Endorsements and Approvals
Teaching Endorsements
An endorsement is a permanent addition to a State of Illinois Teaching Certificate that is posted on the teacher's actual license. It permits a candidate who already possesses a valid certificate to teach in areas in which he or she meets a minimum of 18 to 32 semester hours. Every endorsement is attached to an existing certificate.
Teaching Approvals
An approval is recognition by the State that the holder has completed a certain number of courses in a content area, but not enough to meet the requirements for a new license in that area. It is customarily granted in areas where a teacher shortage exists. It permits the candidate, after taking designated courses in an area, to explore and work in that area without committing to the entire program for entitlement. It is granted to those who already hold a valid teaching certificate. The State of Illinois reserves the right to discontinue honoring approvals at any time.
Obtaining Endorsements and Approvals
The School of Education offers course work for endorsements and approvals on a convenient part-time schedule with evening and Saturday courses at the North Park University main campus. Evening classes begin at 6:00 pm and Saturday classes typically begin at 9:00 am meeting once a week for eight-week terms. Terms begin in August, October, January, March, and May. These programs can generally be completed in six to twelve months.
Available Programs
- Bilingual Education Endorsement (18 semester hours)
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Endorsement (18 semester hours)
- Combined Bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) Endorsement
- Learning Behavior Specialist I Approval (12 semester hours)
- Middle School Endorsement (6 semester hours)