Alternative Teaching Certification in Kansas
Kansas offers alternative certification through the Restricted Teaching License Alternative Pathway, designed for career changers who already hold a bachelor’s degree outside education. Candidates need a 2.75 GPA in their last 60 credit hours, a passing score on the relevant Praxis Subject Assessment, and enrollment in an approved alternative route program. The Kansas State Department of Education oversees the pathway.
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A bachelor’s degree in biology, business, or history doesn’t automatically qualify you to teach in Kansas, but it doesn’t disqualify you either. The Kansas State Department of Education runs the Restricted Teaching License Alternative Pathway specifically for people who already have a degree in something other than education and want to make the switch. It lets you start teaching under a restricted license while you finish the coursework a traditional route would have required upfront.
Interested in learning about the traditional approach? Contact schools offering teaching certification programs in Kansas.
Restricted Teaching License Requirements
Education Requirements
You’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, with a GPA of 2.75 or higher across your last 60 semester credit hours. Kansas requires this minimum for the Restricted Teaching License pathway; individual educator preparation programs may impose additional admission requirements on top of it. Your degree or coursework also has to line up with the content area you plan to teach, so not just any bachelor’s degree will clear this bar. Once you’ve confirmed you meet these requirements along with the exam and clinical experience requirements below, the next step is contacting a Kansas institution that runs an approved alternative route program, with full program details available on the KSDE Educator Preparation page.
Licensure Exam Requirements
Kansas currently requires the applicable Praxis Subject Assessment for your content area, subject to KSDE testing policies, rather than a single generic exam covering every subject. For eligible Career and Technical Education licensure areas where no corresponding Praxis assessment exists, Kansas accepts a recognized industry certification exam instead.
Clinical Experience
The approved alternative route program and employing district include supervised clinical or practical experience as part of the pathway, guided jointly by the institution and the school district where you’ll work, rather than as a separate hurdle you clear before enrolling. The Kansas Teaching Jobs website is a good place to start if you’re looking for an opening in a Kansas school district. Once you’ve secured a position and enrolled in an alternative route program, you can apply for a Restricted Teaching License, which lets you teach full-time while completing the remaining coursework and clinical experience toward full licensure. Each year, your school submits a progress report to KSDE confirming you’re on track toward full licensure. Once you’ve completed the program requirements, moving to a Professional License follows the same process as any other Kansas educator.
Criminal History Background Check
Every first-time applicant for Kansas teaching licensure needs to clear a criminal history background check. Your college or university provides a fingerprint card, which you take to a local police station to have your prints taken and mail in following KSDE’s current submission instructions. KSDE won’t issue a license until the background check clears, so it’s worth starting this step early rather than waiting until the rest of your paperwork is ready.
Where to Get Current Program Information
The KSDE Educator Preparation page keeps the most current list of program contacts, required forms, and application steps for the Restricted Teaching License Alternative Pathway. Because staff contacts and phone numbers change, that page is a more reliable stop than any single named contact for the latest guidance.
Other Ways to Enter Teaching in Kansas
The Restricted Teaching License Alternative Pathway isn’t the only nontraditional route into a Kansas classroom. Career and technical education professionals with occupational experience in their field may qualify for a Restricted CTE Certificate instead, a separate license built around industry work history rather than a content-area bachelor’s degree. Several Kansas universities also run structured alternative programs, including Wichita State’s Transition to Teaching cohort and Kansas State’s Master of Arts in Teaching paired with a Limited Elementary Residency license, both of which let candidates teach while finishing a degree program. Heritage language speakers with a bachelor’s degree can also use the Restricted Teaching License to teach their native language, even without formal coursework in that content area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an education degree to qualify for alternative certification in Kansas?
No. The Restricted Teaching License Alternative Pathway is built for people with a bachelor’s degree in another field, as long as that degree or coursework lines up with the content area you want to teach. You’ll still need to pass the relevant Praxis Subject Assessment and complete an approved alternative route program.
Can I teach elementary school through this pathway?
The Restricted Teaching License Alternative Pathway is generally aimed at secondary content areas. If you’re set on elementary education instead, Kansas State’s Master of Arts in Teaching paired with a Limited Elementary Residency license is built specifically for that grade band.
What GPA do I need for Kansas alternative certification?
You’ll need a GPA of at least 2.75 across your last 60 semester credit hours. That’s separate from your overall college GPA, so a stronger recent academic record can still qualify you even if your early transcript was uneven.
Which exam do alternative certification candidates in Kansas take?
Kansas currently requires the Praxis Subject Assessment that matches your content area, subject to KSDE testing policies. Candidates in eligible Career and Technical Education licensure areas without a matching Praxis test can substitute a recognized industry certification exam instead.
Do I need a job offer before I can start the alternative certification process?
You’ll need to secure a teaching position in a Kansas school district before applying for the Restricted Teaching License, since the license lets you teach full-time while finishing your coursework. The Kansas Teaching Jobs website is a useful starting point for that search.
- No education degree required — the Restricted Teaching License Alternative Pathway accepts any bachelor’s degree, as long as it lines up with your teaching content area.
- GPA and Praxis both matter — a 2.75 GPA in your last 60 credit hours and a passing Praxis Subject Assessment score are both required before you can apply.
- You can teach while you finish requirements — the Restricted Teaching License lets you work full-time in a classroom while completing your remaining coursework.
- It’s not the only alternative route — the Restricted CTE Certificate and university-based programs like Wichita State’s Transition to Teaching cohort serve different candidates.
- KSDE runs a background check before licensing — a cleared fingerprint-based background check is required before any license is issued.
Find accredited teacher certification programs in Kansas, including alternative route options and application requirements for your certification path.
