Application Instructions

Candidates Applying for Initial Licensure

(All undergraduates and most Graduate Certificate in Teaching completers who do not currently hold a professional educator’s license; also, School Counseling and School Social Work completers applying for their first license.)

  1. Order an official UNC Charlotte electronic transcript that reflects an awarded certificate/degree. eTranscripts are available free of charge through Banner Self-Service and are generally delivered within minutes. To determine if your certificate/degree has been awarded, check the top of your advising transcript in Banner Self-Service. Your degree status should read “Awarded” instead of “Applied” before you order the transcript.
  2. Create an account at https://vo.licensure.ncpublicschools.gov/.
  3. Select the “I completed a NC teacher ed program” application type.
  4. Complete the Introduction, Name/Personal Details, Contact Information, Ethnicity and Race, Work Authorization, and Statement of Applicant sections. If you answer yes on either question in the Statement of Applicant section, you must provide official court documents later in the Application Attachment section.
  5. In the Education section, undergraduate candidates should list UNC Charlotte as their institution and select the appropriate major. The education level is “bachelor’s degree,” and the degree conferment date can be found at the top of their advising transcript in Banner Self-Service. Graduate Certificate in Teaching candidates should list the information relevant to their bachelor’s and, if applicable, graduate degrees. They may choose also to list their certificate from UNCC at the bachelor’s level, but this is not required. School Counseling completers should add all earned degrees.
  6. In the Licensure Area Verification section, undergraduate and Graduate Certificate in Teaching candidates should select:
    • Licensure Area Type: Teacher Areas; Counseling completers should select Student Services Areas
    • License Area: The license that corresponds with your program
    • Degree Level of Program: Bachelor’s Degree for undergraduates and Graduate Certificate in Teaching completers; Counseling completers should select 6th Year Advanced
    • Program Completion Date: The date listed at the top of your advising transcript in Banner Self-Service
    • Country: United States (automatically selected)
    • State: NC – North Carolina (automatically selected)
    • Route to NC College or University for recommendation: Yes
    • NC Institution: UNC Charlotte
  7. In the Experience section, include only work experience in P-12 schools. It is not necessary to list your student teaching internship.
  8. The Affiliations section should be completed only if you are currently working in or have been hired by a school district.
  9. In the Application Attachment section, upload your official UNC Charlotte electronic transcript and choose “Transcript” as the Attachment Type. Court documents and experience forms (available at http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/licensure/forms/) can be uploaded here as well. There is no need to upload test scores that are on file at UNCC. TEAL will upload these before sending the application to NCDPI. Official copies of your test scores must also be sent to NCDPI directly from the testing vendor (Praxis/Pearson). This request should be made during the registration process for each assessment.
  10. Review your application in the Summary section and click Submit.
  11. Answer the attestation statement verifying that the information in your application is correct and click Next.
  12. Select Pay Now to pay your fee. You will no longer be able to edit your application once this step is complete!

Candidates Applying to Upgrade or Clear a License

(Candidates who completed an advanced degree in an existing licensure area and residency/lateral entry candidates who completed the Graduate Certificate in Teaching; Note: Graduates of Ph.D. programs at Charlotte are NOT eligible to upgrade existing areas of licensure because those programs are not licensure-approved. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership (Superintendency and Curriculum and Supervision concentrations) is the only doctoral-level licensure program at UNC Charlotte.)

  1. Order an official Charlotte electronic transcript that reflects an awarded certificate/degree. eTranscripts are available free of charge through Banner Self-Service and are generally delivered within minutes. To determine if your certificate/degree has been awarded, check the top of your advising transcript in Banner Self-Service. Your degree status should read “Awarded” instead of “Applied” before you order the transcript.
  2. Login to your account or create an account at https://vo.licensure.ncpublicschools.gov/.
  3. Select the “Upgrade or Clear License Area” application type.
  4. Complete the Introduction, Name/Personal Details, and Contact Information sections.
  5. In the License Area Verification section, select:
    • License Area: The license that corresponds with your program
    • Degree Level of Program: Master’s Degree or Doctorate for advanced degree completers; Bachelor’s Degree for Graduate Certificate in Teaching completers
    • Program Completion Date: The date listed at the top of your advising transcript in Banner Self-Service
    • Country: United States
    • State: NC – North Carolina
    • Route to NC College or University for recommendation: Yes
    • NC Institution: UNC Charlotte
  6. In the Education section, advanced degree completers should list UNC Charlotte as their institution and select the appropriate major and education level. The degree conferment date can be found at the top of their advising transcript in Banner Self-Service. Graduate Certificate in Teaching candidates should list the information relevant to their bachelor’s and, if applicable, graduate degrees. They may choose also to list their certificate from UNCC at the bachelor’s level, but this is not required. Only education information not previously submitted to NCDPI should be included.
  7. Complete the Statement of Applicant section. If you answer yes on either question in the Statement of Applicant section and have not already submitted an explanation and accompanying documents to NCDPI, you must provide official court documents later in the Application Attachment section.
  8. In the Application Attachment section, upload your official UNC Charlotte electronic transcript and choose “Transcript” as the Attachment Type. There is no need to upload test scores that are on file at UNCC. TEAL will upload these before sending the application to NCDPI. Official copies of your test scores must also be sent to NCDPI directly from the testing vendor (Praxis/Pearson). This request should be made during the registration process for each assessment.
  9. Review your application in the Summary section and click Submit.
  10. Answer the attestation statement verifying that the information in your application is correct and click Next.
  11. Select Pay Now to pay your fee. You will no longer be able to edit your application once this step is complete! If you are submitting more than one application, click Add to Cart. You will pay your total fee once all applications are submitted.

Candidates Applying to Add an Area by Program Completion

(All currently licensed candidates who completed a program in a new licensure area – e.g. AIG Grad Cert, Elementary Math Grad Cert, M.S.A., M.A. in Counseling, M.Ed./Grad Cert in LDT – School Specialist*)

  1. Order an official Charlotte electronic transcript that reflects an awarded certificate/degree. eTranscripts are available free of charge through Banner Self-Service and are generally delivered within minutes. To determine if your certificate/degree has been awarded, check the top of your advising transcript in Banner Self-Service. Your degree status should read “Awarded” instead of “Applied” before you order the transcript.
  2. Login to your account or create an account at https://vo.licensure.ncpublicschools.gov/.
  3. Select the “Add Area by Program Completion” application type.
  4. Complete the Introduction, Name/Personal Details, and Contact Information sections.
  5. In the Education section, advanced degree completers should list UNC Charlotte as their institution and select the appropriate major and education level. The degree conferment date can be found at the top of their advising transcript in Banner Self-Service. Graduate certificate candidates should list the information relevant to their bachelor’s and, if applicable, graduate degrees. They may choose also to list their certificate from UNCC at the bachelor’s level, but this is not required. Only education information not previously submitted to NCDPI should be included.
  6. In the License Area Verification section, select:
    • Licensure Area Type: M.S.A. and LDT M.Ed. completers should select Administrative Areas; School Counseling completers should select Student Services Areas; all other completers should select Teaching Areas
    • License Area: The license that corresponds with your program
    • Degree Level of Program: Degree Level of Program: Master’s Degree or Doctorate (Ed.D. Superintendency or Curriculum and Supervision concentrations only) for advanced degree completers except Counseling; 6th Year Advanced for all School Counseling completers; Bachelor’s Degree for graduate certificate completers except PCER and Counseling; Master’s Degree for PCER completers; Principal Level for MSA and Post-Master’s Cert in MSA completers.
    • Program Completion Date: The date listed at the top of your advising transcript in Banner Self-Service
    • Country: United States
    • State: NC – North Carolina
    • Route to NC College or University for recommendation: Yes
    • NC Institution: UNC Charlotte
  7. In the Application Attachment section, upload your official UNC Charlotte electronic transcript and choose “Transcript” as the Attachment Type. There is no need to upload test scores that are on file at UNCC. TEAL will upload these before sending the application to NCDPI. Official copies of your test scores must also be sent to NCDPI directly from the testing vendor (Praxis/Pearson). This request should be made during the registration process for each assessment.
  8. Complete the Statement of Applicant section. If you answer yes on either question in the Statement of Applicant section and have not already submitted an explanation and accompanying documents to NCDPI, you must provide official court documents later in the Application Attachment section.
  9. Review your application in the Summary section and click Submit.
  10. Answer the attestation statement verifying that the information in your application is correct and click Next.
  11. Select Pay Now to pay your fee. You will no longer be able to edit your application once this step is complete! If you are submitting more than one application, click Add to Cart. You will pay your total fee once all applications are submitted.

*Note: Only the School Specialist concentration in the LDT M.Ed. or graduate certificate leads to licensure. M.Ed. completers are eligible for an Instructional Technology Specialist – Computers (077) license at the master’s level. Graduate certificate completers who earn 18 EIST credit hours prior to graduation are eligible for a Computer Education Endorsement (079) at the bachelor’s level. Certificate completers who graduate with only 15 hours are not eligible to be recommended for a Computer Education Endorsement by UNC Charlotte.