Residency License

Residency license allows qualified individuals to begin teaching while completing North Carolina licensure requirements.

Four "partners" are involved:

• the individual
• a recognized Educator Preparation Program (EPP)
• the local education agency (LEA)
• the Department of Public Instruction (DPI)

Eligibility

Eligibility for a Residency License requires that the prospective teacher:

• Has earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university or college.
• Has earned a 2.7 cumulative GPA on their degree. 
• Has either completed 24 semester hours of coursework in the requested licensure area or passed the content area examination(s) required by N.C. State Board of Education for the requested licensure area.  
• Is enrolled in a recognized EPP and;
• Has completed preservice requirements prior to teaching. 
• Has been offered employment by an LEA. 

Summary 

• An LEA employs the individual. Employment often occurs before the EPP affiliation. 
• The individual affiliates with a state-approved EPP. 
• Educator Preparation Programs: https://www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/educator-preparation/approved-programs
• The LEA will verify both employment and EPP admission to DPI through a form process when submitting for the residency license. 
• The individual successfully completes all course work and testing as required by the EPP prior to the end of the third year of school employment. 
• The individual is recommended for clear licensure by the EPP at that time. 

For additional information, please visit: https://www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/educators-licensure/residency-licensure

North Carolina Test Requirements

Find your licensure area by clicking the link below to determine which test you need to take and to see the minimum qualifying score. To learn more about a specific test, click the test title. Once you know your test(s), find out how to register for Praxis® tests and read the Praxis test retake policy.

Testing Website:

https://www.ets.org/praxis/NC/requirements

Residency Model
 
NC TEACH (while teaching)

• NCTeach is ECU’s online, fast-track model for lateral entry clearance. Five courses are delivered 100% online, all for just over $2000 at the in-state rate!

• Applications are due March 1st and October 1st of each year
• Designed for the following areas
  • MIDG Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts
  • High School Math, Science, Social Studies, English
  • K-12 Areas, like Art
  • Family and Consumer Science
  • Business and Marketing
  • Special Education - General Curriculum - Blended Cohort Only

SECU Partnership East (Before teaching, while working)

• This is a great way for a Classified Staff member to obtain a teaching degree while working.
• The purpose of Partnership East is to provide students with access to high-quality degree-completion programs close to home. In turn, these community-based candidates are more likely to return to their home communities to teach after graduation. 
• Students graduate with a four-year degree from East Carolina University (ECU) by completing the first two years of the program at any North Carolina community college followed by taking ECU courses online. Students graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education, middle grades education, or special education. 
• A university employee is housed at each one of the consortia hub sites. The role of these individuals is to recruit prospective students, facilitate a successful transition to ECU, and advise current students