Early Childhood Education Alternative Licensure - Graduate Certificate (Online)
Alternative Licensure
The Public Education Department of New Mexico offers a nonrenewable, 2-year license granted to allow a person to simultaneously teach and complete teacher education course work at an approved university or community college. The Alternative Educator Prep Program is a state accredited post-baccalaureate program for obtaining your New Mexico Level I Teaching License.
Early Childhood Education Alternative Licensure Certificate
The School of Teacher Preparation, Administration & Leadership at New Mexico State University offers a 21-credit alternative licensure program in early childhood education for persons who hold at least a baccalaureate degree but have not completed a traditional teacher preparation program. This program is part of NMSU-Online.
Eligible Participants must:
- Meet minimum state requirements of at least a bachelor's degree and course requirements of 30 undergraduate credit hours (6.60.3.7 NMAC) in the teaching field with a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate GPA
- Be hired and submit a copy of a current teaching contract from a school district in New Mexico that indicates the candidate is the teacher of record in grades PreK to 3rd
- Be admitted to the NMSU Graduate School
- Be admitted to the School of Teacher Preparation, Administration and Leadership
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECED Licensure Course Work (online) | ||
| ECED 5510 | Advanced Teaching and Learning of Literacy | 3 |
| ECED 5420 | Science/Math Curriculum | 3 |
| ECED 5110 | Working with Young Children with Special Needs, Ages 3-8 | 3 |
| ECED 5520 | Literacy Development in Early Childhood | 3 |
| ECED 5410 | Seminar on Child Development, Assessment and Well-being of Young Children | 3 |
| ECED 5220 | Play in the Early Childhood Curriculum | 3 |
| ECED 5810 | Student Teaching/Seminar | 3 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
All licensure courses are eligible for transfer into a Master of Arts in Education Plus Licensure in Early Childhood Education in the School of TPAL.
Other Program Requirements to be completed by the end of the two-year program:
- Maintain a 3.0 minimum GPA throughout the program
- Teach with a provisional/intern license throughout the program and provide annual verification of continued early childhood education employment at a New Mexico school district
- Participate in two semesters of four observations by a University Supervisor, with a fee for each semester
- Students can apply for a Level I Teaching License with New Mexico Public Education Department by submitting their Early Childhood Alternative Licensure Certificate and proof of passing scores for Praxis Exams: Core Academic Skills in Reading, Writing, and Math and Education for Young Children. https://www.ets.org/praxis/nm