Nevada Teacher Licensure Guide for Online Master's Students

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

Nevada licenses teachers through Nevada Department of Education, Office of Educator Licensure, 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 Nevada are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.

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

A Nevada teaching license with an online master's depends on finishing the academic preparation, student teaching and competency testing for the endorsement you want, and the degree level itself is not the test. Nevada licenses by area, such as elementary, secondary or special education, and the department reads official transcripts from regionally accredited colleges.

Full-time contracted teaching can, in some cases, replace student teaching under NAC 391.042, which matters to a career changer working in a school. Every applicant also clears a criminal background check for the department, separate from the one a district runs. Start from the endorsement list, then shortlist from our elementary education and secondary education rankings.

Which Exams Does Nevada Require for Teacher Licensure?

Nevada requires Praxis exams from Educational Testing Service: all three Core Academic Skills for Educators tests in reading, writing and mathematics, the Principles of Learning and Teaching pedagogy test for most licenses, and a subject test wherever the endorsement has one. The PLT comes in K-6, 5-9 and 7-12 versions.

The Core tests can be waived, and one waiver suits a graduate student: a master's degree with GRE scores at or above the midpoint, within 10 years. An SAT of 1100 or an ACT of 21 also counts. Scores reach the department when you select the Nevada Department of Education, state code 8670, as a score recipient when you register for Praxis, or you can upload a PDF copy to your OPAL portal.

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

A teaching license from another state can be transferred to Nevada when it is valid, non-conditional and non-provisional, because analysts match it to the closest Nevada license and endorsement. Transcripts still go to the department in original form, and each current license is uploaded as a PDF in the OPAL system.

In the 2020 comparison by the Education Commission of the States, Nevada was credited with full reciprocity and also marked as requiring extra coursework of some applicants. Ask the analyst on your file whether any Nevada-specific coursework applies to your endorsement.

Does NC-SARA Membership Cover Teacher Licensure for Nevada Online Master's Students?

NC-SARA membership covers a school's authority to teach Nevada residents online, not teacher licensure for those online master's students. Nevada joined in May 2014, yet NC-SARA states that SARA does not address licensing board approval for programs such as teacher education, and the Office of Educator Licensure keeps that decision.

Schools in the agreement do owe you a notice about whether a program fits licensure rules where you live.

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

What an online program must tell you before you enroll from Nevada is set by 34 CFR 668.43: a school that advertises licensure preparation lists the states where its program does and does not meet requirements, and notifies you before enrollment when it has found the program falls short in your state or has made no determination.

• Does the program lead to your endorsement area, not merely a degree?
• Can student teaching happen in a Nevada school, or can your teaching contract count?
• Which Praxis tests does the coursework prepare you for?

Which License Do Nevada Principals and School Counselors Need?

A Nevada principal needs a master's degree in educational administration and five years of licensed teaching, or any master's plus five years and 36 graduate semester hours in school administration. A counselor needs a master's in school counseling, or the National Board for Certified Counselors credential, or a counseling master's with a 600-hour school practicum and 36 graduate hours.

Nevada lists no state test for administrators, though your university may require one, and both licenses carry parental involvement and family engagement coursework. Hold educational leadership and school counseling programs up to those two rules before shortlisting any.