North Carolina Teacher Licensure Guide for Online Master's Students

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

North Carolina licenses teachers through North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Licensure Office, 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 North Carolina are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.

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

A North Carolina teaching license with an online master's requires an approved preparation program, and your institution proves it on Form V, signed by its licensure officer or dean, beside degree-dated transcripts. The first license is the Initial Professional License, good for three years and not renewable.

The Residency License is a different door: it requires enrollment in a North Carolina approved educator preparation program and employment in a public school, so an online program in another state supplies it only if North Carolina has approved that program. Treat state approval as the first filter, and our elementary education and secondary education rankings as the second.

Which Exams Does North Carolina Require for Teacher Licensure?

North Carolina requires State Board of Education exams, delivered through Pearson and Educational Testing Service: content exams, and either edTPA or PPAT for program completers since September 1, 2019. Pearson says in-state and out-of-state elementary and general curriculum applicants must pass Foundations of Reading.

You may hold an Initial Professional License before passing. The exams must be attempted in the first year and passed before or during the third. Counselors take the Praxis Professional School Counselor test, and curriculum specialists the Educational Leadership test.

Can I Transfer a Teaching License to North Carolina From Another State?

A teaching license from another state is not transferred to North Carolina as such, but the department licenses graduates of out-of-state approved programs, and a Continuing Professional License needs comparable exams and effectiveness data from the state where you hold one. Without effectiveness data you may qualify only for the Initial license.

Another state's tests count when North Carolina has a comparable area, you have three years in a classroom and the scores meet the test developer's recommendation. Elementary and general curriculum teachers with under three years must pass North Carolina's own tests. The Education Commission of the States' 2020 comparison likewise lists no full reciprocity by statute.

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

Teacher licensure for North Carolina online master's students sits outside NC-SARA membership. The state was approved in June 2016, and NC-SARA says SARA does not address licensing board approval of teacher education programs; the Department of Public Instruction alone decides which programs are approved.

Expect schools in the agreement to tell you, as SARA obliges them, whether a program meets licensure requirements where you live.

What Should I Ask an Online Program Before Enrolling From North Carolina?

Before enrolling from North Carolina, get an online program's finding in writing. 34 CFR 668.43 obliges a school promoting licensure preparation to list the states where it does and does not qualify, and to warn you ahead of enrollment if yours is excluded or unassessed.

The state's own process adds four questions. Will the dean sign Form V? Is it a state-approved program or an alternative route? Which of Foundations of Reading, edTPA or PPAT does it prepare you for? Can student teaching happen at a North Carolina school?

Which License Do North Carolina Principals and School Counselors Need?

A North Carolina principal needs an approved master's-level school administration program, with no provisional principal license issued for the job itself. Assistant principals may hold a provisional license for three school years, when a local board finds a shortage, while they complete the program. A school counselor needs an approved master's-level program in school counseling and the Praxis Professional School Counselor test.

Pearson runs the North Carolina Principal Portfolio Assessment, which candidates who had not completed a course in a degree or licensure-only program by August 31, 2025 must complete for a principal license. Use these rules as the screen for any educational leadership or school counseling program you consider.