Educator Licensure Frequently Asked Questions

What's the deadline to apply for educator licensure?

You can apply anytime, but there are deadlines every March and October to be placed in schools for observations the following semester. If you're an undergraduate student, meet with us by February of your sophomore year.

If I'm accepted, how long will it take to complete the program?

With careful planning, you can complete a language B.A. and student teaching in four years (eight semesters). Some students may need to take summer courses or an extra semester for student teaching.

If you already have your B.A. in a language from NIU or another school and are returning to get your teaching license, you'll probably need three to four semesters. The three-semester plan works best spring-fall-spring. The last semester is full-time student teaching.

What will my coursework be like?

See the forms and resources section for the course checklist for your language. The first page shows the B.A. coursework in your target language. The second page of the checklist shows the education courses, clinicals and methods courses.

Are there any additional requirements?

You'll need to sign a FERPA release form, have a criminal background check each time you're placed in a new school district, get a TB (tuberculosis) test when applying to student teach, and complete training on school safety.