Louisiana Teacher Licensure Guide for Online Master's Students

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

Louisiana licenses teachers through Louisiana Department of Education, and the exams it requires are the Praxis tests from ETS.

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

How Do I Get a Louisiana Teaching Certificate With an Online Master's?

To get a Louisiana teaching certificate with an online master's, a bachelor's degree holder follows the post-baccalaureate pathway, whose programs lead to certification, sometimes with a master's, through a competency-based curriculum and a yearlong teaching residency. A graduate of a program in another state counts when that program included student teaching or an equivalent and leads to certification there.

Our elementary education and secondary education rankings use federal graduate counts and tuition, which cannot tell you whether a program satisfies either route.

Which Exams Does Louisiana Require for Teacher Certification?

Louisiana requires teacher certification candidates to pass Praxis exams, and the department's score chart lists them by certification area: a Principles of Learning and Teaching exam for each grade band, content exams and, for school leaders, the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (6990) with a required score of 151. Scores reach the department when you register with score recipient code 7330.

Early childhood and elementary candidates carry an extra test. Since January 1, 2024, an applicant for initial certification in those areas must pass Teaching of Reading: Elementary (5205), scored at 159, though candidates in a Louisiana-approved preparation program who were already in the yearlong residency and held a PL or R credential before January 1, 2025 are exempt.

Can I Transfer a Teaching Certificate to Louisiana From Another State?

A teaching certificate can transfer to Louisiana from another state, and educators certified elsewhere are usually eligible for the Out-of-State certificate. A completer never certified at home may qualify if only the home state's exams are missing. Unmet exams bring a three-year non-renewable certificate, and three successful years of teaching elsewhere fulfill them.

Once the exams are met, placement follows experience: Level 1 under three years, Level 2 at three years, and Level 3 at five years plus a graduate degree, so a master's counts here. Someone who has not taught at least one year in K-12 within the past five years receives a one-year OS1 certificate first. The 2020 comparison by the Education Commission of the States recorded no full reciprocity and extra assessments for some teachers, which matches the exam rules above.

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

Louisiana's NC-SARA membership, approved in October 2014, does not cover teacher certification for online master's students. NC-SARA states that SARA does not address licensing board approval, so the department certifies on its own conditions: degrees from an institution accredited under 34 CFR 602, a program that included student teaching or an equivalent, and exams either passed or waived by experience. The state actions page records the membership alone.

SARA does require schools to tell you whether a program meets licensure requirements where you live.

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

Ask an online program, before enrolling from Louisiana, whether it has determined that its curriculum meets Louisiana requirements, a statement 34 CFR 668.43 obliges any school advertising licensure preparation to publish state by state.

Then ask the Louisiana questions. Does the program include student teaching or an equivalent, so the Teacher Preparation and Certification Status form can be completed? Does it prepare you for the Principles of Learning and Teaching exam and, for early childhood or elementary, the Teaching of Reading exam? Will your transcripts come from an institution accredited under 34 CFR 602?

Which Certificate Does a Louisiana Principal Need?

A Louisiana principal needs the Educational Leader Level 1 certificate, and every pathway to it requires the Praxis School Leaders Licensure Assessment or the Louisiana Leadership Assessment Series. The Graduate Degree Path serves certified teachers with a graduate degree in educational leadership, and alternate paths cover 240 clock hours of leadership experience, a practitioner residency program and certain other degrees.

The first requirement, per the department's help center, is a Level 2 or higher teaching certificate, and no certificate issues until a Louisiana school hires you as a leader. Compare an online master's in educational leadership with those paths.