TeachNC | Frequently Asked Questions

You do not need a master’s degree to start teaching in North Carolina, but if you already have a bachelor’s degree and are changing careers to start teaching, a master’s degree isn’t a bad idea. 

Benefits of getting a master’s degree to teach in North Carolina:

• A master's degree program offers extra support to learn the teaching trade, from lesson planning to classroom management. 
• Master’s degree programs with licensure are eligible for financial aid.
• A master's degree will allow you to earn a higher salary.
• If you already have a teaching license, you can take classes to earn your master’s degree during nights and weekends. 

You can use our Program Explorer to find master's degree programs in North Carolina.

You can use financial aid such as scholarships, grants and loan forgiveness opportunities to help make teaching programs more affordable. 

Financial aid options in North Carolina:

• Scholarships: financial assistance that does not need to be repaid, and is offered based on a student’s merit, need or athletics, such as the TeachNC Scholarship. 
• Grants: a financial award that does not need to be repaid, such as the TEACH Grant (not associated with TeachNC).
• Loan forgiveness: a cancellation of some or all a student’s loans after meeting specified requirements such as on-time payments, service commitments and tenure. The CFNC Forgivable Education Loans for Service program is a good example. 
• Current school employees: If you already work at a school you may qualify for tuition vouchers or other specialized programs.

Financial aid opportunities can be federally, privately or institutionally funded. You can learn more about financial aid for future North Carolina teachers in our financial aid guide. 

Choosing the right teaching programs will depend on your experience and where you want to begin your teaching career. 

Consider these questions to help determine the program for you: 

• Do you want to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree along with your teaching license? Or do you want to jump right into teaching with an alternative licensing program? 
• Do you have a budget? Does the program need to be mostly online to fit your schedule? 
• How much hands-on experience do you want, and what kind of mentorship do you hope to receive? 

Questions like these will guide you to choosing the program that fits your goals. You can learn more about choosing a teaching program in our article.

You can absolutely teach in a subject other than what your degree is in. In North Carolina, you will typically need to have at least 24 credits in the subject you want to teach and take a teacher preparation program. 

How to get licensed in your new subject:

• Take post-bac courses: Enroll in post-baccalaureate classes to fulfill the 24 credits required by the state
• Choose a Pathway: master’s of art in teaching programs offer a master’s degree alongside your teaching license, or you can take alternative licensing programs—called residency licensure in North Carolina. Learn more on our How to Earn Your NC Teaching License page.

If you’re a first-year teacher, the average starting salary for North Carolina teachers is $41,000. If you have more experience or more education, North Carolina’s average teacher salary is $58,292. 

• In most cases, school districts set their own salary schedules for teachers, which are often based on years of experience and credentials. 
• Some districts also look at performance or offer higher pay to teachers in shortage area subjects. 

You can learn more about North Carolina teacher salaries and benefits on our Salary and Benefits page.

Only you can decide if teaching is right for you, and there is a combination of skills and values that many teachers have. 

Here are some signs that you will like teaching:

• You want a career with autonomy, mastery and purpose.
• You have drive and curiosity to challenge yourself and grow.
• You've worked with children before and enjoy it.
• You want a job that's both creative and analytical, and that makes a real difference in your community.

Here are a few places to start your research:

• Visit our Explore Teaching page.

Check out our articles, pages and videos to explore the ins and outs of teaching.

To set your teaching career up for success, focus on professional growth and finding the right environment. Follow these key steps:

• Prioritize teacher effectiveness: Look for professional development opportunities, find strong mentors and challenge yourself to try new things in the classroom! These strategies can set you up for more benefits like promotions and pay raises. 
• Select the right employer: Research school districts and leadership carefully, as your school community and leadership will significantly impact your growth.
• Evaluate fit during interviews: Treat interviews as a two-way process. You're interviewing for a position, but you also want to find out if a particular school will be a good fit.

Teachers generally have a great deal of autonomy — more so than most jobs right out of college. From day one, you'll be entrusted with big responsibilities. 

Areas teachers will have the most autonomy

• Building classroom culture by way of room decoration, class room management techniques and classroom routines
• Instructional Strategy by choosing the activities, technology and teaching methods that best fit your students' needs
• Being creative with lesson implementation by adapting the required curriculum to be engaging for your students

That said, every school varies in terms of teacher autonomy, so it's smart to ask about this during job interviews.

In most cases, yes. With proper training, preparation and practice, you'll build the skills you need to manage students in your classroom.

Your teaching program should show you how to earn your students' trust, develop strong communication skills and use effective classroom management techniques.

Once you're in the classroom, you'll continue to learn on the job and learn from your colleagues. Teachers are a supportive bunch, and experienced educators at your school will help you to continue to build your craft. You've got this!

Yes! While there’s no single way to be a good teacher, there are a combination of skills and values that a good teacher has. Like any profession, it takes time and dedication to develop the skills to teach effectively. 

Therefore, good teachers need to have passion, drive, and curiosity to do their job well and better themselves. Each day, you'll improve your relationship-building, critical thinking, creativity and leadership skills, to support your students the best that you can.

The quickest way to become a teacher online is through alternative licensure programs (residency programs). 

Key benefits to non-traditional online programs:

• Online coursework: asynchronous coursework can be completed at your own pace
• Fast-track training: shorter but enriched training courses on the fundamentals of teaching a classroom of students
• Earn while you learn: in many cases, once you finish training, you can start teaching in your classroom right away and apply what you learn as you teach. 

No matter what type of program you choose, you will have hands-on, in-person experiences during student teaching, so it can’t be done completely online. 

Learn more about North Carolina alternative licensing programs.

In most cases, it will take four years in a traditional teaching program. However, it ultimately depends on the type of teaching program you choose and where you are in your academic career. 

• Bachelor’s degree + licensure: About 4 years
• Master’s degree + licensure: 1– 3 years
• Alternative licensure: 1– 2 years
• Licensure-only: About 1 year

You can see different programs and their lengths in our Program Explorer.

Typically for working adults with a degree, a residency licensure (a.k.a. “alternative licensure”) program allows you to start teaching right away after a short training period. You’ll earn a paycheck and take classes outside of school hours. In some residency licensure programs, you’ll earn a master’s degree. In others, you’ll only earn a teaching license.

Learn more about North Carolina alternative licensing programs.

You can become a teacher even if you have a unique background, and there are pathways to teaching tailored specifically for situations like this. 

Pathways to a teaching license:

• Alternative licensing programs are a good option for you if you want to change careers and have a bachelor’s degree in the subject you want to teach. 
• Career and Technical Education licensing programs are a good option if you have vocational experience in a specific trade or industry.

Learn more about North Carolina teacher licensing. 

No, you can absolutely become a teacher in North Carolina at any point in your career. 

• If you have a bachelor’s degree, you can find many programs suited for career changers, such as master’s degree programs or alternative licensing/residency programs. 
• If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, there are traditional teaching programs that offer a bachelor’s and license at the same time. 
• If you have work experience in an industry or technical field, you can become a Career and Technical Education teacher to teach grades 6-12. 

Each program offers a different range of coursework, hands-on experience and mentoring. Learn more about North Carolina teacher licensing. 

Yes, substitute teaching or paraprofessional roles do qualify for the 3 or more years of teaching experience requirement towards a teacher license. 

• Teaching assistants (paraprofessionals): count towards teaching experience.
• Substitute teaching: counts as non-teaching experience. 

The experience recorded must be within your desired subject area, and non-teaching experience is calculated differently from teaching experience. 

Learn more on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Forms and FAQs page, specifically Form E.

Yes, you can use your non-education degree or prior experience to teach in Colorado. There are two options available: 

• Elementary and Secondary education (in any subject) teacher: You will need to have at least 24 credits in the subject you want to teach. Pathways available to you include master’s degree programs, and alternative licensing programs. Learn more in our teaching programs guide.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher: This pathway is a non-traditional route to becoming a teacher. If you have work experience in industries like construction, hospitality, or health sciences, a CTE license lets you apply your skills to teach grades 6-12. Learn more about licensure areas, specifically CTE, on our licensure page.

Alternative licensure, called residency licensure in North Carolina, is a type of teacher licensing that prepares teachers for an accelerated entry into teaching and lets you earn your initial teaching license while you teach in your own classroom. 

This type of teaching license is good for people who:

• Have a bachelor’s degree, but haven’t started a teacher prep program.
• Have either studied or have experience in the subject you want to teach.
• Want to start teaching right away.

Alternative licensure in North Carolina requires that you get a teaching job in a district that partners with residency licensure. You can see an overview of the alternative licensing pathway in our guide.

If you are unsure of what subject to teach, or curious about what options are available for you, you can learn more about North Carolina licensure areas and check out North Carolina alternative licensing programs.

An alternative licensure, called residency licensure in NC, is a teacher preparation pathway that lets you earn your initial teaching license while you teach in your own classroom. To apply, you will need to meet these requirements:

• Have at least 24 college credits in the subject you plan to teach, or pass a content area assessment in that subject.
• Most programs require a GPA of at least 2.7.

You can find North Carolina residency licensure programs in our Program Explorer.

North Carolina offers a variety of teacher licensure programs, ranging from programs for people who have never been to college to programs for people who want a master’s degree. You can expect to find these types of programs available at different colleges and universities:

• Bachelor’s degree + licensure
• Master’s degree + licensure
• Alternative licensure/Residency licensure 

Each program offers a different range of coursework, hands-on experience and mentoring. Learn more about North Carolina teacher licensing. 

In North Carolina, the primary difference is that a teaching degree is an academic qualification from a college, while a teaching license is the legal authorization from the state to teach in a classroom.

To qualify for these credentials, you must meet different requirements:

• Teaching Degree: Obtained by completing a college-level teacher preparation program, including specialized coursework in a specific subject area.

Teaching License: Issued by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction after you complete the degree, pass the required exams, and finish student teaching assessments.

Yes, you can earn your master’s degree and North Carolina teaching license in one program in as little as one to three years. 

The benefits of a master’s degree program:

• Integrated licensing: Master’s of arts in teaching programs build in teacher license requirements into your coursework to get you licensed faster.
• Higher salary: You can start teaching with a higher salary with a master’s degree.

You can find a master’s degree program for you in our Program Explorer.

Yes, there are many earn while you learn (residency licensure) programs in North Carolina for teachers to get licensed while teaching in a classroom. These programs are built for you to earn your teacher license in one to three years, all while applying what you learn in your coursework into the classroom. You can learn more in our guide about what to expect in a North Carolina residency licensure program. 

A teaching residency program is a type of alternative licensing program that allows you to earn your teaching license in 1- 3 years while getting paid to teach in a classroom alongside a mentor teacher. In North Carolina, these programs are called residency licensure programs.

Key benefits to a  residency licensure program:

• Get paid to teach: you are paid a salary (with benefits!). 
• Earn a master’s degree: depending on the program, you may receive both your teaching license and a master’s degree.
• More experience: you will commit to teaching in your school for the full school year. You will also get support from your mentor teacher.
• Job opportunities: start a full-time teaching role, usually in the district where you trained. After you graduate, you’ll often commit to teaching in your district for a certain amount of time

You can learn more about North Carolina teacher residency programs. 

In most cases, getting a teaching license from outside of North Carolina is simple because North Carolina has a broad reciprocity program. North Carolina will accept any accredited teacher preparation program, even outside of the state.

• Comparable license with EPP: If you hold a valid, out-of-state license that was obtained through an accepted educator preparation program (EPP), North Carolina will automatically approve your credentials.
• Fullfill content knowledge requirements: Depending on your subject area, you may need to take exams or take extra courses to fulfill the content knowledge requirements, such as passing an exam or obtaining 24 credits of coursework in that subject.

Yes, in North Carolina, you can renew your teaching license even if it has expired. You will need to submit an application to make sure you are meeting all the current content knowledge requirements for your subject area.

To start teaching immediately in North Carolina, you can apply for an emergency license or start a residency licensure program. Both pathways allow you to start teaching while fulfilling initial teacher licensing requirements. You can learn more about residency licenses in our guide, as well as on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction website for emergency licenses.

To become a substitute teacher in North Carolina, you can either utilize your NC professional teacher license or take required training programs. School districts have their own requirements for hiring substitute teachers, but generally follow the same requirements.

Key requirements for substitute teaching authorization: 

• Background information: to be eligible, applicants typically need to be over 18 years old, hold a high school diploma or GED and pass a background check.
• With a teaching license: you will be eligible to apply for a substitute teaching position on a school district’s website. 
• Without a teaching license: you will need to take short training programs outlined by the school district to be eligible.

You can learn more about the application process for each school district on the School District Information on Becoming a Substitute Teacher document.

In most cases, yes. You can apply for a North Carolina teaching license even with an international degree or license. To begin the process, you will need to gather some documents as well as have your degree and credentials evaluated:

International teaching license application requirements:

• You must have a bachelor’s degree.
• Meet the content knowledge requirements.
• Submit valid identification documentation, work experience and teaching licenses.

You will also need to submit official transcripts to the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) for a course-by-course evaluation. Once you submit the report, North Carolina will determine if you need to fulfill content knowledge requirements or take an approved teacher preparation program. 

To have your international teaching license or degree recognized by the U.S. and to begin teaching in North Carolina, you will need to submit your transcripts to a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member organization.

North Carolina has many pathways and benefits for veterans to pursue a teaching career. 

Specialized pathways for veterans and current active-duty members:

• Teacher licensing: North Carolina allows military personnel and their spouses to begin teaching in NC public schools immediately if they have a valid out-of-state license.
• Junior ROTC Instructors: Active duty members or veterans can serve as a Junior ROTC instructor with military approval.

Financial Aid for veterans and current active-duty members:

• North Carolina Scholarship for Children of Wartime Veterans: a scholarship available to cover tuition for up to eight semesters of higher education.

Veterans and their families can utilize several support programs, such as the G.I. Bill or MyCAA. Learn more about the pathway to teaching for veterans in our guide.

To balance working full-time while earning your teacher license, leverage programs that allow for you to complete coursework online or fast-track programs such as alternative licensing programs. 

Carefully review program overviews to fully understand the requirements throughout the program. Take note that all teacher preparation programs will require you to student teach, so being able to work in a classroom will be a requirement at some point. Learn more about alternative licensure programs in North Carolina.

In most cases, it will take four years in a traditional teaching program. However, it ultimately depends on the type of teaching program you choose and where you are in your academic career. 

• Bachelor’s degree + licensure: About four years
• Master’s degree + licensure: one to three years
• Alternative licensure: one to three years
• Licensure-only: About one year

You can see different programs and their lengths in our Program Explorer.

You can apply for financial aid such as scholarships and grant opportunities to help make teaching programs more affordable. 

Types of program-specific financial aid

• Institutional grants or scholarships: these are unique to your program’s institution, and help cover some or all of the cost of tuition.
• Teacher or education specific grants or scholarships: these are aid opportunities aimed to support future teachers
• Stipends or tuition assistance: residency programs will often offer a stipend to help pay for living expenses and may even offer tuition assistance to cover the costs of your teacher preparation program, too
• Federal financial aid: You can apply for free financial aid that gets directly sent to your institution, and may make you automatically eligible for other scholarships or grants 

You can learn more about financial aid for North Carolina teachers in our financial aid guide.

Teaching preparation programs vary in cost, but there are financial aid resources available, especially for teachers and educators. 

Financial aid options in North Carolina:

• Scholarships: financial assistance that does not need to be repaid, and is offered based on a student’s merit, need or athletics, such as the TeachNC Scholarship. 
• Grants: a financial award that does not need to be repaid, such as the TEACH Grant (not associated with TeachNC).
• Loan forgiveness: a cancellation of some or all a student’s loans after meeting specified requirements such as on-time payments, service commitments and tenure. The CFNC Forgivable Education Loans for Service program is a good example. 
• Current school employees: If you already work at a school you may qualify for tuition vouchers or other specialized programs.

Financial aid opportunities can be federally, privately or institutionally funded. You can learn more about financial aid for future North Carolina teachers in our financial aid guide.

Programs in North Carolina will have a variety of deadlines that vary depending on the program start, but generally, spring semester applications are due by late October, summer by April, and fall by July. 

Typical application deadlines:

• Alternative licensure programs have deadlines for cohorts that are usually early in the year, with applications opening in the winter for a summer start.
• Traditional teacher preparation programs through colleges and universities often have spring deadlines for the following fall semester.

Be sure to carefully review the programs you are interested in and account for deadlines when planning your application. You can view upcoming deadlines on our Application Deadline Explorer.

In North Carolina, there are three main requirements to become a licensed teacher. The requirements may become more specific with each teacher preparation program. 

The key requirements

• Bachelor’s degree: you must have a bachelor’s degree in education or a related field to the subject you want to teach. The standard GPA is 2.7 or higher.
• Teacher preparation program: you must take an approved teacher preparation program, either traditionally or in an alternative route, which leads to initial licensure.

Content knowledge assessments: You must have either 24 college credits or pass a subject area exam in the subject you want to teach.

While GPA requirements may vary depending on the program and university, you can generally expect to see a cumulative GPA of 2.7 as a requirement for most teacher preparation programs in North Carolina. You can view GPA requirements for programs in our North Carolina Program Explorer. 

To teach special education, you will need to go through a teacher preparation program that offers an endorsement in the subjects of Exceptional Children or specifically Special Education: General Curriculum, as well as take a few exams.

The key requirements for a Special Education: General Curriculum license:

1. Teacher preparation program: Obtain your bachelor’s degree and teaching license through a teacher preparation program or alternative licensing program.
2. Exams: there are two common exams you will need to take to be licensed as a Special Education teacher
   1. Elementary Education: Mathematics CKT (7813)
   2. Special Education: Foundational Knowledge (5355)

You can also be licensed in a variety of areas in the subject of Exceptional Children. These licenses have their own exam requirements and can be viewed on the North Carolina Required Tests Praxis website.