Licensure Only Division

Undergraduate and Licensure-only Division

The School of Education, the unit responsible for the NCCU Teacher Education Program, provides majors leading to licensure in undergraduate elementary education and middle grades education. Other majors leading to licensure in secondary, occupational and special areas of education are offered cooperatively with 14 other departments, with the School of Education handling admissions to teacher education and providing the majority of the instruction in professional education. The goal of the School of Education’s undergraduate program is to be consistently responsive to the needs of students enrolled in our Teacher Education Program, the school systems in which our graduates gain employment, and the standards of state and national accrediting bodies in professional education.

Due to national and state accreditation standards, program curricula and requirements are subject to change. Contact your appropriate program coordinator for the most current information.

Second-Degree or Licensure-Only Candidates

The second-degree and licensure-only programs are individualized programs which are based on the candidate’s previous course work and experiences. Completion of either program requires the fulfillment of the same licensure requirements set forth by the N. C. Department of Public Instruction as those for a traditional, first-degree student.

Both second-degree and licensure-only candidates are students who have previously earned an undergraduate degree and who are seeking initial licensure. A second-degree candidate will be considered an undergraduate for tuition purposes and must apply for admission to the University through the Undergraduate Admissions Office. A licensure-only candidate is also considered an undergraduate for tuition purposes (unless the program is at the graduate level); however, the licensure-only candidate applies through the School of Education. Both of these routes to licensure require identical courses and clinical experiences; however, second-degree students receive a B. A. in Education, while licensure students receive a letter stating that the program requirements have been completed.

A lateral entry teacher may pursue a second-degree or licensure-only program. A lateral entry teacher is one who holds a current provisional license; is currently employed by a North Carolina School district; does not possess a teaching license; and has not previously completed a teacher education program prior to application for initial licensure in North Carolina.

The TEP admissions process for students who possess an undergraduate degree is as follows:

The student completes an application and submits official transcripts to the Alternative Licensure Office in the School of Education. (Second-degree students initially apply through Undergraduate Admissions.)
The Alternative Licensure Office works with the appropriate program coordinator to evaluate the transcripts and develop a plan of study.
The Alternative Licensure Office sends a letter and program of study to the candidate and the candidate meets with the program coordinator.
If the candidate decides to enter the program and has at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and with the recommendation of the coordinator, the candidate completes and submits a Teacher Education Program application to the program coordinator. The candidate must also complete the formal essay and participate in a formal interview with Teacher Education faculty. The candidate is advised within the program area in which licensure is desired. A candidate who does not have at least a 2.5 GPA in the bachelor’s degree must pass Praxis I (or meet acceptable SAT/ACT scores) and earn a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in 15 hours of non-restricted courses determined by the program coordinator. If the candidate does not achieve the required GPA at the end of 15 hours, a conference will be scheduled with the advisor and program coordinator to determine if the candidate will be able to remain in the program.
The program coordinator forwards the application, transcript evaluation, and other appropriate materials to the Director of Teacher Education who presents the candidate for Teacher Education Program admission to the Teacher Education Council.
Upon completion of the academic program, second-degree or licensure-only candidates must pass the specialty area test(s) or subject assessment(s) of Praxis II, if required in the program area.
When the scores are received, the candidate completes the necessary licensure forms and submits the appropriate fee to the Office of Teacher Education. The licensure officer submits the documents to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the agency responsible for issuing teaching licenses.