A high school teacher helps a student with a math problem

Choose the Right Licensure Area

Decide what you want to teach, and choose the teaching license that’s right for you. Read this page or download our guide.

Get the Licensure Guide

Before you can enroll in a teaching program, you’ll need to decide what teaching license you want to earn. Your licensure area will depend on the age group and subject you want to teach.

On this page, we’ll go over your choices for licensure.

You’ll have more job opportunities — and make a bigger impact — teaching in a high-need area. The greatest need for teachers is in state-designated shortage areas, many of which are at the middle and high school levels.

Expand Your Opportunities

You can earn a teaching license for almost any subject and grade level. You may have more job opportunities if you get licensed to teach in a high-demand area or a K–12 subject.

Remember, you can add licenses in different grade levels and subject areas throughout your teaching career. You don’t have to get all your licenses at once!

Explore Your Licensure Options

Once you know the subject and grades you want to teach, you can choose your licensure area. Click the tabs below for a full list of teaching license options. (2)

Licensure Area	Grade Range	Critical Need?
Birth to Kindergarten	Birth–K	✅
Elementary Education	K–6	✅
English as a Second Language	K–6	✅
Exceptional Children: Adapted Curriculum	K–6	✅
Exceptional Children: General Curriculum	K–6	✅
Reading	K–6

Licensure Area	Grade Range	Critical Need?
Art	K–12
Dance	K–12
Music	K–12
Theatre Arts	K–12

Licensure Area	Grade Range	Critical Need?
Anthropology	9–12
Economics	9–12
English	9–12	✅
English as a Second Language	K–12	✅
Geography	9–12
History	9–12
Language Arts, High School	9-12	✅
Language Arts, Middle Grades	6-9	✅
Reading	K–12
Social Studies, High School	9–12	✅
Social Studies, Middle Grades	6–9	✅
Sociology	9–12
Political Science	9–12

Licensure Area	Grade Range	Critical Need?
Biology	9–12	✅
Chemistry	9–12	✅
Comprehensive Science	9–12	✅
Earth Science	K–12	✅
Math, High School	9–12	✅
Math, Middle Grades	9–12	✅
Science, Middle Grades	6–9	✅
Physics	K–12	✅

Licensure Area	Grade Range	Critical Need?
Academically Gifted	K–12	✅
Behaviorally/Emotionally Disabled	K–12	✅
Cross Categorical (mildly/moderately disabled)	K–12	✅
Deaf & Hard of Hearing	K–12	✅
Mentally Disabled	K–12	✅
Severely/Profoundly Disabled	K–12	✅
Special Education: Adapted Curriculum	K–12	✅
Special Education: General Curriculum	K–12	✅
Specific Learning Disabled	K–12	✅
Visually Impaired	K–12	✅

Licensure Area	Grade Range	Critical Need?
American Sign Language	K–12
Arabic	K–12
Cherokee	K–12
Chinese (Mandarin)	K–12
French	K–12
German	K–12
Greek (Ancient)	K–12
Greek (Modern)	K–12
Hebrew	K–12
Hindi	K–12
Italian	K–12
Japanese	K–12
Korean	K–12
Latin	K–12
Portuguese	K–12
Russian	K–12
Spanish	K–12
Swahili	K–12
Turkish	K–12

Licensure Area	Grade Range	Critical Need?
Health & Physical Education	K–12
Health Education	K–12
Physical Education	K–12

Licensure Area	Grade Range	Critical Need?
Agriculture	6–12	✅
Business, Finance & Information Technology	6–12	✅
Family & Consumer Sciences	6–12	✅
Health Science	6–12	✅
Information Technology	6–12	✅
Marketing	6–12	✅
Technology Engineering & Design	6–12	✅
Trade & Industrial Education	6–12	✅

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Talk to a Coach
Not sure which licensure area is right for you? A TeachNC coach can help you narrow down your options and choose the right fit. Sign up for your free advising session today!
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Learn About Residency Licensure
If you already have a bachelor’s degree, you may be able to start teaching (and earn a salary) right away through a residency licensure program.
Learn more

References

North Carolina Teacher Shortage Areas, 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 Reports. U.S. Department of Education. https://tsa.ed.gov/#/reports
Areas of Licensure, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. https://www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/educators-licensure/areas-licensure

Choose the Right Licensure Area

Expand Your Opportunities

Why teach in a North Carolina teacher shortage area?

What are my shortage area options?

If you want to teach elementary school, high-demand areas include:

If you want to teach middle or high school, high-demand areas include: (1)

Explore Your Licensure Options

Get more from TeachNC

Talk to a Coach

Learn About Residency Licensure

References

Choose the Right Licensure Area

Expand Your Opportunities

Why teach in a North Carolina teacher shortage area?

What are my shortage area options?

If you want to teach elementary school, high-demand areas include:

If you want to teach middle or high school, high-demand areas include: (1)

Consider a K–12 subject

Explore Your Licensure Options

Elementary and Early Childhood

Fine Arts

Humanities and Social Sciences

Math and Science

Exceptional Children

World Languages

Health and Physical Education

Career and Technical Education

Get more from TeachNC

Learn About Residency Licensure

References