Secondary Initial License Certificate

The Secondary Initial License Certificate is a four-year program that allows students to earn a degree from the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences (LAS) and to meet licensure requirements in secondary education. This program includes a one-year intensive combination of methods courses and fieldwork known as the Professional Year. Upon successful completion of the Professional Year, teacher candidates are recommended for teacher licensure from the State of Colorado in secondary education (grades 7-12) English language arts, social studies, and world languages. Undergraduate students seeking a baccalaureate degree from LAS select an approved major and fulfill the requirements for both the BA/BS and licensure. Candidates who have already earned a baccalaureate degree apply for the Licensure Only (post-baccalaureate) option with the opportunity to apply nine credits toward the MA in Curriculum and Instruction. The undergraduate and post-baccalaureate programs have their own admission processes beyond the admission requirements of the University.

This certificate program leads to an initial teaching license in the State of Colorado. Post-baccalaureate students have the option to take three of the four core classes at the graduate level and apply them to an MA in Curriculum & Instruction within a five-year period.

Undergraduates, however, cannot use those credits toward both their BA degree and their MA degree.

There are two separate strands of licensure for both undergraduates and post-baccalaureate students. The course requirements for the two strands differ and are listed on our website.

**Please note: Undergraduates or transfer students must map their program of study with their academic advisor/LAS advisor prior to consulting with a faculty member from the College of Education.

Central Features of Secondary Initial License Certificate

• Integration of education courses with professional field experiences
• Over 1000 hours of supervised and mentored field experiences
• Focus on embracing diversity and social justice throughout coursework and experiences
• Preparation of teacher candidates with evidence-based pedagogy and best practices through carefully designed methods courses
• Cohort model situated in partner schools with support from mentor teachers, building liaisons, and university supervisors
• Set sequence of courses from May to May, commonly known as the Professional Year 

Faculty

• Timothy Callahan, M.A., Senior Instructor
• Grant Clayton, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
• Leslie Grant, Ph.D. Associate Professor
• Mary Hanson, M.A., Instructor
• Christi Kasa, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Ji Hyun Oh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
• Monica Yoo, Ph.D., Program Coordinator for Secondary Education, Associate Professor