Licensure

Overview
In order to be issued a Colorado Provisional License, all licensure program candidates must complete:

• academic preparation requirements,
• Education course and field experience requirements,
• one of the state-approved licensure exams with a passing score,
• student teaching, and
• earn a bachelor’s degree. 

Only when all of these licensure requirements have been completed successfully do we recommend a candidate to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) for the license.  The license is not issued by the School of Education or the University of Colorado at Boulder.  It is issued by the Colorado Department of Education.

The Provisional License is issued to all new teachers.  This license is good for three years.  In order to convert your Provisional License to a Professional License, you will have to complete a State Board of Education approved induction program, which may be offered by your school district.  You will apply to the CDE for the conversion and should check with them for the most up-to-date policies and procedures.

Application Process
Candidates will fill out the CDE licensure application towards the end of their student teaching semester under the guidance of the School’s licensure liaison, the Education/Student Advisor.  The application must be completed carefully.  Candidates are responsible for acquiring their own application and materials, as well as submission of fingerprints and their application to the state.

Undergraduates who are graduating in the same semester in which they student teach will have to wait for the university to post their degree to their transcript officially before paperwork can be completed.  This usually takes four weeks from the end of a semester.

Post- BA and Secondary MA Plus candidates will have to wait for semester grades to post to their transcripts officially before paperwork can be completed.  This usually takes two weeks.

The CDE will take 4-6 weeks to process teaching license applications.  Program completers should check with school districts to which they may apply for a teaching position about how this time frame may impact the hiring process.

Licensure Exams
All licensure program candidates must pass one of the state-approved licensure exams in order to be eligible for student teaching and the Colorado (CO) Provisional License.  There are no exceptions or waivers to this policy.  The licensure exam should be taken 9 months to one year in advance of the semester in which you plan to student teach.

There are two exam options: PLACE and PRAXIS II.  The PLACE exam is designed specifically to CO state standards and is only available in CO.  The PRAXIS II is a national content knowledge exam that is accepted as a licensure exam in some other states.  For specific information about each exam, follow the links above.

For the required test codes and score reporting information, please read our Licensure Exam Policy.


Out-of-State Licensing or Reciprocity of CO Licensure in Other States
You may transfer a Colorado State teaching license to another state.  We recommend that you contact the state department of education in your intended state of residence to find out what their teaching requirements are and how the Colorado license may transfer in advance of program completion.  If you will have to take an additional course or take a different licensure exam in order to transfer your license, then your contact will allow you to plan for that and avoid surprises.

Our programs do not prepare candidates for licensure in other states because each state has its own laws and standards regarding teacher preparation.  For instance, we have an obligation to prepare you under the Colorado Model Content Standards for K-12 Education and the Performance-Based Standards for Colorado Teachers.  Because we are accredited nationally by NCATE, most of our program completers do not report major problems to us in transferring their license.

Click here for licensure resources.