Please visit this Support Center article for the most up-to-date information regarding Relay Chicago’s COVID-19 response for prospective students, including impacts on the licensure process. You can reach out to support@relay.edu with any questions or needs.
Relay Chicago offers an IL teaching licensure track for all graduate students who meet the state eligibility requirements upon enrolling at Relay. Graduate students who meet the IL state eligibility requirements for licensure will receive an Educator License with Stipulations (ELS) at the beginning of the program and a Professional Educator License (PEL) upon graduating.
Licensure Requirements:
- Cannot already hold an IL teaching license (para or sub licenses are ok)
- Hold Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher on a scale of 4.0. Cumulative undergraduate GPA includes all undergraduate coursework that contributed to a degree conferred, including transfer coursework. Cumulative GPA is calculated using a weighted average
- Meet minimum credit requirements for the particular licensure area (see Table below)
- Pass all required ILTS exams; June 22, 2022 for TFA and July 6, 2022 for all other candidates
- Secure a classroom teacher position at a school in Illinois aligned with licensure area and grade level
These regulations are requirements of the Illinois State Board of Education for alternative licensure candidates and Relay does not have flexibility. Relay does a thorough review of transcripts during the application review process.
Please note: Relay will accept CLEP exams. The College Board offers CLEP exams (appx. 34) as an opportunity to earn college credit(s) for a specific course by taking an exam. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) allows Relay to accept CLEP exams to meet the minimum credit requirements for a particular subject area. See here for the list of exams and more information. Relay will grant the American Council on Education (ACE)’s recommendation for credits for each exam; the number of credits can be found for about halfway down the exam information page. You will need to send an official CLEP transcript to Relay (Test Center Code 5758).
Completing CLEP exams provides a cost-effective way ($89 per exam) to meet minimum credit requirements. Please note, you will not receive credit for a CLEP exam if you have previously taken that course at a prior institution.
|
Licensure Area |
Credit Requirements Upon Entry |
|
Secondary ELA (9-12) |
A major in English; OR A major in an English-related subject; OR 20 credit hours of English-related coursework |
|
Secondary Mathematics (9-12) |
A major in mathematics; OR A major in a mathematics-related subject; OR 20 credit hours of mathematics-related coursework |
|
Secondary Science - Chemistry (9-12) |
A major in chemistry; OR A major in a chemistry-related subject; OR 20 credit hours in science including at least 12 chemistry or chemistry-related credit hours |
|
Secondary Science - Biology (9-12) |
A major in biology; OR A major in a biology-related subject; OR 20 credit hours in science including at least 12 biology or biology-related credit hours |
|
Secondary Social Science - History (9-12) |
A major in history; OR 20 credit hours in a social science including at least 12 history-specific credit hours |
|
Middle Grades Language Arts (5-8) |
A major in English; OR A major in an English-related subject; OR 20 credit hours of English-related coursework |
| Middle Grades Mathematics (5-8) |
A major in mathematics; OR A major in a mathematics-related subject; OR 20 credit hours of mathematics-related coursework |
|
Middle Grades General Science (5-8) |
A major in a science-related subject; OR 20 credit hours of science-related coursework |
|
Middle Grades Social Science (5-8) |
A major in a social science; OR 20 credit hours of social science coursework |
|
Elementary Education (1-6) |
A major in mathematics or a mathematics-related subject; OR 32 credit hours of mathematics-related coursework; OR A major in English or an English-related subject; OR 32 credit hours of English-related coursework; OR A major in a science-related subject; OR 32 credit hours of science-related coursework; OR A major in a social science; OR 32 credit hours of social science coursework |
|
Special Education (K-Age 22) |
A major in mathematics or a mathematics-related subject; OR 32 credit hours of mathematics-related coursework; OR A major in English or an English-related subject; OR 32 credit hours of English-related coursework; OR A major in a science-related subject; OR 32 credit hours of science-related coursework; OR A major in a social science; OR 32 credit hours of social science coursework |
For additional details on earning licensure at Relay Chicago, please view the Illinois Teacher Certification/Licensure Guides.