Education Degree Programs Available at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley appears in our ranking of the 19 Best Online Doctorates in Educational Technology.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley offers education degree programs through the College of Education and P-16 Integration. All of the university’s undergraduate programs include a certification track that helps students become licensed Texas teachers. It offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Elementary Education and a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) program with concentrations in bilingual education, English as a second language and special education. Students can add minors to these degree programs to study secondary education, educational technology, and corporate training too.
Through the Intensive Mentorship and Preparation in Acceleration for a Career in Teaching (IMPACT) program, the university helps students become licensed teachers faster. This program accepts students who have an associate degree in teaching and helps them finish a bachelor’s degree in two years or less. Students take part in a two-week boot camp during the summer that teaches them how to work in different school settings. They’ll also do a simulation program that gives them situations similar to those that real teachers face. All the required courses in the IMPACT program are available online to let students work as they attend college.
The Student-Teacher Educator Preparation – University Partnership (STEP-UP) is a program designed for students willing to work in one of two school districts. It’s best for those who enter the university as an education major. They will spend one full year doing an internship in one of those districts and working with both students and other teachers. Students must be in the elementary education program and have time to start teaching in the fall before they apply. The university accepts just a few students to participate in the program every fall. Thanks to the university’s promise program, all undergrads can finish an education program in no more than four years.
Online and standard graduate programs are available from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley too. In the Master of Education in Bilingual Education, students learn the fundamentals of working with those who speak two or more languages. It includes 32 credits of online classes. The university also offers a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education and a similar program in reading and literacy. Graduate students can also earn digital literacy, e-learning, reading teaching and technology leadership education certificates from the university online.
About the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is the name given to several public universities located across the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Founded in 2013, it is a new university that has a long history. The Board of Regents of the University of Texas approved plans to close two campuses in the UT System and merge them into one campus called UTRGV. It has campuses in both Edinburg and Brownsville that were once home to other schools and four other smaller campuses for majors in certain fields.
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Accreditation Details
All of the UTRGV education programs meet the requirements for students to become licensed teachers in Texas. Those programs also have accreditation from the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) too. Students planning on applying for financial aid will like that UTRGV has regional accreditation. The Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools (SACS) granted the Texas university accreditation and renewed it. Though the university was on accreditation probation, it now has full accreditation again.
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Application Requirements
The requirements that students need to meet when applying to UTRGV depend on the individual program. Those applying to the IMPACT program need an Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) or a similar degree as well as a grade point average of 3.0 or higher from a junior or community college. In addition to the UTRGV application and application fee, they need to write an essay and provide three letters of recommendation and their transcripts. The university also asks that they pass a criminal background check and complete an interview with a College of Education professor or faculty member.
UTRGV encourages prospective undergrads to meet one with one of its recruiters or to attend a college event before they apply. It has a priority deadline for applications of February first and recommends that students apply by the middle of summer. When they use the Apply Texas application portal, they’ll need to upload a school transcript and a personal essay. Those accepted who plan to study on the UTRGV campus should also provide copies of their medical records to show that they have all the required vaccinations.
The university requires that incoming graduate students have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a bachelor’s degree. Students with a lower GPA can still apply but will need to submit a GRE score, which the university does not require of all students. They need to write two 250-word essays and add them to the application. While one should explain their reasons for attending grad school, the other should mention the experiences they have that relate to the program. UTRGV also requires two letters of recommendation and a resume.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Texas undergrads attending UTRGV pay $4,066.16 per semester to take at least 12 credits. This cost rises to $9,130.16 per semester for nonresident undergrads. Though these figures include the fees that they pay every semester, they do not include the meal plans and dorm rooms that the university offers. Graduate students also pay a resident or nonresident rate, which ranges from $4,066.16 to $9,730.16 each semester. The university charges slightly lower fees during the summer semesters. Most of the university’s online graduate programs in education charge rates of $458.33 per credit hour.
Any UTRGV student who needs financial aid should make sure to file the FAFSA. The university has scholarships that it awards to students based on their overall merit or the need that they have. Undergrads can use their scholarships with federal loans and government grants as well as work-study. Graduate students can qualify for the university’s work-study program and get paid for helping professors or working in other positions. They can get student loans too. All forms of financial aid are available for students applying to the education programs available from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
