Indiana Alternative Teaching License
Holding a bachelor's degree in teaching isn't always necessary to become a teacher in Indiana. This article will discuss alternative ways of becoming licensed to teach in The Hoosier State.
Alternative Paths to Teaching
For individuals with knowledge in a subject area other than education, alternative routes are available to become a licensed teacher in Indiana. These routes may require work experience, subject-specific knowledge, and a bachelor's degree, but not necessarily all three. However, anyone wishing to obtain a teaching license in Indiana must complete training on suicide prevention and CPR.
<table border="1"><tr><td> Education/Experience Required </td><td> Usually a bachelor's degree that meets minimum GPA requirements; suicide-prevention and CPR training; 4,000 or 5,000 hours of subject-related work experience may be required</td></tr>
<tr><td> Exams Required </td><td>Varies with education/experience; successful completion of a CORE Content exam in the specific subject area that you wish to teach could be required</td></tr>
<tr><td> License Validity Period </td><td> The Career Specialist Permit, Professional Educator License, and Charter School License are initially valid for 2 years</td></tr>
<tr><td> Renewal Requirements </td><td> Career Specialist Permit: Completion of a pedagogy program for the first renewal, a Professional Growth Plan (PGP) for subsequent renewals <br/>Professional Educator and Charter School Licenses: Completion of an IMAP mentorship or a PGP</td></tr>
<tr><td> Mean Salary (2018)* </td><td> $27,250 (preschool); $51,290 (kindergarten); $52,360 (elementary school); $52,690 (middle school); $53,030 (high school)</td></tr>
<tr><td> Estimated Job Growth (2016-2026, nationwide)* </td><td> 10% (preschool); 7% (elementary school); 8% (kindergarten, middle and high school)</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)</i>
</p><h3 id="section---IfYouDonTHaveABachelorSDegree">If You Don't Have a Bachelor's Degree</h3><p>The Indiana Department of Education offers a Career Specialist Permit to prospective vocational teachers that lasts two years. It is available to candidates who pass the CORE content licensure exam in the subject area to be taught and have 5,000 hours of subject-related, non-teaching work experience within the last seven years.
</p><p>Once teachers begin work under this permit, they also have to complete a training program that includes coursework in topics like classroom management, curriculum development, child development and multicultural awareness.
</p><h3 id="section---IfYouHaveABachelorSDegree">If You Have a Bachelor's Degree</h3><p>If you hold a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, you can also obtain a Career Specialist Permit by passing the CORE content licensure exam in the subject area that you would like to teach and verifying that you have completed 4,000 hours of relevant work experience within the last five years. Otherwise, you can obtain a Career Specialist Permit without passing the CORE content licensure exam by verifying 5,000 hours of work experience within the last seven years.
</p><p>For candidates who would like to teach in a charter school, a Charter School License can be obtained by having a bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 3.0, or a bachelor's degree and successful completion of an exam in the subject area to be taught.
</p><p>For individuals interested in teaching academic subjects in all schools, the Transition to Teaching (T2T) program offers a fast-track to licensure to college graduates with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, or a GPA of 2.5 or higher plus five years of subject-related work experience. T2T candidates may also be required to pass a content exam in the subject area that they wish to teach if they do not have work experience or a degree in their teaching subject. The program will issue a permit to teach while also requiring individuals to complete 18 or 24 hours of education coursework, which is a first step towards earning a professional educator's license.
</p><h3 id="section---IfYouHaveAnAdvancedDegree">If You Have an Advanced Degree</h3><p>If you hold an advanced degree, all of the above options still apply to you. In addition, you can obtain a teaching license if your master's or PhD is in the subject area that you would like to teach and if you have had at least one year of experience teaching middle school, high school, or college students in this subject. This path only applies to candidates wishing to teach secondary school, not elementary school students. You will also need to pass a CORE content assessment specific to your subject area and a pedagogy assessment that evaluates general teaching skills. For certain vocational subjects with a practical component, like business and health science, you will need to show that you have completed at least 4,000 hours on the job.
</p><p>If you have an advanced degree and would like to teach elementary school students, a Transition to Teaching program could be the right option. You'll qualify for this path if your graduate degree is in your teaching subject. Otherwise, you will need to meet the undergraduate requirements for the T2T program outlined above.</p>