Alternative Licensure Program
About Alternative Licensure in Colorado
Alternative teacher preparation programs provide a pathway to prepare educators with professional experience and content knowledge to meet high need areas in Colorado schools. Find out more on the Colorado Department of Education's Alternative Licensure Page.
Your pathway to alternative licensure begins when you apply online to the Colorado Department of Education for a Statement of Eligibility (SOE). This document means you are eligible to earn a teaching license and to be admitted to an alternative licensure program. The following table outlines CDE's requirements for a Statement of Eligibility.
| SOE Requirements | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Degree | Must have successfully completed a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. |
| No Prior Student Teaching |
Must not have previously completed an approved educator preparation program that included student teaching. Must meet the state/federal definition of being "highly qualified" to teach int he desired endorsement area by meeting at least one of the following: |
| Content Proficiency |
-Documented evidence of the required 24 semester hours of content (minimum GPA of 2.6)for the endorsement as described on CDE's content evaluation worksheets and verified by a transcript review, OR -Having passed the Colorado State Board of Education-approved content exam for the endorsement being sought. |
| Background Check | Must clear a background check based upon review of CBI/FBI background check and self-disclosure on the application. |
Your next step is to obtain a full-time teaching position in your endorsement area. As soon as you do, your district will issue you a contract and a Statement of Assurance of Employment (SAE). Submit these documents to the Colorado Department of Education, and they will issue you an Alternative Teaching License, good for 12 months.
Your final step to licensure is to complete an approved alternative licensure program. We hope you will choose the ALP at UCCS!
About the Alternative Licensure Program at UCCS
We are a "designated agency" approved by the Colorado State Board of Education to provide a one-year program for candidates seeking licensure in one of these areas: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, World languages (Spanish).
We work with self-motivated, committed, resourceful candidates who can readily assume teaching roles in public school classrooms. Ideal ALP applicants are paraprofessionals, substitute teachers, career changers, retired military, or others who have the background and potential for successfully completing this rigorous, fast-paced program.
Those seeking licensure only can complete the program with just ten courses (see list below). Those seeking an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction need to complete only two more courses within the next three semesters of completing the ALP.
Coursework for the ALP at UCCS
| Course # & Title |
|---|
|
Licensure Only (33 credit hours) |
| CURR 5800-3 School, Society, & Diversity |
| TED 5520-3 Educational Psychology |
| SPED 5001-3 Introduction to Special Education |
| TED 5800-3 ESL for Educators |
| Summer Courses: Students may take these courses prior to securing a full-time teaching position |
| CURR 5014-3 Instructional & Classroom Management Strategies I, Secondary |
| CURR 5016-3 Instructional & Classroom Management Strategies II, Secondary |
| Fall Courses: Students may NOT take these courses until they have a full-time teaching position |
| CURR 5491,5492,5493,5494,5495-3(select one) Secondary Content Area |
| CURR 5018-3 Resident Teaching & Seminar Secondary I |
| Spring Courses: Students may NOT take these courses without a full-time teaching position |
| CURR 5400-3 Teaching Reading & Writing in the Content Areas |
| CURR 5020-3 Resident Teaching & Seminar in Secondary Education II |
| Licensure & Master of Arts Degree in Curriculum and Instruction (6 additional credits, total of 39 credit hrs.) A Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction includes the coursework for ALP (listed above) and the following additional courses, taken within three semesters of completing the ALP. |
| LEAD 5700 - Introduction to Research & Statistics |
| CURR 5090 - Research Project |
It is the students' responsibility to make sure that all program requirements and licensure procedures are completed appropriately. All participants in the ALP must maintain a 3.0 GPA and receive no grade lower than a B- in any class. Because the program requires immediate participation on the job in a school, there are no opportunities for Incompletes in the methods or resident teaching classes.
>>Master of Arts Curriculum and Instruction Main Page
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1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO USA 80918
719-255-8227 (UCCS), 800-990-8227
