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Prerequisite Coursework in Nebraska
All states require at least a bachelor’s degree to teach. Nebraska also requires that you meet the qualifications for at least one endorsement to teach a particular subject and/or at a particular grade level. Each endorsement has specific coursework requirements. Nebraska also requires you to complete training in human relations and special education. Endorsement requirements include:
- Elementary Education:
- A minimum of 40 semester hours of professional education coursework, including courses in child development, elementary curriculum, instructional strategies, classroom management, cross-cultural communication skills, education history, and the social and cultural factors that impact education
- 30 semester hours of academic coursework distributed across the four curriculum areas of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies/history, including at least 6 hours in each of the four areas
- Courses in fine arts and humanities, and health and wellness
- Middle Level Education (Grades 5–-9):
- 36 semester hours, of which 12 semester hours shall be in professional education courses, not including clinical experience, related to middle level education, and a minimum of 24 semester hours in one core academic area
- Music (Grades K–12):
- A minimum of 54 semester hours in theory, composition, arranging, improvisation, music history, applied music, ensemble performance, conducting, pedagogy, and technology
- Secondary English (Grades 7–12):
- A minimum of 36 semester hours of content and pedagogical content coursework in reading/literacy skills and strategies, writing, language, and literature
- Secondary History (Grades 7–12):
- A minimum of 36 semester hours including 30 semester hours in history and a minimum of 6 semester hours in one or more of the other social sciences areas (Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, and/or either Anthropology or Sociology)
- Secondary Mathematics (Grades 6–12):
- A minimum of 36 semester hours of mathematics
- Secondary Biology (Grades 7–12):
- A minimum of 36 semester hours of laboratory based courses in the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, and physics), of which 24 semester hours must be in biology and a minimum of 12 semester hours of laboratory based courses among the remaining three natural sciences areas.
More information can be found in The Regulations for Certificate Endorsements.
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Nebraska Teacher Certification Programs
Teacher Certification Programs can be taken online or on-site. They typically include an educational theory and classroom skills seminar and a fieldwork component of student teaching in the area. A list of accredited teacher preparation programs in Nebraska can be found on the Nebraska Department of Education website.
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Required Tests for Nebraska
Most states require tests to show competency in basic skills as well as in the desired subject area. Nebraska uses the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (CORE) for basic skills and the Praxis II Content Area exams for subject area endorsement.
You can learn more about the Praxis exams by visiting Teach.coms’ Ultimate Guide to the Praxis Exams and read more about teacher certification tests on Teach.com.
Initial Teaching Certifications
To earn your Nebraska teaching credential you will have to complete the appropriate amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. Nebraska issues an Initial Certificate, valid for five years, to new graduates of teacher preparation programs; a Standard Certificate, also valid for five years, which can be attained once a teacher has completed two consecutive years of full- or half-time teaching; and a Professional Certificate, valid for ten years, for teachers who have completed a master’s degree.
Visit the Nebraska Department of Education website to learn more about earning your Nebraska teaching credential or learn more about getting your teaching credential on Teach.com.
