Developed in collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) through the Cultivating Carolina Classrooms program, the EPP certificate offers a streamlined pathway to elementary education licensure:

• The Program Planning Guide outlines the courses required for Elementary Licensure.
• Participants must be employed as a full-time classroom teacher in a North Carolina public school.
• Participants can complete the six required courses in as little as 18 months. 
• All courses are offered online, and there is no additional cost for course materials.
• Faculty are licensed teachers with extensive experience in elementary school environments and have been trained in the science of reading.
• Assignments are coordinated with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and are grade-specific, so instruction can be tailored to the needs of each participant.
• The estimated cost of the program is less than $2,500.

Eligibility requirements

• A U.S. citizen or eligible for employment
• Earned a bachelor's degree with a 2.7 GPA or higher. The degree must meet the 24 hours of general education required by DPI. Provisional admission may be granted with additional coursework for those whose GPA was less than 2.7.
• Letter of employment or promised placement from a local educational agency (LEA) or public school unit (PSU) in North Carolina
• Completed professional development training required by the LEA or PSU

To remain eligible once admitted to the program, individuals must remain employed as a lead teacher in a DPI-approved LEA, earn a grade of "C" or higher on all courses and maintain a GPA of 2.7 or higher.

Before applying for licensure, participants also must submit a portfolio of work for approval and pass standardized tests.

International students

Those who studied at a college or university outside the United States and earned a bachelor's degree or its equivalent, must order a "course by course" or "detailed" evaluation from a company that evaluates international credentials.

Wake Tech accepts international transcript evaluations from any company that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. The college does not have a preferred company for evaluation, but these two evaluators offer discounted rates for Wake Tech students:

• International Education Evaluations – Order the Education Course Report at myiee.org/university/wake-tech-community-college.
   
• TEC: The Evaluation Company – Order the Course Analysis with the 10-business days turnaround time at spanside.my.salesforce-sites.com/SpantranApplication?Id=1762495c-6224-4a2a-8808-f42a6210c825.

Submit your official transcript with the course-by-course evaluation to Wake Tech's Admissions Office. If your official transcript is not in English, it must be accompanied by a certified translation. Once the enrollment process is complete, all documents are scanned into your record and sent to Registration & Records for a transfer credit evaluation.

Email [email protected] with any transfer credit questions.

Application process

1. Complete the North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS) form to find out if you qualify for in-state tuition. You need your Social Security number and driver's license number.
2. Go to Common App to begin the Wake Tech application for admission.
3. Select "Education" as the career field.
4. Select "Elementary Education Residency Licensure Certificate" as the program of study.
5. Complete and submit the application.

NOTE: After submitting the application, monitor your personal email account for next steps and registration details.

For more information, contact K-12 Education Director Ileetha Groom at [email protected] or 919-866-5433

Frequently asked questions