Teacher Licensure FAQ

Use our class schedules tool to see what classes are being offered.

Email teach@unca.edu

View the NC Department of Public Instruction’s procedures for obtaining licensure, along with other Frequently Asked Questions. You can also visit online.northcarolina.edu to find other online licensure options in the UNC System.

UNC Asheville’s licensure program is effective and provides rigorous preparation for prospective teachers. The typical UNC Asheville candidate passes the PRAXIS II Specialty Area Exams (required for licensure) with a score that is more than 30 points above the required passing score in North Carolina. Classes are small (generally no larger than 20 students) and are taught by full faculty or highly qualified adjuncts. Candidates are given extensive experience in schools prior to student teaching; the vast majority of classes in our program have a field component, where candidates observe, assist, and teach in public school classrooms.

Yes. You will be recommended for a North Carolina Standard Professional I license, which is the same license anyone completing an Education degree gets.

Please visit the Professional Licensure Disclosures page.

That depends on the schedule of your job. UNC Asheville is primarily an undergraduate daytime institution and we cannot guarantee that every class you need will be offered at a time that is convenient for you. We do rotate courses so that they are offered mornings one semester and afternoons or evenings the next semester. We do not offer online courses in the teacher licensure program.

Informal and formal admission requirements can be found on the Teacher Education Program page.

We cannot say for sure; a lot will depend on what the offense was and when it happened. Schools are becoming more particular about safety, and that includes carefully screening their volunteers and other adult visitors. At several points in the UNC Asheville program, you will be asked to disclose whether or not you have been convicted of a crime; further, all candidates will be asked to do one or more criminal background checks during the licensure program. Complete honesty is critical; in some cases, failure to disclose a crime has caused more problems for candidates than the crime itself.

Unfortunately, we are not able to say definitively whether a school will allow a candidate with a criminal record to complete field placements within their walls – each school/district has particular policies regarding convictions. Nor can we tell you definitively whether or not the state will give you a license – that decision is up to the State Ethics Panel, and they choose to withhold judgment until each candidate is completely finished with his or her program of study. The good news is that only a very small percentage of candidates with convictions are rejected by the state as ineligible for licensure. Some candidates have been called before the Ethics Panel, but the great majority of them are eventually approved for licensure.

In the event that you disclose a conviction to us and/or your background check reveals something pertinent, you will be asked to write a letter of explanation and to provide all relevant court documents. With that being said, know this: your privacy is of paramount importance to us. Only those faculty members whose job it is to make decisions about candidates’ progress through the program will be privy to the information you provide.

Our licensure areas are listed on the Teacher Education Program page.

The most important thing to do is to make sure you have completed the courses that transfer to UNC Asheville listed as part of the UNC Asheville licensure program Universal General Education Transfer Component. Completing these courses (with or without an Associate’s degree) will give you the most seamless entry into the UNC Asheville licensure program.

Students can declare their major/minor here.

No. But that is a good thing! At UNC Asheville, you can complete a degree in one of the liberal arts disciplines offered here, and earn your K-6 or K-12 Special Education teaching license in addition to your major. For all other licensure areas, you must major in the subject you will teach.

Unlike those candidates who major in education at other universities, candidates who seek licensure through UNC Asheville have a two-pronged career path. They can teach, of course, but they can also get a job related to their major field of study. UNC Asheville program completers can go to graduate school in education OR in their major academic discipline.

The answer to this question depends on your individual circumstances. In general, everyone is expected to demonstrate adequate ability in reading, writing, and math. Many do this by taking the PRAXIS Core Academic Skills for Educators test. Some people are exempt, though, from all or part of the PRAXIS Core. Consult with your education advisor to figure out which of the following requirements applies to you.

All candidates must complete all state-required licensure exams for all desired areas of licensure.  Select the appropriate link below for the test name, test code, score requirement, and cost associated with the exam(s) for each licensure area offered at UNC Asheville.  Please note that the Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7–12 exam is NOT required for licensure at UNC Asheville since candidates complete an edTPA portfolio.

• Licensure FAQs
• Specific links to required licensure exams can be found here

With careful planning, undergraduate students can complete their degree and licensure coursework (including student teaching) in four years. If you are interested in licensure, it is in your best interest to contact the departmental administrative assistant as soon as possible; you will be assigned an education advisor who will help you plan your course of study.

You must take the PRAXIS Core during the semester in which you are enrolled in EDUC 210 & 211. You cannot be formally admitted to the program until you have taken PRAXIS Core (or met the requirements for its equivalent).

For more information on who has to take the Praxis Core, please see the Praxis Core Requirement document.

All undergraduate licensure candidates have two advisors: one in the major field or study, and one in education. Having two advisors ensures that you are taking exactly the courses you need and that you will not spend time completing unnecessary requirements.  You will be given a chance to apply for an education advisor during EDUC 210 or your first class in the licensure program.

No courses other than EDUC 455 (Student Teaching and Seminar) and EDUC 456 (The Teacher as a 21st Century Professional) can be taken during student teaching. All other coursework must be complete before you student teach.

While post-baccalaureate teacher licensure students can start in a fall or spring semester, due to the series in which courses are offered, for most students it is better to start in a fall semester. Please contact teach@unca.edu for more information.

To be accepted at UNC Asheville as a post-baccalaureate teacher licensure student, you must have graduated from an accredited undergraduate institution with at least a 2.7 GPA.

If you graduated with lower than a 2.7 GPA but feel that you are ready to accept the challenges of a rigorous teacher licensure program, you can earn a second degree at UNC Asheville and complete licensure requirements simultaneously.

Complete the steps outlined through the admissions office website. Click on the “Additional Student Types” button and scroll to Post-Baccalaureate options –> Teacher Licensure. On your application, make sure you check that you are a “Teacher licensure” student, not a “Post-baccalaureate second degree” student.

Make sure you have your undergraduate transcripts sent to the Admissions Office and not the Department of Education. You will need to submit transcripts from each institution of higher education you have attended, including community colleges.

The Admissions Office address is:
Office of Admission & Financial Aid, CPO #1320
UNC Asheville
One University Heights, Asheville, NC 28804-8502

Once you have been admitted, you will receive notification of your acceptance via a letter in the mail. In the months leading up to the new semester, a representative from the department will follow up with you about next steps.

Because Education at UNC Asheville is a program rather than an undergraduate major, the amount of additional coursework (and time) required to complete a licensure program will depend on which content area you would like to teach, and in what subject area you currently hold a bachelor’s degree.  For example, if you already possess a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and want to pursue licensure in 9-12 Mathematics, you will likely have less content area coursework to register for, and the majority of your courses will be in Education. However, if you possess a bachelor’s degree in Art but want to pursue licensure in 9-12 Mathematics, there will be more content area course requirements to fulfill in addition to your Education courses. All post-baccalaureate teacher licensure candidates should plan on attending the university for at least four semesters to complete the program.

If you want a better sense of course requirements prior to applying for admission to UNC Asheville, please email teach@unca.edu or call us at 828.251.6304 and we can give you more information based on your personal circumstances.

We typically offer one section of EDUC 210 in the evening; most other courses are offered only during day-time hours.

It is also important to keep in mind that most courses require field work that must be completed during school hours or in after-school programs.

Despite the busy schedule, many post-baccalaureate teacher licensure students still work part-time jobs and hold family and community commitments.

While there are a few courses that are offered each semester, most courses are only offered in the fall or spring and have prerequisites and/or corequisites that limit when you can take them. Every student, regardless of licensure area, must take EDUC 210 & 211 their first semester. It will be important to meet with your advisor each semester to ensure you are taking courses in the correct order.  You can find more information about the curriculum in the course catalog.

Post-baccalaureate students pay the same tuition rates as undergraduate students.