Initial Licensure (Class A):

The Teacher Education Program is open to women and men college graduates who meet the standards established by the Meredith College Teacher Education Committee and the Department of Education. Initial licensure candidates must take a minimum of 30 hours of course work at Meredith, which may include courses in general education. Exceptions will be determined on an individual basis by the Department of Education.

In addition to the satisfactory completion of course requirements, students must take the PRAXIS Core exams in Core Reading, Core Writing and Core Mathematics during the first semester of their enrollment, meeting the total score requirements. An official report of the scores must be furnished to the College, which may be accomplished by correctly coding the Critical information Form (found in the PRAXIS bulletin) for the particular test.  The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction requires successful completion of the North Carolina General Curriculum with Mathematics Subtest and the Foundations for Reading for licensure in elementary education (K-6), and Praxis II for all content areas, excluding Dance and Theatre.  Teacher candidates in elementary education (K-6) will register and complete the North Carolina General Curriculum and Mathematics subtest the semester before student teaching and Foundations of Reading in the last semester of their program.  Students in all other tested licensure areas will take PRAXIS II in the last semester (or the semester before) of their program.   Registration for the North Carolina General Curriculum and Mathematics subtest and Foundations of Reading can be found at http://www.nc.nesinc.com/; registration information for PRAXIS II testing can be found at http://www.ets.org.

• Complete this form and submit a copy (need not be certified) of your undergraduate transcript(s) to the Department of Education for evaluation. A check for $25 for each requested licensure area evaluation must accompany the forms and transcript(s).
• If you attended school overseas, you must have an official translation completed by World Education Services, Inc. (WES).
• After receiving the written evaluation, contact the Department of Education to schedule an appointment with an advisor. During your meeting, a planned program will be prepared and further information about admission will be furnished.
• During your first semester, order a certified copy of your transcript(s) to be sent directly to the Department of Education at Meredith College.

Subsequent Licensure 
Holders of current class A North Carolina licenses, who wish to add an area of licensure may do so through the Teacher Education Program at Meredith. PRAXIS I tests are not required, but the applicant must take the appropriate Specialty Area portion(s) of the PRAXIS II during the final semester. Student teaching will be required except when sufficient documentation of specific satisfactory experience is submitted to the Chair of the Department of Education for evaluation. Decisions will be made on an individual basis.  Those interested in subsequent licensure should follow the procedure outlined for initial licensure candidates. In addition to the transcript(s) submitted, a copy of the applicant’s current teaching license should be included with the linked forms.

Scheduling Information 
Individuals who want to begin the licensure program in the fall semester should have their transcript evaluation completed and should meet with an advisor in the Department of Education prior to June 30.  Those who want to begin the program in the spring semester should have their transcript evaluation completed and should meet with an advisor in the Department of Education prior to October 30.

Post-Baccalaureate Licensure in the Arts

This licensure option is open to women and men with an appropriate undergraduate degree or graduates who are approved through a formal review by the designated departments. 

Offering an A-Level license for K-12 art, dance, or theatre, the post-baccalaureate licensure in the arts is ideal for residency teachers who are already teaching these subjects. However, it could also benefit someone interested in obtaining their initial license before they start teaching.

Students in the program will either be hired by a school district to teach in the area they are pursuing licensure or pursuing licensure-only as a post baccalaureate student. This is an ideal pathway for graduates pursuing licensure since changes have occurred in the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction licensure, including the removal of lateral entry licensure and the induction of the Residency License.

For students hired by a school district to teach in the area they are pursuing licensure, the Residency License is a North Carolina-specific pathway. Residency licensing allows qualified individuals to begin teaching while completing North Carolina licensure requirements through an approved Educator Preparation Program (EPP). 

Eligibility for a Residency License requires that the prospective teacher

• Has earned a bachelor’ degree
• Has earned a 2.7 cumulative GPA on their degree
• Has either completed 24 semester hours of coursework in the requested licensure area or passed the content area examination(s) required by the N.C. State Board of Education for the requested licensure area
• Is enrolled in an EPP
• Has completed pre-service requirements prior to teaching
• Has been offered employment by an LEA
  

Those interested in the program should apply through the same process listed for initial licensure applicants. Candidates on a Residency License in NC will need a Meredith College Licensure Officer to verify their eligibility and sign their FORM RL (from NC-DPI).