Initial Teacher Licensure

ITL Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate Program

The Initial Teacher Licensure (ITL) Graduate Program is a one-year intensive program designed for individuals who desire to pursue teaching and have a bachelor's degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university. This program develops expertise in educational best practices, state content standards and knowledge of pedagogy through intensive coursework and field experience to meet Colorado licensure requirements.

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Leads to Licensure

⇒A bachelor's degree and a transcript evaluation are required prior to admission.*

⇒This program is available for elementary, physical education, and secondary licensure.** Secondary licensure is offered in English, Math, Science, Social Studies or Spanish.

⇒1-Year Licensure Program: students start in late May and apply for licensure in May of the following year.

⇒The ITL program may be delivered to students anywhere in the 14-county region served by Colorado Mesa University. The Elementary licensure program is offered primarily online.

^{*A transcript evaluation is required prior to admission to determine if students may have content-leveling courses or testing to complete prior to full acceptance to the ITL program.}

^{**The CMU ITL program is NOT an alternative licensure program. For information on alternative licensure in Colorado, see http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeprof/altteacheroverview.}

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Intensive Summer Session Leads to Intensive Two-Semester Field Placement

⇒The intensive cohort begins each year in May and runs for 12 months. Students begin with 2 online courses and 1 on-campus course during the summer.***

⇒Fall and spring semesters are spent onsite at an elementary or a secondary school in the region. During this time, students also participate in coursework, seminars and colloquia. Fall and spring coursework for the Elementary program is offered entirely online. Secondary and K12 PE programs complete courses online and on campus and online. An integral part of this program is a full, academic year of mentored, intensive classroom experience.

⇒The ITL program culminates in an internship experience where the ITL teacher candidate steps into the lead teaching role for 8 weeks of the spring semester.

^{***The ITL program ONLY offers summer admission; after May 15th, program admission is closed until January of the following year.}

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Graduate Certificate Basis for Master of Arts in Education

After obtaining licensure and the ITL Graduate Certificate, ITL students may pursue the additional graduate requirements needed to complete the Master of Arts in Education degree.

⇒The additional 12 graduate credit hours required include four MAEd core graduate courses and an ITL content-specific capstone project.****

⇒The MA coursework is structured to work around a teacher's schedule and can be completed while being employed as a teacher.

⇒Admission to the ITL Master of Arts in Education program requires additional application steps after completion of the ITL Graduate Certificate.

^{****An extra summer and fall semester are required to complete the MA. See the ITL Field Resources Page for more information.}