Life-Long Learners Need You

Discover ways of integrating literacy and technology into the classroom. Offered fully online, our 21-hour certification prepares you to work as a School Librarian or Library Media Specialist in Texas. Learn the basic skills in cataloging, classification, referencing and information organization for print and non-print sources. Explore literature for children and young adults, curate digital and print materials, and gain familiarity in a practicum with policies and procedures in school library administration. Interested in earning your master's degree? We also offer a 36-hour online master's in Educational Technology Library Science.

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Admissions

Submit Application

  • Select “Create a new graduate school admissions application.”
  • Select “Texas A&M University-Commerce (Commerce)” as your “Target University.”

  1. Select “School Librarian Certification” as your “Major.”

Domestic Application Fee 395064

  • Pay the $50 application fee.

Wait to receive an application confirmation email before proceeding to the next step.

  • After you submit your application, the Graduate School will send a confirmation email within two business days to the personal email account you used for ApplyTexas.
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Wait to receive an application confirmation email before proceeding to the next step.

  • After you submit your application, the Graduate School will send a confirmation email within two business days to the personal email account you used for ApplyTexas.

Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to your graduate coordinator.

  • We recommend that you request transcripts for all of your academic work.

All international transcripts must be evaluated and the evaluation submitted to the Graduate School.

We accept evaluations sent directly from the following Agencies.

  • If a normal evaluation is submitted, official original transcripts with all marksheets will still need to be submitted.
  • If a WES ICAP or equivalent is submitted, we will not need the official transcripts to be submitted separately.

If your institution is unable to submit a digital copy, hard copies may be mailed to:

Texas A&M University-Commerce
Attn: Graduate School
PO Box 3011
Commerce, Texas 75429-3011

We will need official/original documents. If those documents are the only copies you have, the Graduate School can mail them back to you upon request. Contact your graduate coordinator or more information.

Submit proof of one of the following:

  • A valid Texas Teacher Certification or
  • A Principal Certificate

Describe your preparation for graduate work and your academic interests and goals in no more than 500 words.

Submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) which includes your academic and professional history and achievements.

Look for application updates in myLeo > Apps > Check Application Status

  • Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive an email to your student email account at myLeo > Apps > Leomail.

Once your application to the Graduate School is complete, immediately submit your School Librarian Certification Program Application using TK20.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

You will need to have the following documents ready for upload in order to submit the application:

  • Certification fee receipt
  • TEA Assessment fee receipt
  • Teaching service record
    • A minimum of zero years of experience is required for admission to the school librarian certification program. If you do not have a completed year of service yet, please submit a letter of explanation in TK20 in place of your service record. The application will not submit if this required attachment is missing.
  • Standard Texas Teaching Certificate
    • Note: Candidates on emergency permits, intern or probationary certificates will not be admitted.
  • Official transcripts from the Graduate Office will be reviewed by the certification office.
    • Official transcripts from all institutions must be submitted to the Graduate School in order to satisfy TEA certification admission requirements.
    • Admission to the school librarian certification-only program requires the applicant to have a conferred master's degree as shown by official transcripts.
    • Applicants must meet one of the following GPA requirements for certification admission:
      • Minimum 2.75 undergraduate GPA; or
      • Minimum GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 hours of a conferred bachelor's degree; or
      • Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a conferred master's degree
    • Please note that certification admission requirements may differ from those of the Graduate School and are separate requirements.
If applicable:
  • TEA Transfers
    • If you have previously been admitted to another educator preparation program for school librarian certification.
    • Request that a completed TEA transfer form be sent from your previous program to [email protected].
  • Transcripts from outside the United States
    • Contact [email protected] for any questions about TEA requirements for transcripts from outside the United States.
    • If your official transcripts are from institutions outside the United States and the country of origin is not exempt by TEA, send the following documentation to [email protected]:
      • A course-by-course evaluation from a TEA-approved Foreign Credential Evaluation Service
      • Minimum scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT). Please note that TOEFL scores are only valid for a period of two years. Required minimum scores are 24 for Speaking, 22 for Listening, 22 for Reading and 21 for Writing.
        • As of 3/4/2022, a valid standard Texas educator certificate will be accepted in lieu of TOEFL iBT scores.

  • Go to tamuc.tk20.com
  • Scroll down and click “Admissions”
  • Select “Click here to create your account.”
  • Complete the “Create Applicant Account” form.
  • Note: You will be creating a password for this account.
  • Store the password you create in a secure location so you can refer to it later.
  • After completing the “Create Applicant Account” form, TK20 will provide your username.
  • Store your TK20 username and password in a secure location so you can refer to them later.
    • You will use the username to log in to review your admission application once submitted.

  • Log into your TK20 account
    • Click on the “back to login” link.
    • Enter your username and password.
    • Click the green “Log Into Your Account” button.
  • Click on the “Create New Application” button.
  • Select “School Librarian” application
  • Click the “Next” button.
  • Complete the application. Your written essay response will be evaluated for admission by program faculty.

  • Upload documents by clicking on the “+ Select File(s)” button for the item you are uploading.
  • Once you have completed all fields in the application, click the “Submit” button.
  • Look for an email from TK20 confirming your submission.

To check your application status:

  1. Log in to your TK20 Student Admissions account
  2. On the “Home” tab, locate your application under “Recent Messages”
  3. Click on the application.
  4. If you are admitted, the message will indicate your application was “Admitted”
  5. If you lack admission requirements, the message will indicate “Denied.”
    • Click on “Review Document” to view your deficiencies and reason(s) for denial.

Once accepted, please sign and return the “letter of invitation.”

  • Apply for scholarships once you are admitted.
  • Contact your financial aid advisor with any questions.

Note: This program is not eligible for Federal or State loans or grants.

Once registration opens and you are eligible to enroll, your graduate enrollment specialist is here to help you complete registration.

Contact your graduate enrollment specialist if you have any questions regarding your degree plan and registration.

Graduate Enrollment Specialist Audrey Weiss 395278

Your Graduate Enrollment Specialist

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Program Requirements

Once admitted, you must:

  • Complete 21 hours of coursework
  • Complete a practicum in a school library and oversee an institution's collection

The Texas State Board of Educators also requires you to complete the following:

  • Two years of full-time classroom teaching experience
  • Master's degree
  • A passing score on the TExES (test #150)

Note: A copy of official service record for each year of classroom service must be provided to apply for certification before becoming fully certified.

Course Offerings

  • LIS 512 Information Reference and Mediographics (summer/fall/spring)
  • LIS 524 Developing General and Specialized Collection (summer/fall)
  • LIS 527 Books and Related Material for Children and Young Adults (summer/spring)
  • LIS 515 Cataloging and Classification (fall/spring)
  • LIS 540 Administration of School Libraries (fall/spring)
  • ETEC 579 Implementation of Educational Technology Programs (summer/fall/spring)
  • LIS 550 Practicum in a School Library (fall/spring)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the School Librarian Certification approved by states other than Texas?

No. Our program prepares you to serve as a School Librarian in the state of Texas. Those seeking librarian certification in states other than Texas should contact the educator certification agency in their home state to check licensure requirements.

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Is the School Librarian Certification accredited by the American Library Association?

No. This program is not ALA-accredited since it is a graduate certificate. However, our certification is approved by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). This certification is only eligible within the state of Texas.

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we are here to help!

Contact Us

  • Department of Higher Education and Learning Technologies
  • 903.886.5618
  • P.O. Box 3011
  • Commerce, Texas 75429-3011

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