The Occupational Education Program offers teaching certification in Trade and Industrial Education. Your work experience should match the technical area you wish to teach.

Students who choose the CATE certification sequence is prepared for employment in Texas public schools provided they satisfactorily complete all required criteria including two to five years of approved work experience and teaching on an emergency permit.

Please note a criminal background check will be done on ALL candidates prior to issuance of the certificate.  Click here to see the statement from the State Board of Education.

Trade and Industrial Education
This certification provides the opportunity for those in a variety of areas including auto technology, auto body, machine shop, welding, cosmetology, drafting and many others to earn a credential to instruct in their specific areas in a secondary public school.

To enter the program you must have:

• a bachelor's or associate's degree from an accredited institution AND
• three years of full-time wage-earning experience within the past eight years, in one or more approved occupations for which instruction is offered

OR

• high school diploma or the equivalent AND
•  five years of full-time wage-earning experience, within the past eight years, in one or more approved occupations for which instruction is offered.

Enrollment Procedures:

• Download the Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) in Word format, in PDF format, or call the campus office in San Marcos at (512) 245-2115.
• Complete the SOQ, listing all full time and part-time work since leaving high school.
• Obtain an official high school or college transcript.
• Obtain three references using the downloaded form, which will verify your work experience.
• Provide an industry-approved certificate or license related to your trade or employment field. Check with our office for information about an alternative, if you do not currently have an industry-approved certificate or license.
• Mail the completed SOQ, the transcript, your three references, a copy of your industry-approved certificate or license and $40.00 to:

Occupational/Career and Technology Education
Texas State University-San Marcos
601 University Drive
San Marcos, Texas 78666-4616

After verifying your qualifications, the certification worksheet will be mailed to your home address. (The certification worksheet does not constitute admission to the university.)

You may contact the OCED office at (512) 245-2115 to check on your status. You must complete your program and take the TeXes Certification test before you receive your certification. Please contact your advisor regularly to be sure you are on track to getting your certification.

Complete the admission to university process by contacting the Undergraduate Admissions office at (512) 245-2364 or the Graduate Admissions office at (512) 245-2581.

If you are enrolling as a degree-seeking student, you must attend a new student orientation with Occupational/Career and Technology Education.

Call (512) 245-2115 to attend the orientation on campus. To obtain orientation information in San Antonio, call (210) 659-0954.

Applicants seeking certification as part of the graduate degree program should contact a graduate adviser by calling (512) 245-2115.