Indiana Alternative Teacher Certification Process and Programs

Those who have already completed a bachelor’s degree but not a teacher preparation program may be candidates for an alternative route to teacher certification in Indiana. Alternative teacher preparation programs, also known as non-traditional programs, are designed for those with a bachelor’s degree outside of education and typically lead to a certificate or master’s degree. If you don’t yet have a bachelor’s degree, see our guide to traditional certification in Indiana. If you already hold a bachelor’s degree, an alternative licensure route allows you to gain experience while meeting certification requirements. Continue reading below to learn more about how this process works in Indiana.

Table of Contents

• Indiana Alternative Certification Requirements
• Types of Alternative Teaching Licenses
• Testing Requirements
• Licenses From Another State
• Schools With Alternative and Master’s Programs
• Best Alternative Certification Programs
• Fastest Alternative Certification Programs
• Additional Resources

Requirements for Alternative Certification

Candidates seeking teacher certification in Indiana through an alternative route must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, valid CPR certification, and a suicide prevention training certificate. Alternative route candidates must meet the same qualifications as traditional pathway educators to become fully licensed but may receive additional time to fulfill the requirements while teaching in a classroom setting. Individuals following this pathway usually complete a graduate certificate or a master’s degree in teaching, education, or a subject area as part of an alternative teacher preparation program.

Types of Alternative Teaching Licenses in Indiana

Indiana’s pathways to alternative teacher licensure are primarily designed for bachelor’s degree holders. However, there is an accelerated pathway for master’s degree holders and a pathway for career and technical education subjects that might not require a degree. In all cases, educators must complete formal teacher training to become licensed.

Advanced Degree Pathway

Indiana offers an advanced degree pathway for candidates with a master’s degree or higher leading to an instructional license at the middle or high school level. In addition to an advanced degree, you must earn one academic year of experience teaching in a middle school, high school, or college setting and complete the content exams for the subject to be taught. Like traditionally-prepared classroom teachers, you will also need valid CPR certification and a suicide prevention training certificate. Career and technical education (CTE) content areas also require 4,000 hours of related non-teaching industry work experience.

Alternative Special Education License

The Alternative Special Education License is available to candidates with a bachelor’s degree who are enrolled in an approved post-baccalaureate alternative preparation program for initial special education licensure. This license is valid for three years and cannot be renewed. Holders may serve as a Teacher of Record (TOR) in the area displayed on the license. Approved special education preparation programs can be found on the DOE website.

American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (American Board) Pathway

Indiana recognizes the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE or American Board) pathway as an alternative route to teacher licensure for certification at the elementary level and in select middle and high school subjects. Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree and be accepted to the American Board program. After passing American Board’s required pedagogy and content assessments, holding a CPR certificate, and attending training in youth suicide awareness, candidates are eligible for an American Board Classroom Ready Certificate, which allows them to secure a job in their content area at an Indiana public school. They will then apply to the Indiana Department of Education (DOE) for an ABCTE Emergency Permit. They will work full-time as a classroom teacher for one year while completing program requirements and passing the Praxis Subject Test. Successful completion leads to an ABCTE Professional Educator License.

Career Specialist Permit Pathway

The Career Specialist Permit is a pathway to teaching at the secondary level in Indiana. To qualify for a Career Specialist permit, candidates must meet one of the following requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree in the subject to be taught with a GPA of at least 3.0, a passing score on the related Praxis content exam, and 4,000 hours of work experience in the past five years related to the content area to be taught
• A bachelor’s degree in the subject to be taught with a GPA of at least 3.0 and 5,000 hours of work experience in the past seven years related to the content area to be taught
• A passing score on the relevant Praxis content exam and 5,000 hours of work experience in the past seven years in the content area to be taught

The Career Specialist Permit allows the holder to lead a classroom teaching in a specific subject while completing teacher training. Completion of an approved training program is required to renew the permit. Note that the Career Specialist Permit does not lead to a permanent teaching license. Once issued, the permit must be renewed every two years by submitting a qualifying Professional Growth Plan (PGP) that includes activities such as continuing education, curriculum development, and workshops.

Charter School Licensure Pathway

The Charter School Licensure pathway allows those with a bachelor’s degree to teach in charter schools. To qualify for this certificate, you must have a bachelor’s degree with a major in the subject you wish to teach and an overall GPA of 3.0 or better, or hold a bachelor’s degree and pass the related content area exam for licensure in the subject to be taught. You must also complete CPR certification and suicide prevention training. Once issued, this license allows you to teach in Indiana charter schools only.

Transition to Teaching (T2T) Permit Pathway

Individuals with a bachelor’s degree may become certified to teach in Indiana via Transition to Teaching (T2T). TT2T programs are 18-24 credit hour curriculums that prepare candidates with bachelor’s degrees in specific content areas to become licensed. Note that though it is considered an alternative route in Indiana and can lead to a temporary permit to teach once you are accepted to a program, T2T is not always offered as a job-embedded or paid residency curriculum. Consult the program(s) you are considering for more information. You can see a list of approved Transition to Teaching programs through the Indiana DOE.

Testing Requirements for Indiana Alternative Certification

Either before or during the completion of an educator preparation program (EPP), candidates for alternative teacher certification in Indiana must take and pass the appropriate Praxis content area and pedagogy assessments. For more information on specific exams required by subject and grade level, review the DOE website.

Transferring Teaching Licenses From Another State

Those with a valid teaching license in another state and a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited school who wish to apply for an Indiana license must pass a subject matter test in every area that will appear on the Indiana license. A non-renewable Reciprocal Permit is available for content areas where the required test has not been passed. The Reciprocal Permit is valid for one year and is not renewable. Candidates can begin teaching immediately once the permit is issued but must complete any deficiencies to become certified in Indiana within that year. Requirements also include valid CPR certification and a suicide prevention training certificate. For more information, visit our guide to teaching license reciprocity or contact the Indiana DOE.

Schools With Alternative and Master’s Programs in Indiana

To qualify for teacher certification, you must complete an approved teacher preparation program. Alternative route teacher licensing programs typically lead to a certificate or master’s degree. The not-for-profit, school-based alternative certification programs below have been approved by the DOE for the preparation of teachers.

• — indicates none or not applicable.
• N.Av. indicates data was not available or pass rates were omitted for confidentiality.
• *Schools with an asterisk offer programs that can include paid classroom placements, subject to qualifications and experience. Students may be responsible for securing their own placement. Contact programs for further information.

Best Alternative Teacher Certification Programs in Indiana

We used overall pass rates on the teacher licensing exams to identify the best alternative teacher certification programs in Indiana. The following schools reported pass rates of 90% or higher for alternative and master’s program graduates.

• Anderson University (Alternative, Certificate; 100%)
• University of Notre Dame (Master’s; 100%)
• Indiana Wesleyan University (Alternative, Certificate, Master’s; 99%)
• Purdue University-West Lafayette (Alternative, Certificate, Master’s; 96%)
• Indiana University-Southeast (Alternative, Certificate, Master’s; 93%)
• University of Indianapolis (Alternative, Certificate, Master’s; 93%)⁴

Fastest Alternative Certification Programs

The following schools have the fastest programs to qualify for teacher certification in Indiana based on the shortest possible time to completion. Shorter alternative certification programs are often more affordable since they require fewer credit hours. Check with programs to verify program costs and funding opportunities.

1. Manchester University (6 months)
2. Calumet College of St. Joseph (8 months)
3. Trine University (10 months)
4. Earlham College (11 months)

Additional Resources

• Indiana DOE Approved Online and Distance Learning Programs: Directory of programs approved for the preparation of teachers.
• Indianapolis Teaching Fellows: An alternative route to certification for those in the Indianapolis area.
• IndyTeach: An apprenticeship-based alternative route to licensure for prospective Indianapolis teachers.
• Teach for America Indianapolis: Guide to the Teach for America alternative route for prospective Indiana teachers.
• Transition to Teaching: Overview of the Transition to Teaching alternative route.

Related Articles

• Alternative Teacher Certification Guide
• Indiana Traditional Teacher Certification Guide
• How to Become a Teacher in Indianapolis
• Teacher Certification Reciprocity Guide

References:
1. Indiana Department of Education: https://www.in.gov/doe/
2. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP): https://caepnet.org/provider-search
3. Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP): https://aaqep.org/accredited-programs
4. US Department of Education 2021 Title II Report: https://title2.ed.gov/Public/Home.aspx
5. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/