ELP Alternative Certification Form
To be eligible to hold a graduate assistantship with instructional or curricular support responsibilities, Texas State law (Education Code, Section 51-97) and Texas A&M University require international graduate students to achieve English Language Proficiency (ELP) Certification. Prospective or current international students seeking eligibility to hold a graduate assistant-teaching position must obtain Level-1 Certification before the date of hire.
Alternative Certification requests may be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School by colleges/schools, departments, or interdisciplinary degree programs. Alternative Certification indicates that an international student meets the ELP Requirement to hold a teaching position through means other than the acceptable test scores.
An international graduate student may qualify for Alternative Certification by earning a bachelor's degree following four years of study at an accredited academic institution located within the United States. An international graduate student who holds citizenship with an English-speaking country listed by the Office of Admissions will also be considered for Alternative Certification. The Office of Admission's International Graduate webpage maintains a complete list of countries whose citizens are eligible. International graduate students holding a bachelor's degree with less than four years of coursework at an accredited academic institution located within the United States are ineligible for Level 1 Certification (please see the Alternative Verification Form).
Academic units may use the form linked below to request ELP Alternative Certification for international graduate students.