Elementary Education Alternative Licensure - Graduate Certificate

The NMSU Elementary Alternative Licensure Certificate aims to recruit highly qualified individuals who have earned at least a bachelor's degree in a related field and are eligible for a temporary two-year alternative license in the State of New Mexico. We seek individuals who will have positive impact on the social, cultural, emotional, and intellectual growth of youth with whom they will work throughout their career.

In order to qualify to enter the Elementary Education Alternative Licensure Certificate program, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements and submit the required documentation for consideration:

• 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.
• Passing scores for all Praxis^® Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core): https://www.ets.org/praxis/nm
• 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 an elementary classroom for each year of employment.
• Admission to the School of Teacher Preparation, Administration, and Leadership in the College of Education.
• Admission to the NMSU Graduate School

All licensure courses are eligible for transfer into a regular TPAL master's program.

Other Program Requirements to be completed by the end of the two-year program:

• Complete and maintain a 3.0 minimum GPA in all courses throughout the program
• Participate in two full semesters of observation by a University Supervisor with a fee for each semester
• Pass Praxis^® Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
• Pass Praxis^® Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades K–6
• Pass Praxis^® Teaching Reading: Elementary