Information for Transfer and Post-Baccalaureate Students

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We realize that not everyone who wants to be a teacher starts as first-year student. In fact, the majority of students who complete our programs are transfers or post-baccalaureate students. If you are one those students, it will help you to review the additional information below. You should always consult the educator licensure requirements and the NIU catalog and speak with an educator licensure advisor on a regular basis.  

Basic considerations 

  • Must complete all program requirements listed and meet all program admission requirements including GPA
  • It takes at least 4 semesters to complete after admission to the licensure program.
  • Transfer students usually need to spend at least one semester at NIU prior to admission to the program.
  • Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to the licensure program. 

Coursework before NIU 

Students planning to transfer to the NIU licensure program should choose courses carefully to minimize the amount of time needed to complete. Good courses to take in preparation for the program include any of the required 100- or 200-level history or social sciences courses listed, a foreign language sequence (if completing a B.A.), or math/science sequence (if completing a B.S.).  

Transferring credit and degrees

  • Transfer students and post-baccalaureate students without a B.A. or B.S. degree in history or one of the social sciences: 
    • must complete B.A. or B.S. degree in history or one of the social sciences
    • may substitute courses taken at other institutions for program requirements in history and social sciences with approval of the educator licensure program
    • transfer credit for professional education or clinical experience requirements is only accepted in rare cases and only with documentation proving that the transferred course or clinical experience is equivalent to the program’s required course or clinical.
  • Post-bac students who already have a B.A. or B.S. degree in history, anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, or sociology still need to complete the required history and social science courses. Licensure advisors will review your transcript to find courses completed and to identify deficiencies. 

Admission to the Program 

You are eligible for admission to the program once you have:

  • met with a educator licensure advisor and developed a schedule plan
  • established an NIU cumulative GPA of 2.75
  • attained a discipline GPA of 3.00 in all courses (NIU and transfer) taken in your major
  • recorded a passing Test of Academic Proficiency score (or ACT/SAT substitution) posted with the Illinois State Board of Education
  • completed enough coursework to allow you to finish the program in 4 semesters
  • an accepted application for ILAS 201, First Clinical Experience 

Clinical applications 

Applications for the first clinical experience are due mid October for the following spring semester, mid February for the next fall. Application notifications and deadlines are sent via email to your NIU email address.  You should apply for the clinical in the semester indicated on your schedule plan given to you by the licensure program advisor. 

Contact Us

Department of History
Zulauf 715
815-753-0131
history@niu.edu

Our office is open Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., except for a daily lunch break from noon-1 p.m.

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