Licensure, Endorsements, & Credentials
Interested in becoming a licensed teacher, or want to add endorsements and credentials to your Professional Educator License (PEL) through one of our master's programs? Find out where we offer specific licenses, endorsements, and credentials below.
Licensure Programs
The College of Education offers several programs that lead to an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Illinois educators only earn one PEL, but can add multiple endorsements to the PEL (see below) if they want to specialize or expand their expertise in different subject areas, grade levels, and more.
Update on the ISBE Test of Basic Skills 9/19/19: The Illinois’ basic skills requirement for teacher licensure has been eliminated. If you have specific questions, please contact the UIC Council on Teacher Education at cte_uic@uic.edu or 312-355-0714.
Bachelor’s programs that lead to licensure
- BA Urban Education – Elementary Education (teaching grades 1–6 with an option to add grades 5–8)
Master’s programs that lead to licensure
- MEd Early Childhood Education (children ages 0–8)
- MEd Science Education (teaching high school science)
- MEd Special Education
Endorsements
The following programs allow licensed teachers or students who are pursuing their teaching license to add endorsements to the license. Endorsements are a supplement to the Professional Educator License (PEL) that expand professional opportunities for licensed teachers. Learn more on our endorsements page.
Programs with a * indicate you must already have a PEL to obtain the endorsements listed, as the program by itself does not lead to licensure.
Bachelor’s programs that offer endorsements to the PEL
- BA Urban Education – Elementary Education
- Middle Grades Endorsement
- ESL or Bilingual Endorsement
Master’s programs that offer endorsements to the PEL
- MEd Early Childhood Education
- Early Childhood Special Education Endorsement
- ESL or Bilingual Endorsement
- MEd Educational Studies*
- ESL or Bilingual Endorsement
- Middle Grades Endorsement
- Reading Teacher Endorsement
- MEd Language, Literacies and Learning*
- ESL or Bilingual Endorsement
- Middle Grades Endorsement
- Reading Teacher Endorsement
- Reading Specialist Endorsement
- MEd Science Education
- ESL or Bilingual Endorsement
- High School Science Endorsement: Biology
- High School Science Endorsement: Chemistry
- High School Science Endorsement: Earth and Space Science
- High School Science Endorsement: Environmental Science
- High School Science Endorsement: Physics
- MEd Special Education
- ESL or Bilingual Endorsement
- Early Childhood Special Education Endorsement
- Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I) Endorsement
- Learning Behavior Specialist II (LBS II) Endorsement
Doctoral programs that offer endorsements to the PEL
- EdD Urban Education Leadership
- Illinois P-12 Principal Endorsement
Credentials
Credentials are a recognition of knowledge, skills, and experience that are awarded by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Unlike endorsements, some credentials can be earned without obtaining an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL).
Students should note that credentials are not a substitute or an alternative to a teaching license.
Bachelor’s programs that offer credentials
- BA Human Development & Learning
- Illinois Gateways Level 5 Early Childhood Education Credential
- Illinois Gateways School Age and Youth Development Credential (Coming in 2020)
Master’s programs that offer credentials
- MEd Early Childhood Education
- Illinois Gateways Level 5 Early Childhood Education Credential
- Illinois Early Intervention Developmental Therapist Credential
Teaching Certificates vs. License
In 2013, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) changed its credentialing terms for educators from a certificate to a license. So what used to be called a “teaching certificate” in Illinois is now a Professional Educator License (PEL).