Teaching Licensure Programs

If you wish to teach in grades K-12 in Nevada you must have a teaching license. A license is issued by the Nevada Department of Education following completion of a recognized teacher preparation program. The College of Education & Human Development offers teacher preparation programs and specialized licenses or endorsements for those who have already completed a Bachelor's degree, and for those working toward a Bachelor's degree.

Options if You Have Completed a Bachelor's Degree

If you already have a Bachelor’s degree, you can earn teacher licensure and specialized endorsements in the following programs through either master’s degrees, professional degrees (courses to earn teacher licensure without a graduate degree), or endorsement sequences:

• Master’s Degree in Elementary Education (grades K-8) Depending on your previous preparation, courses in content areas such as math, science, and social studies, may need to be completed prior to full admission.
• Master's Degree in Secondary Education Coursework meeting state licensure requirements for content teaching areas (e.g. English, History, Social Studies, Global Languages, Art, Music, Sciences, Mathematics) can be done concurrently with the certification courses in education. Content area courses are available in other University of Nevada, Reno Departments including teacher shortage areas such as science and mathematics.
• Master’s Degree in Special Education or Professional Degree in Special Education Nevada licensure in mild-moderate disabilities (K-12), early childhood/early intervention (birth to age 8), moderate to profound disabilities (to age 22), autism (K-12), and other disability areas.
• Early Childhood Education Licensure, Post-Baccalaureate. This is a new, fast-track program beginning in Fall 2017 that enables students who have completed an undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies to obtain coursework toward the Nevada Birth through 2nd grade teaching license.
• Nevada Endorsement to Teach English as a Second Language (ESL) is a teaching area that can be added to a Nevada teaching license in elementary, secondary, or special education. A graduate certificate in TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages-- 15 credits) is also available and the certificate completion will be noted on your transcript.
• Endorsement as a Literacy Specialist. Through our M.Ed. in Literacy Studies, a fully online program, practicing teachers can take all required coursework for the Nevada State Literacy Specialist Endorsement, a K-12 endorsement for teachers with a Master’s degree and at least three years of teaching experience. Teachers who already have a Master’s degree can enroll at University of Nevada, Reno as a ‘graduate special’ and take just the courses required for the endorsement. Visit the Nevada Department of Education's website for more information. For more information about the coursework at University of Nevada, Reno, contact Dr. Dianna Townsend at dtownsend@unr.edu.

Nevada Department of Education Alternate Route to Licensure in Special Education

• Special Education: Dr. Shanon Taylor, shanon@unr.edu

Educational Requirements for Licensure

The University has collected information about licensing requirements and made the determinations regarding the alignment of the teacher education curriculum with state educational requirements for licensure to the best of its ability. These determinations apply only to teaching licenses, and do not apply to any subject-specific endorsements or certificates. Individual states may have different and specific educational requirements to obtain subject-specific credentials. If you plan to seek an endorsement or certificate to teach a specific subject-area, we HIGHLY advise you to contact the licensing board for the state in which you plan to apply for the endorsement/certificate for more information about educational requirements.

1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557
William J. Raggio, Mailstop: 0278
coehd@unr.edu
(775) 682-9651

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