The Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT)

leading to initial Texas teacher certification:

The Gulf Coast Teacher Education Consortium Agreement

What is the AAT?

The Associate of Arts in Teaching is a state-approved collegiate degree program consisting of lower-division (i.e. freshman and sophomore level) courses intended for transfer to baccalaureate programs that lead to initial Texas teacher certification. There are three state-approved AAT curricula which include 60-66 semester credit (SCH) hours of coursework. These three AATs can only be offered by Texas public community colleges, and are fully transferable to any Texas public university offering baccalaureate degree programs leading to initial teacher certification.

The Gulf Coast Teacher Education Consortium has taken the three state-approved generic plans and shaped them toward each of the teacher certification options offered by each Consortium university to provide for maximal transferrability. The Consortium plans also give the best preparation for Teacher certification as well as guarantee the transfer of the total Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree, assuming the student fulfills all conditions of the agreement.

The following universities have participated in the creation of the Gulf Coast Consortium AAT plans which lead toward initial Texas teacher certification: Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University, Texas Southern University, University of Houston, University of Houston - Downtown, University of Houston - Clear Lake, University of Houston - Victoria, and University of St. Thomas. The intent of the Consortium AAT plans is to allow the student to focus primarily on his/her educational courses and pathway at the community college. This approach then allows the student the freedom to explore the various transfer universities without fear of loss of credit.

Students need to be aware that universities often have limitations on the amount of credit that can transfer from community colleges to universities. That limit is usually around sixty-six semester hours taken at community colleges. For more information on Consortium university teacher education admission requirements and AAT plan uniquenesses including details regarding the Gulf Coast Teacher Education agreement, please see the links for each Consortium school.

It should be noted that the Gulf Coast AAT degree plans are designed for the first-time-in-college student in order to give the student the best preparation for Teacher Education. However, for the student who may be deciding to switch to Teacher Education from another major or pathway, he/she may have already taken other core curriculum and prerequisite courses which are not on the AAT degree plans. In that case, it might be in the student's best interest to pursue an Associate of Arts (AA) degree, instead of the Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT), in order to avoid taking unneeded, extra courses.

For example, a Gulf Coast AAT may specify TECA 1354 to be taken to meet the social/behavioral science core curriculum category. However, a student may have already taken PSYC 2301, which is not on the AAT degree plan but normally qualifies as a social/behavioral science core course. In some cases, a substitution may be possible (call or email the Transfer Office at your community college or the Teacher Education department at your university of choice for substitution approval). However, in most cases, the Gulf Coast AAT agreements with the universities are dependent on the specific coursework listed on the AAT degree plans. If a student has taken too many courses that differ from the required courses on the AAT, the student should be given the Associate of Arts (AA) degree plan instead. He/she should then be directed to the transfer university's 2+2 transfer plans leading to teacher certification for clarification of what will transfer and count toward Teacher Education at that school.

Back to Gulf Coast AAT Home Page

Back to Gulf Coast Teacher Ed Home Page
If you have comments or suggestions, email a Gulf Coast AAT contact person at

	The Associate of Arts in Teaching is a state-approved collegiate degree program consisting of lower-division (i.e. freshman and sophomore level) courses intended for transfer to baccalaureate programs that lead to initial Texas teacher certification. There are three state-approved AAT curricula which include 60-66 semester credit (SCH) hours of coursework. These three AATs can only be offered by Texas public community colleges, and are fully transferable to any Texas public university offering baccalaureate degree programs leading to initial teacher certification. The Gulf Coast Teacher Education Consortium has taken the three state-approved generic plans and shaped them toward each of the teacher certification options offered by each Consortium university to provide for maximal transferrability. The Consortium plans also give the best preparation for Teacher certification as well as guarantee the transfer of the total Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree, assuming the student fulfills all conditions of the agreement. The following universities have participated in the creation of the Gulf Coast Consortium AAT plans which lead toward initial Texas teacher certification: Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University, Texas Southern University, University of Houston, University of Houston - Downtown, University of Houston - Clear Lake, University of Houston - Victoria, and University of St. Thomas. The intent of the Consortium AAT plans is to allow the student to focus primarily on his/her educational courses and pathway at the community college. This approach then allows the student the freedom to explore the various transfer universities without fear of loss of credit. Students need to be aware that universities often have limitations on the amount of credit that can transfer from community colleges to universities. That limit is usually around sixty-six semester hours taken at community colleges. For more information on Consortium university teacher education admission requirements and AAT plan uniquenesses including details regarding the Gulf Coast Teacher Education agreement, please see the links for each Consortium school. It should be noted that the Gulf Coast AAT degree plans are designed for the first-time-in-college student in order to give the student the best preparation for Teacher Education. However, for the student who may be deciding to switch to Teacher Education from another major or pathway, he/she may have already taken other core curriculum and prerequisite courses which are not on the AAT degree plans. In that case, it might be in the student's best interest to pursue an Associate of Arts (AA) degree, instead of the Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT), in order to avoid taking unneeded, extra courses. For example, a Gulf Coast AAT may specify TECA 1354 to be taken to meet the social/behavioral science core curriculum category. However, a student may have already taken PSYC 2301, which is not on the AAT degree plan but normally qualifies as a social/behavioral science core course. In some cases, a substitution may be possible (call or email the Transfer Office at your community college or the Teacher Education department at your university of choice for substitution approval). However, in most cases, the Gulf Coast AAT agreements with the universities are dependent on the specific coursework listed on the AAT degree plans. If a student has taken too many courses that differ from the required courses on the AAT, the student should be given the Associate of Arts (AA) degree plan instead. He/she should then be directed to the transfer university's 2+2 transfer plans leading to teacher certification for clarification of what will transfer and count toward Teacher Education at that school.

	Back to Gulf Coast AAT Home Page Back to Gulf Coast Teacher Ed Home Page If you have comments or suggestions, email a Gulf Coast AAT contact person at