Department of Teacher Education

A New Pathway to a Teaching Career

 

Until recently, the educational pathway to a career in teaching was the exclusive domain of four-year colleges and universities in Texas. Now, a new pathway is available at North Central Texas College—the Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) program. Because community colleges like NCTC are close to home and because they have less stringent admissions requirements, the AAT degree program is more accessible. An important added bonus is that students who begin their pursuit of a teaching certificate through the AAT Degree program can realize truly significant financial savings by completing their first two years of study at NCTC before moving on to a four-year school where tuition is considerably more expensive.

The AAT Degree program offers other significant advantages as well for those who have their sights on a career in the classroom. “One of the greatest benefits of the AAT degree is the opportunity for students to get field experience their freshman year,” says Karen Morris, chair of the Teacher Education Department. “Students can learn right away if being a teacher is what they really want to do, and that's usually not the case with traditional university-based teacher education programs."

Approved by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

The Associate of Arts in Teaching degree (AAT) is a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board-approved collegiate degree program consisting of lower-division courses intended for transfer to baccalaureate programs that lead to initial Texas teacher certification. The AAT degree as defined by the Coordinating Board is fully transferable to all Texas public universities. Because the AAT fulfills the requirements of the field of study curriculum statutes and Coordinating Board rules, all Texas public universities must accept the AAT curricula if they offer the applicable baccalaureate degrees leading to initial teacher certification. However, students who complete the AAT will be required to meet any and all entrance requirements of the receiving university and the educator preparation program, including grade point averages and/or testing requirements.

Meets Certification Requirements for Teacher Aides

While the AAT degree was designed for transfer purposes, for those students who decide to “stop out” after completing the AAT, this degree meets the No Child Left Behind requirements for teacher aides and other paraprofessionals. In addition, completion of the AAT is much like that of an Associate of Arts or Associate of Applied Science degree in that it may qualify students for work that requires at least an associate’s degree. Substitute teachers would also benefit from the education courses offered in the degree program.

Complete the AAT at NCTC, Then Transfer