Residency Licensure Programs at App State
The Residency Licensure programs are designed to provide candidates fast-track options to meet residency licensure requirements for teaching.
Appalachian State offers approved educator preparation programs (EPP) in accordance with this licensure pathway.
To enroll, you must have been offered employment by an LEA (Local Education Agency) in North Carolina.
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More information on Residency Licensure Programs
Certificate details
Each of these certificates are available as graduate certificates outside of the Residency Licensure program
Program information
- Completion time: 12-21 months
- Two classes per semester (may include summer)
- Applicants should reach out to the program contact for their licensure area to discuss eligibility before applying to the program
ELIGIBILITY and application requirements
Applicants must:
- have earned a bachelor's degree
- have earned a 2.7 cumulative GPA on their degree
- have 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
- have been hired as a teacher by an LEA (Local Education Agency) as part of the Residency Licensure Requirements
Upon acceptance to a Residency Licensure Program and becoming employed as a teacher in an LEA, candidates will complete the Residency License Verification/Certification of Supervision (Form RL) and submit it to LEA
Application requirements:
- Completed online application to graduate school for the certificate that fulfills the desired licensure area
- Application fee
- Official (sealed) transcript from each college or university attended (other than Appalachian)
Note: Test scores are not required for this program.
Licensure Areas/Certificates
Birth through Kindergarten
21 credit hours
The Birth through Kindergarten track of the Residency Model License is a fast-track, North Carolina-specific pathway to get educators their teaching license in North Carolina.
Courses with the following focus will count toward the 24 prerequisite hours:
- Development birth-five
- Early intervention
- Early childhood curriculum
- Early childhood assessment
- Early childhood teaming
- Reggio
- Family studies
The program offers a development course in the second semester if you do not have development (birth-five years) before entering the program.
Before beginning this program, please provide transcripts to the department to determine if any other hours will count toward the 24 prerequisite hours.
Career and Technical Education
21 credit hours
The Career and Technical Education track of the Residency Model License is a fast-track, North Carolina-specific pathway to get educators their teaching license in North Carolina.
Upon successful completion of this Residency License program, you will be eligible to apply for one of the many licensure areas related to Career and Technical Education in North Carolina.
Licensure Areas include:
- Agriculture Education
- Business, Finance, and Information Technology
- Computer Science and Information Technology
- Family and Consumer Sciences Education
- Health Sciences Education
- Marketing and Entrepreneurship Education
- Technology, Engineering and Design Education
A variety of other trade and industrial education areas are also available.
Elementary Education
27 credit hours
App State’s Elementary Education Graduate Certificate will engage you in coursework and experiences designed to prepare you with content knowledge beyond your undergraduate degree and pedagogical practices to support student learning in the 21st century.
Before beginning this program, please provide transcripts to the program contact to determine if any other hours will count toward the 24 prerequisite hours.
Health and Physical Education
18 credit hours
The Graduate Certificate in Health and Physical Education (HPE) is designed to offer a pathway to North Carolina (NC) teacher licensure in health and physical education. If you are employed by local education agencies (LEA) and in possession of a bachelor’s degree, you can get your NC teacher licensure in Health & Physical Education, K-12 through the NC Residency Model.
Before beginning this program, please provide transcripts to the department to determine if any other hours will count toward the 24 prerequisite hours.
Middle and Secondary Teaching
21 credit hours
Appalachian’s Middle Grades and Secondary Teaching Graduate Certificate has courses that are part of Residency Licensure offerings.
Before beginning this program, please provide transcripts to the program contact to determine if any other hours will count toward the prerequisite hours.
The track within Middle and Secondary Teaching is:
- Middle Grades: English/Language Arts, Science, Math or Social Studies in grades 6-9.
- Career & Technical: Business, Marketing, Agriculture Education, Technology, Family & Consumer Sciences, Health Sciences* or Trade & Industry** at the middle and high school level.
- Health Sciences: Must have a current license, certification or registration by a national and/or state-recognized program-accrediting agency as a health professions practitioner.
- Trade & Industry: Must provide evidence of having taken a minimum of 24 qualifying content semester hours in the discipline/specialty area.
Special Education (General Curriculum)
24 credit hours
The Special Education track of the Residency Model License is a fast-track, North Carolina-specific pathway to get educators their teaching license in North Carolina.
Before beginning this program, please provide transcripts to the program contact to determine if any other hours will count toward the 24 prerequisite hours.