Arizona Teacher Licensure Guide for Online Master's Students

Who Licenses Teachers in Arizona, and Which Exams Does It Use?

Arizona licenses teachers through Arizona Department of Education, Educator Certification, and the exams it requires are the AEPA/NES, the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments and National Evaluation Series.

For the programs themselves, the online master's in education programs at universities in Arizona are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.

How Do I Get an Arizona Teaching License With an Online Master's?

Getting an Arizona teaching license with an online master's means earning a Standard Professional Teaching Certificate, and for elementary education the department accepts a Board-approved program or one from an accredited college offering substantially similar training, with at least 12 weeks of student teaching in a K-8 classroom. A teacher with two years of K-8 experience and coursework can use a second option. The certificate is valid for 12 years.

Every applicant also needs a bachelor's or higher degree and an Arizona fingerprint clearance card. The elementary education and special education our rankings weigh only graduates and tuition, so judging a program against that standard falls to you.

Which Exams Does Arizona Require for Teacher Certification?

Arizona requires a professional knowledge exam and a subject knowledge exam for teacher certification, and the department points candidates to Pearson's AEPA and NES exams. Elementary candidates take NT051 for professional knowledge and NT102 and NT103 for subject knowledge.

Each exam has substitutes on the elementary page: a passing score on a similar out-of-state exam or three years of full-time teaching, and for the subject exam a degree in elementary education. The department keeps an equivalency list covering Praxis and edTPA, and ETS must send Praxis scores to it under code 8517.

Can I Transfer a Teaching License to Arizona From Another State?

A teaching license can transfer to Arizona from another state, because the department says it reciprocates with all states for a comparable certificate that is valid and held in good standing. Expired, temporary, non-renewable and out-of-country documents are refused. Reciprocity brings no exam or work experience requirement, and the file needs a fingerprint card, a copy of the certificate and official transcripts.

The one condition is constitutional coursework: the U.S. Constitution and Arizona Constitution may be finished within one or three years, depending on the certificate, before a non-disciplinary suspension follows. The 2020 Education Commission of the States comparison already counted Arizona as a full-reciprocity state.

Does NC-SARA Membership Cover Teacher Certification for Arizona Online Master's Students?

Arizona's NC-SARA membership does not cover teacher certification for its online master's students: SARA does not address licensing board approval for fields such as teacher education. The state joined in November 2014, which opened the way for schools elsewhere to serve Arizona residents online. The Department of Education then applies its own certificate rules, and SARA's contribution is the notice owed to you about licensure.

What Should I Ask an Online Program Before Enrolling From Arizona?

Ask the program to state in writing whether it satisfies Arizona's rules, since 34 CFR 668.43 requires a school promoting licensure to publish the states where it found the program does and does not qualify, with a warning before enrollment when it found a gap or made no finding.

Arizona questions come next: is the program Board-approved or at an accredited college with substantially similar training, does it include 12 weeks of student teaching near you, and which exams does it prepare you for? Ask which of the reading, ethics and constitutional courses it covers.

Which Arizona Requirements Can I Finish After the Certificate Is Issued?

Arizona requirements that can wait until after the certificate is issued are called allowable deficiencies, and the elementary page lists five due within three years: science of reading training with systematic phonics, reading intervention for dyslexia, an ethics course, and the U.S. and Arizona Constitution.

If they are not met in time, the certificate is placed on non-disciplinary suspension, and it returns to its original end date once they are. A college course can meet the ethics and constitution items, so ask whether the master's includes them.

Which Certificate Do Arizona Principals and School Counselors Need?

An Arizona principal needs the Standard Professional Principal Certificate, and it asks for a master's degree, three years of full-time teaching, 30 graduate hours in educational administration with three in school law and three in school finance, a practicum or two years as a principal, and an administrator exam or three years in school leadership.

A school counselor needs a master's degree and one of four routes: a guidance and counseling program, a counseling, social work or psychology program, a behavioral health license, or an academic advising program. An online master's in educational leadership or school counseling should map onto those requirements before you apply.