Academics » Majors » Teacher Licensing and Renewal

Teacher Licensing and Renewal

A teachers white board.

Turn your passion into a teaching career.

Why Get Your Teaching License?

It’s not uncommon to become inspired to teach others at some point in your career:

  • A successful entrepreneur wants to impart business wisdom to young adults
  • A passionate park ranger wants to share a love of nature with children in a new way
  • A skilled social worker wants to expand their ability to help others

If you have a passion for sharing knowledge with others, you can pursue a teaching career — no matter what your undergraduate degree is in. You’ll build off your prior academic and professional experiences with coursework and real-world training in education.

With a state teaching license in your chosen subject area, you can pursue full-time educator positions at public schools, as well as private and parochial institutions.

Take the first step:

Request Information

Career Outlook & Success

95%

of USF education graduates are hired into teaching positions by the semester after graduation

$59,420

Median national annual salary for elementary teachers (BLS, 2019)

99%

of USF teachers are rated highly effective or effective by their school principals

How it Works: Teacher Licensing at USF

The University of Saint Francis has a long-standing reputation of excellence in teacher preparation. In addition to our education-related bachelor’s and post-baccalaureate programs, we offer teacher licensure and renewal options for new and returning students.

New Teachers

An expert licensing advisor will help you determine which courses you’ll need, as well as an estimated completion time, based on your teaching goals and previous college coursework.

Existing Teachers

If you’re already working in the education field and want to pursue licensure in additional subjects or in special education, USF can help in a few ways:

  • Coursework in specific disciplines can lead to licensure in additional content areas
  • Our undergraduate special education program prepares you for mild intervention and elementary licensure
  • Our online masters and transition-to-teaching programs can prepare you for licensure in a mild and/or intensive classroom in elementary, secondary, or all-grade settings

Online Transition to Teaching Programs

In addition to on-campus offerings, USF also offers online transition to teaching programs in:

  • Elementary Education
  • Secondary Education
  • Special Education

Teaching License Renewal at USF

If you’re approaching license renewal time or wish to return to teaching after an extended break, USF can help you meet the requirements.

In Indiana, options for renewing your teaching license include taking six additional credits of college coursework. Learn more about teaching license renewal in Indiana.

Faculty & Facilities

As a student in our post-baccalaureate programs, including transition to teaching programs, you will have the same benefits of traditional education majors at USF. You’ll learn in small classes from expert educators and you can build lesson plans and prepare for the student-teaching experience in the Antoinette V. Murray Cougar Classroom, a learning lab filled with technology, resources and materials.

I’m confident that I’ll be prepared for a teaching career… the faculty are really involved. They know us and they care about us. They want us to succeed 100%.

Olivia Taylor ’24

Education & Teaching Careers

USF-trained teachers make a difference in public, private and religious schools of all sizes. Just a few places you might find them include:

  • Bishop Noll Institute
  • Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District
  • DeKalb County Central United School District
  • Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend Catholic Schools
  • East Allen County Schools
  • Edgerton High School
  • Fort Wayne Community Schools
  • Indianapolis Public Schools
  • Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative
  • Northwest Allen County Schools
  • Prairie Heights School Corporation
  • Prince Chapman Academy
  • Smith Academy for Excellence (SAFE) Boy’s School
  • Southwest Allen County Schools
  • Warsaw Community Schools
  • West Noble School Corporation
  • Westview School Corporation

Graduate School and Other Opportunities

Teachers are lifelong learners. Throughout your career, you’re likely to return to the classroom for continuing education credits, graduate certificates and additional licensure. Additionally, many educators pursue related graduate degrees; USF offers master’s programs in education, special education and school psychology.

Start Here!

To learn more about Teacher Licensing and License Renewal (including to see if your previous coursework applies toward licensing), contact:

Mary Riepenhoff
[email protected]
260-399-7700 ext. 8409

The licensing advisor serves as a liaison between students and the Office of Educator Effectiveness and Licensing (OEEL), the Indiana Department of Education licensing agency.

Accreditation

The Department of Education is accredited by the Indiana Department of Education and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), which was previously known as the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Ready to start?

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Your first step to becoming a USF Cougar is applying for admission. Our online application makes the process as convenient as possible.

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Visit USF

Whether you know what you want to see, who you want to meet or are just exploring your options, we will personalize your campus visit to fit your needs.

Academic Plan

An academic plan is a general blueprint showing how one might complete the degree, semester by semester. Get an idea on what each semester could look like.