Post-Bachelor’s Teacher Licensure at North Park

Our teacher licensure program will get you started in a career as a licensed teacher, no matter your background or previous career. The program is for individuals with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution who wish to teach without earning an additional degree. You will finish the program with substantial classroom experience and licensure for one of the following:

• Early childhood education (infant–grade 2)
• Elementary education (kindergarten–grade 9)
• K–12 education (art, music, physical education, or Spanish)
• Secondary/senior high education (grades 6–12)

Secondary/senior high education content areas

Students who wish to pursue secondary/senior high education licensure must have sufficient credit hours within a content area certified by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), such as the examples below. You can fulfill this requirement through your undergraduate degree or additional coursework. You’ll also take a state content area test to verify mastery of state standards.

• Biology
• Chemistry
• English
• History
• Mathematics
• Politics and government

Individually designed

As soon as you receive admittance, you’ll work with a School of Education advisor to plan the appropriate course and clinical experience sequence so you can complete the requirements for your Illinois teaching license. Your program will include teacher preparation courses and any requirements to complete your desired content area.

Most candidates are eligible for licensure and may assume their first teaching position in less than two years. On average, candidates complete coursework in 18–24 months part-time and 12–18 months full-time.

Convenient classes

You can start the teacher licensure program in August or January each year. After you begin, you can choose from day and evening courses in the fall, spring, and summer terms. We offer all at our Chicago campus, and they are seven–eight weeks long. Daytime classes usually meet twice weekly, and evening classes meet once weekly.