PreK-12 and Secondary Transition to Teaching

PreK-12 and Secondary Transition to Teaching

The Restricted Teaching License Alternative Pathway is one of numerous routes to the classroom. Professionals outside the field of education who have a bachelor’s or master’s degree and are seeking a career change can begin serving as the teacher of record in a middle school, high school or elementary school (for PreK-12 subject areas) in Kansas right away.

Information about PreK-6 Elementary Education T2T

Am I Eligible?

Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Requirements

Qualifying for the T2T Program:

• Once qualified, you must be accepted to the Graduate School and obtain a KSDE Restricted Teaching License or a Limited Use License. See the Getting Started tab for the differences. The Graduate School's GPA requirement is 2.50 based on 60 hours of undergraduate coursework, if degree seeking. If non-degree seeking, the GPA is based on the master's transcript only OR the last 60 undergraduate hours.
• The program consists of education pedagogy coursework only; additional content coursework is not required.
• Heritage language speakers with a bachelor’s degree or higher can qualify for the restricted license to teach their native languages.

Available Teaching Areas

FHSU works with the licensure areas below in the Transition to Teaching program. If you hold a degree in that subject area, you may qualify for a Restricted License without taking the specific coursework listed. If you have an unrelated degree, your transcript will be evaluated to determine your eligibility for a Restricted License. Alternatively, you can apply for a Limited Use License and would not be required to take the coursework listed for the subject area.

To see what types of courses can be taught within a particular licensure area, go to the KSDE Current Licensed Personnel Guide.

• If you have a science degree and are looking to become a science teacher, compare the Science Teachers for Rural America (STRA) and T2T programs.
• If you live outside of Kansas or do not have current plans to obtain a job as a middle school or high school teacher, then the MSE-Secondary Education program may be the best option. Explore the program for more information.

* To qualify for a restricted school specialist license for Library Media Specialist or School Counselor, applicant must:

• hold a graduate degree in the area of counseling or library media,
• have at least 3 years of full-time professional counseling or librarian experience (after completion of the graduate degree),
• have a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA in graduate coursework,
• be hired as a Library Media Specialist or School Counselor with a school district

**All qualifying coursework available online

Plan of Study - Non-Degree and MSE Degree

The Transition to Teaching program through Fort Hays State University includes two options.

• First is the non-degree program. This program encompasses 24 credit hours over the course of 2 years and results in licensure.
• The second option is the same 24 credit hour program and includes 12 additional credit hours of graduate coursework leading to a Master of Science in Education degree. The four additional courses can be taken concurrently with the 24 credit hour program or after its completion.
• A listing of the T2T courses and master’s courses along with course descriptions

If you have any questions or would like additional information about the program, you may contact Rebekah Porter at 785-628-5498 or r_porter2@fhsu.edu.

For more information regarding licensure requirements, please see our Licensure Disclosure.