Alternative Teaching Certification in Arkansas
Arkansas’s main alternative route to teacher licensure is the Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway (ArPEP), formerly called APPEL and, before that, the Non-Traditional Licensure Program. Bachelor’s degree holders teach under a two-year provisional license while completing coursework, provided they meet GPA requirements, pass a Praxis subject assessment, and clear a background check. Arkansas also recognizes seven other alternative pathways.
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Arkansas’s alternative certification landscape looks different than it did a few years ago. The program most people mean when they say “Arkansas alternative certification” is now called the Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway (ArPEP), administered by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) within the Arkansas Department of Education. It replaced APPEL, which itself replaced the older Non-Traditional Licensure Program (NTLP). The name has changed twice, but the core idea hasn’t: if you already hold a bachelor’s degree in a subject other than education, you can become a licensed classroom teacher without going back for an education degree.
ArPEP isn’t the only option, either. DESE currently lists eight total pathways into an Arkansas teaching license for candidates who already hold a bachelor’s degree, and this guide walks through ArPEP in detail before covering the rest.
Interested in learning about the traditional approach? Contact schools offering teaching certification programs in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway (ArPEP)
ArPEP is a two-year, work-based alternative certification program that costs $1,500 per year. Candidates are hired as the teacher of record under a Provisional Arkansas Teaching License while they complete a three-week Summer Academy and ongoing coursework, then move to a Standard Arkansas Teaching License once the program is finished. ArPEP covers all grade levels and subject areas except special education and school counseling. Candidates targeting those two areas need a different pathway (see below).
Education Requirements
To enter ArPEP, you need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Standard admission requires a minimum GPA of 2.5 on your highest degree. DESE also offers a flexible-enrollment option for candidates who fall short of that: 18 credit hours in the specific content area you want to teach, combined with a 3.0 GPA in that coursework. If you’re aiming to teach in a specific licensure area, check DESE’s Alt Prep Routes Comparison, since coursework and testing requirements can differ by subject and grade band.
Examinations
ArPEP applicants must pass the Praxis Subject Assessment for the content area they intend to teach before their application is accepted. You’ll also submit your official undergraduate transcript directly to DESE as part of the application. Because passing scores and available tests vary by subject, confirm the specific Praxis test and cut score for your licensure area on DESE’s ArPEP program page before registering.
Experience
You don’t need prior classroom experience to apply to ArPEP, but you do need a job offer. ArPEP doesn’t assist with job placement, so candidates secure their own teaching position through a district application and interview process, the same way any other teaching candidate would, and must have that position secured by October 1 of their first program year. Once you’re hired, the district’s site facilitator processes your ArPEP application, and you’re assigned a mentor for support during your two years in the program. You can find open teaching positions through local school district websites or the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators site.
Criminal History Background Check
Every ArPEP candidate must clear a background check before receiving a provisional license. This includes an FBI/Arkansas State Police criminal background check and a Department of Human Services Child Maltreatment Central Registry check. Background checks must be current within one year of your provisional license request. You start the process by completing the online consent form through DESE’s Arkansas Educator Licensure System (AELS), then visiting a regional co-op for fingerprinting.
Contact Information
For ArPEP-specific questions, contact DESE’s Recruitment and Retention Unit, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Four Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, at (501) 683-1224.
Other Alternative Routes to Arkansas Teacher Licensure
ArPEP gets the most attention, but it’s one of eight pathways DESE recognizes for candidates with a bachelor’s degree who want to become a teacher of record without a traditional education degree. Pay is set by the hiring district rather than the licensure pathway, so it’s worth comparing Arkansas teaching salaries and benefits before choosing a route. Depending on your subject, timeline, and budget, one of these may fit better:
- Teach for America (TFA): requires a bachelor’s degree and a passing Praxis Subject Assessment score, and places corps members as the teacher of record in Arkansas classrooms while they complete licensure requirements, with an emphasis on high-need schools and subjects.
- Arkansas Teacher Corps (ATC): a state-based program modeled on Teach for America, requiring a bachelor’s degree with a 2.75 GPA or higher and an intensive summer training institute before placing candidates in high-need Arkansas districts for a three-year commitment.
- iTeach: a self-paced, online educator preparation program that can get candidates into a paid, full-time teaching residency in as little as eight weeks while they finish coursework.
- MathTrack Institute: an alternative route focused specifically on preparing secondary math teachers.
- Highly Qualified Professor (HQP): for university or college professors and instructors, not career changers generally. Requires a master’s degree or higher and at least three years of college-level teaching experience in the licensure content area, with no entry exam required.
- Provisional Professional Teaching License (PPTL): requires a bachelor’s degree and three years of professional experience in the specific content area, plus a passing Praxis Subject Assessment score. No pre-service coursework and no program cost, unlike ArPEP.
- Master’s degree leading to a first-time license (MAT, M.Ed., or MTLL): offered through specific Arkansas colleges and universities, this route combines a graduate degree with initial teacher licensure. Some programs let you teach while you finish the coursework.
DESE’s Pathways to Licensure page lists current contacts and institution-specific details for each of these routes, since providers and program availability can change from year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Non-Traditional Licensure Program (NTLP) still active in Arkansas?
Not under that name. The program formerly called NTLP became APPEL and is now called the Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway (ArPEP). The underlying idea, a two-year work-based route to a Standard Arkansas Teaching License, is the same, but the application process and requirements are managed under the ArPEP name.
What if I want to teach special education or become a school counselor through an alternative route?
ArPEP doesn’t cover special education or school counseling licensure. Candidates targeting those fields should look at the master’s degree route or contact DESE’s Office of Educator Effectiveness and Licensure to confirm which alternative pathway applies.
Do I need a teaching job before I apply to ArPEP?
Yes. ArPEP candidates secure their own teaching position through a district application and interview process before their ArPEP application can move forward. The hiring district’s site facilitator then processes the ArPEP paperwork on your behalf.
Can out-of-state teachers use Arkansas’s alternative certification routes?
Yes, out-of-state candidates can apply to ArPEP and Arkansas’s other alternative pathways as long as they meet the same bachelor’s degree, GPA, and testing requirements as in-state applicants. If you already hold a valid teaching license from another state, Arkansas’s teacher reciprocity agreements may be a faster option than starting an alternative route from scratch.
How is ArPEP different from a traditional teacher preparation program?
Traditional programs require a bachelor’s degree in education and student teaching before you’re licensed. ArPEP lets you hold a bachelor’s degree in any subject, get hired as the teacher of record, and complete your training requirements while you’re already working in the classroom under a provisional license.
- ArPEP is the current name for Arkansas’s main alternative route — it replaced APPEL, which replaced the Non-Traditional Licensure Program (NTLP).
- Entry requires a 2.5 GPA, or 18 content-area credit hours with a 3.0 GPA — DESE’s flexible-enrollment option gives candidates a second path in if their overall GPA falls short.
- You need a teaching job before you can finish your ArPEP application — the hiring district’s site facilitator processes your paperwork once you’re hired.
- ArPEP isn’t the only option — Teach for America, Arkansas Teacher Corps, iTeach, MathTrack Institute, HQP, PPTL, and the master’s degree route are all recognized alternatives.
- Some licensure areas fall outside ArPEP — special education and school counseling candidates need a different pathway.
Find accredited teacher certification programs in Arkansas, including alternative and traditional paths to licensure for your subject area.
