field, you can get certified through an alternative certification program.

Can I get paid while I'm getting certified?

Yes. On the internship route you teach full-time on an intern certificate with full salary and benefits.

Is the program online?

Training is online, on a plan you set with your Program Advisor. Field-Based Experience hours are spent observing in real classrooms.

When can I start?

Any time. Teachworthy accepts applications year-round.

Can I apply before I graduate?

Yes, during the final semester of your bachelor's degree.

What's the fastest route to a standard certificate?

Clinical teaching takes 14 weeks but is unpaid. The internship takes one school year and is paid.

Start your free application