Non-Degree Endorsement Offerings

NLU offers coursework that may lead to endorsements on the Illinois Professional Educator License. These endorsements have additional requirements beyond coursework. Visit the Illinois State Board of Education for more details.

For more information on state licensure and certification information please visit NLU’s Public Disclosures page. 

Residency and Transfer Credit Policies

 Although additional requirements may apply, the following criteria must be met for transfer credit toward a non-degree endorsement:

• The student must be admitted before submitting a request for transfer credit
• Credit must be from an accredited school
• The student must have received a grade of "C" or better in the course. If the student has received any type of grade other than a traditional letter grade, a letter is required from the Registrar of the institution where the course was taken verifying that the grade is equivalent to at least a “C” (2.0 on a scale of 4.0)
• Continuing Education/Professional Development courses may be accepted
• The residency requirement and number of credit hours that may be transferred is determined as follows:
  • Subsequent Teaching Endorsement programs (a grade band added to an initial teaching PEL):
    
    • Early Childhood and Elementary Education: require 6 semester hours that must be completed at NLU (including previously completed NLU courses)
    • Middle Grades and Secondary Education: require 3 semester hours that must be completed at NLU
  • Additional Teaching Endorsements/Approvals (added to an existing teaching PEL):
    • Programs that require 12 semester hours or more, a maximum of 6 semester hours can be transferred and the remaining hours (min 6 semester hours) must be completed at NLU
    • Programs that require 6 to 11 semester hours, a minimum of 6 semester hours must be completed at NLU
    • Programs that require fewer than 6 semester hours, all hours must be completed at NLU
• Transfer credit from institutions outside the United States must be submitted to an approved outside agency for evaluation. These agencies translate and interpret the transcript according to American university standards. The official foreign transcript evaluation must be submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records for processing.

Note: Transfer of credit must be approved by Office of the Registrar and the program director or faculty. For transfer credit to be considered, a student must contact his or her academic advisor and submit a completed Student Adjustment Form (signed by the appropriate faculty) to the Registrar's Office. The Office of the Registrar must also have on file an official transcript reflecting the credit to be transferred.