Alternative Graduate Level Pathways to Licensure
Alternative Special Education License
As of Friday, July 1, 2022, the Alternative Special Education License for initial Special Education licensure or for a Special Education addition to an existing license is available through the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree and are enrolled in a post-baccalaureate approved alternative preparation program for initial Special Education licensure or for a Special Education addition to an existing license. Applicants for this license must be employed in Indiana as a classroom teacher in the Special Education area of the preparation program. This license is also available to applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree, are employed in Indiana as a Special Education teacher, and have completed an approved Special Education licensure program but require additional time to pass the required licensure tests.
An application for the Alternative Special Education license must be submitted through the applicant’s online LVIS account. The new Alternative Special Education License is valid for three years and is non-renewable. Holders of this alternative license are eligible to serve as the Teacher of Record (TOR) in the area displayed on the license.
Advanced Degree Pathway
The Indiana Department of Education now offers a licensing option to individuals who have an advanced degree. By statute, instructional licenses issued under the advanced degree option are available only at the secondary (middle school and high school) grade levels. Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for a license using the advanced degree option:
- Hold a master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited postsecondary educational institution in the subject content area in which the applicant seeks to be licensed.
- Verify at least one (1) academic year of experience teaching students in a middle school, high school or college classroom setting (substitute teaching experiences will not count).
- Successfully complete the content area testing corresponding to the major of the advanced degree and the secondary pedagogy test (Indiana Praxis, Principles of Learning & Teaching test #5624). Please see the Educator Testing page for more information.
- Valid CPR certification from an IDOE approved provider. Click here for a link to resources.
- Suicide Prevention Training Certificate. Click here for a link to resources.
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) content areas (Agriculture, Business and Information Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health Science, Marketing, and Trade and Industrial Areas) also require documentation of 4000 hours of related non-teaching industry work experience.
To apply for the Advanced Degree option, apply directly with the Indiana Department of Education.
Boilermaker Track to Teaching (BTT)
The Boilermaker Track to Teaching (BTT) program gives current Purdue undergraduates an additional career option – a clear and quick path to teacher licensure. It is designed for juniors or seniors just deciding on this career path or for students in programs without a current Teacher Education option. The Boilermaker Track to Teaching is open to almost all majors on campus. BTT puts students on a path to an Indiana Secondary (middle and high school) teaching license. The program will not delay undergraduate time-to-degree and could be combined with Degree in Three plans.
Transition to Teaching Pathway
Transition to Teaching (TTT) programs are based on the premise that the candidate already has content knowledge in the licensing area. Each accredited education institution is required to offer or be in collaboration with other institutions to offer a Transition to Teaching program. The programs consist of 18 hours of coursework for secondary education. (Purdue currently offers TTT programs at the secondary level, grades 5-12). No education courses are required as prerequisites for admission. Candidates for admission must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited higher education institution. Purdue offers both fully online and residential options.
Transition to Teaching Permits
To be eligible for a Transition to Teaching (TTT) permit, you must be enrolled in an Indiana college/university TTT program and hired by an Indiana School Corporation. You will apply directly with the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) for a TTT permit. Once you have completed your application, LVIS (the IDOE licensing portal) will route the application through the portal to the school corporation for approval by the superintendent.
Emergency Permit
An Emergency Permit (EP) is issued at the request of a school district in a content area for which the district is having trouble staffing the assignment with a properly licensed educator. The applicant must possess the minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university to be eligible for the EP. The individual holding the EP must make a commitment to work toward completion of an approved program to either add the content area(s) of the EP to an existing license or to obtain an Initial Practitioner license for the content area(s). The permit holder must meet with a licensing advisor at an Indiana institution to learn about the requirements for completing the appropriate program.
The EP is valid for one school year. Once issued, it may be requested to be renewed by the school if the applicant completes the renewal requirements. A school employer may approve an application for a renewal of an EP annually if the EP holder can meet renewal requirements by providing proof of continuing progress toward achieving full licensure in the content area on the permit. Failure to meet renewal requirements may result in denial of the renewal application.
Due to federal law, the Indiana Department of Education will cease issuing emergency permits in special education areas after June 30, 2022. Visit the IDOE website for more information.