CTE Instructors

General requirements for an Initial part-time credential (valid for 3 years) (part-time instructors have less than 450 student contact hours annually from July 1 to June 30 within Colorado) are as follows (subject to local institution of higher education teacher qualification processes and protocols):

1. Demonstrate adequate content knowledge by documenting an education adequate to carry out, under supervision, the objectives of the program. Applicant must at a minimum possess a high school diploma or GED.

2. Demonstrate adequate Occupational Experience by documenting verified, paid or unpaid occupational experience in the credential area within the last 7 years – except for applicants in the Health Sciences area.

Where experience must be 4,000 hours of paid experience within the past 5 years.

An applicant with a related bachelor’s degree or higher – 2,000 hours; an applicant with a related Associate’s degree or Industry license or certification – 4,000 hours. If an applicant does not meet all of the criteria but meets one of the following scenarios, they are still eligible for an initial credential with the noted additional renewal requirements:

Applicant has:

• Completed a related degree but has less than the required occupational hours.

• Requirement to be met by end of 3-year initial credential period: Applicant will need to complete missing occupational hours.

• Not completed a related degree but has at least 4,000 hours of verified occupational experience and a high school diploma or GED.

• Requirement to be met by end of 3-year initial credential period: Applicant will need to complete a related degree.

• No related degree but has a current state, national, industry, military, or union license or certification as appropriate for the skill/trade and has at least 4,000 hours of occupational experience* and a high school diploma or GED.

• Requirement to be met by end of 3-year initial credential period: No degree will be required in this case.

• Related degree, correct number of occupational hours but they are older than 5 or 7 years AND they have been teaching in the content area.

• Requirement to be met by end of 3-year initial credential period: Full time applicants – 3 years full time teaching can substitute for the recent occupational hours provided the hours can be documented at some point in the career. For part time applicants – 6 years part time teaching can substitute.