Elementary Education License: Transition to Teaching Program

To be eligible to participate in a Transition to Teaching program in elementary education within the state of Indiana, applicants must meet one of the three conditions:

• Bachelor’s degree with cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale from an accredited postsecondary educational institution
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited postsecondary educational institution with a GPA of at least 2.5 AND provide evidence of 5 years RELEVANT professional experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution AND pass the following Indiana state required content exams: (Elementary Generalist STEM subtest 5008 and Elementary Generalist Humanities subtest 5007).

If you are eligible under condition #1 (you have a bachelor’s degree and your GPA is 3.0 or higher), submit your transcripts to Grace College.

If you are eligible under condition #2 (you have a bachelor’s degree and your GPA is between 2.5 to 2.9 on a 4.0 scale, AND you have worked in a related field/education for at least five years, submit your transcripts to Grace College and a letter of reference from your employer providing the following details (your role, number of years you were in that role, how it is relevant to teaching).

If you do not have/did not have a supervisor to provide a reference for this experience (i.e., self-employed, unattainable contact information) submit a letter/email from yourself along with employment evidence to Grace College admissions. In the letter/email provide the following information: 1) your name and contact information along with your professional experience (where you worked- name of the employer, address, any contact information), 2) years you worked at this location/employer, 3) your role (what you did relevant to teaching), 4) evidence of your employment or self-employment in this role (i.e., tax documents, pay receipts/stubs, etc.). The Director of Alternative Programming & Partnerships at Grace College will evaluate your professional experience as it relates to the elementary education licensure requirements in consideration of your eligibility. You will be contacted for further information and if additional verification is required.

If you are eligible under condition #3 (you have a bachelor’s degree) then you will need to complete and pass the following assessment Elementary Education Assessment 5006 with two content area sub-assessments:  (Elementary Generalist STEM subtest 5008 [passing score is 158] and Elementary Generalist Humanities subtest 5007 [passing score is 160]).

These exams are offered by Praxis. Information on when, where, and the costs for these exams is available here: https://www.ets.org/praxis/site/test-takers/where-to-test.html

https://www.ets.org/praxis/site/test-takers/resources/prep-materials.html?examId=5006

https://www.ets.org/praxis/site/test-takers/resources/strategies-tips.html

http://www.240tutoring.com/

If you have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary institution we can consider your GPA and how you might qualify for admittance to the Grace Transition to Teaching program based on the following Indiana state requirements for acceptance:

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary educational institution with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale; or
• Both a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary educational institution with a grade point average of at least 2.50 on a 4.0 point scale, and five (5) years of professional experience; or
• Both a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary educational institution, and proof of passing state approved content area examination(s) in the subject area.

Students are responsible for getting their own textbooks.

Elementary Program Textbook List and Links

Secondary Program Textbook List and Links

By clicking on the book link, you will be directed to where the book is sold on Amazon.com. You are free to purchase the book from your preferred seller. Used books are acceptable as long as it is the same edition as the listed book.

The courses are graduate-level and require dedicated time and effort to learn the material and complete the required assignments. On average, it is suggested a student will spend 3 hours of work time for every one hour of course credit. The Transition to Teaching courses are worth 3 credit hours each, meaning time spent can be calculated by multiplying 3 credit hours by 3 hours of work equaling 9 hours per week. For an 8 week course, the average time needed to complete the course is 72 hours total. 

The Office of Student Financial Aid Services is responsible for giving financial aid information to students, as well as administering all the financial aid programs at Grace. If you have any questions about scholarships, grants or loans, the financial aid staff would be happy to assist you. You can reach out to them at financialaid@grace.edu or (800) 544-7223, ext. 6162. 

For more information, go to the Grace College Financial Aid and Scholarship website.

For a potential scholarship opportunity for Indiana residents, contact Courtney Thrasher at thrashce@grace.edu.

For a general graduate scholarship search, go here.

Yes, there is a student teaching as a culminating experience to end the program. This is an in person teaching experience that also includes an online seminar component as a well as a Teacher Work Sample project. During student teaching, the candidate is supported by a college supervisor and classroom supervisor.

No formal field experience is required. Some of our courses do require you to teach or interact with a child or small group, but you are able to do this around your schedule. Each assignment requiring the candidate to teach or interact with children includes an option for those already in a school setting and those who are not in a school setting. We want our program to be as accessible as possible for those outside of the traditional education field.

Yes, all candidates must pass content and pedagogy tests through practice before receiving licensure from the Indiana Department of Education.

Elementary education licensure requires taking and passing 5622 Principles of Teaching and Learning and 5006 Elementary Education Assessment. The Elementary Education Assessment consists of two subtests: 5007 Elementary Education: Reading and Language Arts & Social Studies and Elementary Education: Mathematics and Science subtest. Beginning July 1, 2025, 5205 Teaching Reading: Elementary is also required for licensure.

Yes, many states have reciprocity agreements which ease the transfer of an Indiana state teaching license to another state. Some states only allow for a temporary teaching license while the out-of-state licensed teacher completes an application and additional state specific requirements for a license in that state. Contact Florell Hand at handfa@grace.edu with any questions about licensing.