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Urban Education

Vision Statement
"As a premier Education Program, we aim to ensure the highest level of educator preparation through excellence in pedagogy and evidence-based high-impact practices. We are committed to strengthening justice, equity, opportunity, accessibility, and student success. We aspire to transform future educators into leaders of tomorrow, determined to contribute to the rich and diverse cultural and linguistic contexts that define our schools and community."


Why Choose Our Teacher Education Program?


women standing with her arms crossed and smiling in a classroom with young students.


New Urban Education ScholarshipEmeritus Max Castillo

The Emeritus Max Castillo Scholarship was founded in honor of former UHD President Max Castillo. As such, the scholarship is open to undergraduate preservice teachers admitted to the UE program:

The scholarship provides $1,100 once a year for the fall semester, and it should be used towards tuition, books, fees, and/or supplies for the upcoming academic semester. 


UHD Admission


 

UHD admission requirements must be met before admission to the College of Public Service. Below are the requirements for UHD:

 

  • Minimum 2.0 GPA
  • 15 hours
  • Admit students throughout the year


Teacher Education Program Admission


 

 

  • minimum 2.5 overall GPA (including grades from all colleges/universities attended)
  • Successful completion (with a grade of "C" or higher) in all of the following within the last 12 hours before the PDs: College Algebra or higher Math, Composition I and II, Life and Physical Science component, American History Component.
  • Formal application to the program and interview

Ready to Apply?


 

 

  • Apply online at Apply Texas.
  • Submit final official transcripts from all schools attended.
  • Await instructions from the Admissions Office regarding acceptance, orientation and advising which are mandatory before you can enroll.

Once admitted to UHD, students are assisted by Advisors who guide the student until s/he qualifies for, and is admitted to a degree program. Declared or undeclared, a student receives course approvals from this Advising Center (AAC, One Main Street, 320-North) for a minimum of one term.
If declared and once the student earns a UHD GPA, s/he is transferred to CPS Advising (College of Public Service Advising). At this point, Advisors in the College of Public Service guide the student through their educational journey, all the way to graduation.

More Information

TEACH For Houston 
Application Support

Our friends at the nonprofit TEACH for Houston have free tools and resources to make applying to UHD’s undergraduate teaching programs easier and more affordable! Create a free account [link] to use UHD’s free interactive application checklist on TEACHforHouston.org, and you’ll also gain access to:

  • $100 fee reimbursement towards application and testing expenses.
  • 1-on-1 expert advice for any question along the way.
  • How-to guides for eligibility, applications, testing and finances.
  • A chance to win a $1,000 scholarship toward tuition.

 


Helpful Links

Wondering about your Application status?

Educator Certification and Standards conducts studies about teacher demographics, teacher attrition and retention, teacher shortages, mathematics and science teachers and administrators in Texas.

College of Public Service Transfer Guides for prospective Transfer Students.

The following link will help you on Fee information for scademic school years.

UHD Veterans Services assists veterans, reservists, guardsmen, and dependents of disabled or deceased veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.​ 

 

Professional licensure disclosure: The educator preparation program within the department of Urban Education at the University of Houston-Downtown provides a curriculum that prepares students to meet the state of Texas certification/licensure requirements. The university has not yet determined whether the curriculum meets the licensure requirements for all 50 states. Please consult the following website to determine the teacher certification reciprocity between the state of Texas and other states: https://www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/reciprocity/

We hope this information is useful to you. If you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to ask at our link, and our friendly and professional staffers will be happy to assist you. Thank you again for your interest in UHD and the College of Public Service! Let us know how we can help you along your journey to attain your educational goals!