NC Education Code · Regulation
Title 16 — root / Chapter 06 — 16 NCAC 06C .0302
Plain English summary
This regulation governs how the NC Department of Public Instruction computes and accepts academic credit for teacher licensure, renewal, and upgrading purposes. It establishes conversion rules between semester and quarter hours, limits on correspondence and extension credit, transfer requirements for credits earned at multiple institutions, and document retention policies. Credit computations and institutional accreditation requirements vary depending on the license level being sought.
Key requirements
- The department shall compute all credit for licensure, including residence, extension and correspondence credit, in semester hours.
- The department shall compute credit for re-licensing or renewal purposes in quarter hours. A quarter hour shall have the value of two-thirds of a semester hour.
- The department shall allow no more than six semester hours of correspondence credit per certificate action.
- For purposes of upgrading undergraduate licenses, a maximum of 10 of the 30 semester hours required for raising the license to the next higher level may be extension and correspondence credit.
- The IHE that has been approved under Rule .0202 of this Subchapter shall accept all credits applying to graduate licenses and licenses in the special services areas, including all licenses above the 'A' level.
- When a person earns credits in more than one IHE before obtaining a degree, the person shall transfer the credit to an IHE that has been approved under Rule .0202 of this Subchapter that the person has attended or expects to attend.
- The person must be enrolled in a teacher education curriculum at the IHE that has been approved under Rule .0202 of this Subchapter.
- A person may use credit used for renewal or reinstatement of a license of lower rank toward upgrading a license.
- The department shall retain all credits submitted to it.
- The department shall not return transcripts nor furnish certified copies of credits to applicants.
Affected parties
- Teacher license applicants
- Licensed teachers seeking renewal or upgrade
- Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)
- NC Department of Public Instruction
- Teachers seeking re-licensing or reinstatement