General Information

• Consult with your advisor before deciding to pursue endorsement programs; generally, we encourage MAT students to focus on their current program and finishing licensure before pursuing additional endorsements. 

• When you have decided to pursue an endorsement, you must apply for the non-degree endorsement program, which you can do here: https://nl.edu/apply-now/. 

• You also must fill out this limitation form: https://nl.edu/admissions/forms/nce-nds-licensure-limitation-form/

Frequently Asked Questions 

• Can I take endorsement coursework without having my Professional Educator's License (PEL)? 

  • • Yes, you do not need to have your PEL in order to do endorsement coursework, however the endorsement will only be valid if you have a license that it can be applied to. For example, if you seek an LBS1 endorsement, your endorsement won't be applied until you have your PEL. But you can take LBS1 coursework while you are also completing MAT coursework. 

• Can I use financial aid for endorsement coursework? 

  • • Please contact the office of student finance to check your eligibility to use loans toward courses. Aid is frequently able to be applied to endorsement coursework, however, financial aid can only be used for 1 program per term. If you take an MAT course and an endorsement course in the same term, only one of them will be aid-eligible. Contact your advisor to discuss a degree plan that will work for you to work endorsement coursework into your plan. 

• Will any of the courses I take as part of my MAT program count toward my endorsement? 

  • • It depends on the endorsement, so please contact your advisor.

• What endorsement programs does NLU offer? 

  • For a complete list of NLU endorsement program offerings, please view this page: https://nl.smartcatalogiq.com/current/undergraduate-and-graduate-catalog/national-college-of-education/non-degree-endorsement-offerings/. 

• How can I expand the grade range of my PEL? 

  • For subsequent teaching endorsements (i.e. Elementary Education), your transcripts will need to be evaluated, and that will determine how many additional courses you will need, if any. You will also need to take the content test of the endorsement area you're seeking. 

  •  For Special PK-12 Endorsements (i.e. Visual Arts, Physical Education, etc.), your transcripts will need to be evaluated as well. For a full list of endorsements, you can view this page: https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Subsequent-Teaching-Endorsements.aspx. 

• Will I need to take another content test?

  • Nearly all endorsement programs require a content test. If there is a content test requirement, it will be listed here:   https://nl.smartcatalogiq.com/current/undergraduate-and-graduate-catalog/national-college-of-education/non-degree-endorsement-offerings/.  Approvals (i.e. Early Childhood Special Education Approval) may not require a content test. 

• What is the difference between the LBS1 and the Early Childhood Special Education Approval? 

  • The main difference is in which ages you can work with.

  • The Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS1) endorsement licenses you to teach Special Education in grades K-22. You can learn more here: https://nl.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/undergraduate-and-graduate-catalog/national-college-of-education/non-degree-endorsement-offerings/learning-behavior-specialist-i-lbs-i-endorsement/

  • The Early Childhood Special Education Approval allows you to work with and teach Special Education students ages birth-PreK. You can learn more here: https://nl.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/undergraduate-and-graduate-catalog/concentrations/curriculum-and-instruction-with-advanced-professional-specializations-concentrations/early-childhood-special-education/

• What is the difference between the ESL and Bilingual Endorsement?

  • The main difference is in whether you can teach dual language courses. If you are fluent in another language, you can take the Target Language Proficiency (TLP) exam, and this will certify you to do Bilingual education. Otherwise, you can get your ESL endorsement which will train you in working with English Language Learners. Coursework for the 2 endorsements overlaps, so the main difference is if the candidate is fluid in another language. For more details, please see this page: https://nl.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/undergraduate-and-graduate-catalog/concentrations/curriculum-and-instruction-with-advanced-professional-specializations-concentrations/esl-bilingual-education/.