Educator Certification
Graduate-Level Coursework
Another option for moving from Initial to Standard certification is to acquire 12 semester hours of graduate-level coursework towards an advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in an education-related field.
The number of semester hours required may be prorated. The semester hours are prorated based on the number of years of teaching time remaining on the Initial certificate as of July 1, 2003. For example, a teacher issued an Initial Certificate in 2000 but who never taught would be required to meet the full 12-semester-hour requirement. A teacher who had already taught two years would need only six.
The CPDU requirement for out-of-state teachers with less than four years of teaching experience on comparable certificates is prorated based on the number of years left to teach in Illinois.
| Years of teaching experience needed | Semester Hours Required |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 year | 3 |
| More than 1 and up to 2 years | 6 |
| More than 2 and up to 3 years | 9 |
| More than 3 and up to four | 12 |
Evidence of Completion Required
Documentation provided by a regionally accredited institution of higher education indicating the individual's admission to the degree program and an official transcript showing that no fewer than 12 semester hours of graduate credit (or less, if eligible for proration) were earned toward that degree while the individual held the Initial certificate.
