Undergraduate Programs
At NLU, we have a proud and renowned history of teacher preparation. We're glad you're joining us and below are some helpful links and tips to use from the beginning to the end of your studies.
Your most comprehensive source of information pertaining to educator preparation programs at NLU can be found in our Ed Prep Handbooks. The handbook pertaining to your chosen major can be found by clicking on your program/major listed below:
- Early Childhood Education
- CB-ECE-BA-Academic Handbook_Spring 2024
- Early Childhood and Elementary Education
- Elementary Education
- Infant Toddler Studies
- Applied Educational Studies
- Secondary English Education
- Secondary Mathematics Education
For information regarding Field Experience Requirements, please click on the handbook linked below:
For information regarding Field Experience Requirements, please click on the handbook linked below:
If you are in the Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Early Childhood and Elementary Education, or Secondary Education programs, you are working toward the Professional Educator License (PEL) in the state of Illinois.
The Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS)
ELIS is the system that the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) uses to house all information pertaining to educator licensure in Illinois. The ELIS account is required for each educator in the state and should be created as early as your first quarter at NLU.
Admission to the Licensure Program
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requires that each institution of higher education (IHE) determine a set of requirements in order for a student to be admitted to the Licensure Program at their institution. This is different from acceptance/admission to the university. Four specific benchmarks have been identified to determine eligibility of students to proceed through the program.
Issuance of the Professional Educator License
Licenses are issued by a process known as entitlement. This means that NLU will move your Professional Educator License status from Pre-Completion to Completed Program in your ELIS account. Students should not apply directly with the state for the license. This will prevent NLU from being able to entitle the license and will delay the issuance of the license.
During the last quarter of your program, you will be sent instructions for applying for entitlement through NLU. Information regarding this can be found here: https://www.nl.edu/licensure/ and specific instructions and the application can be found here: https://www.nl.edu/licensure/instructions/. Please note that this application should not be completed until the last term of the student’s program.
Students often wonder how long it will take to be entitled for the license once the last quarter of the program is complete. Unfortunately, this can take some time as there are many factors that determine eligibility for the license. Some of these factors are as follows:
- Final grades must be posted;
- The degree must be conferred;
- All tests/assessments must be passed and posted to the ELIS account including content test(s)
Once all requirements are met for licensure, NLU will be able to entitle the student for the license in their ELIS account. The student will then be sent additional information for applying for the license, paying appropriate fees, and registering the license in Illinois.
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requires teacher candidates to pass a content test in order to qualify for a Professional Education License (PEL). Students register for the test on the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) website. On this site, students can view free sample questions and for-purchase practice tests available for each content test. When you register for the test, select NLU as your university. After you take the test, you will receive preliminary results of Pass or Fail immediately. Your official score will be sent to you approximately two to four weeks after taking the test. If you need to retake the test, there is a 14-day waiting period before you can take it again.
The Educator Preparation Department provides students with multiple opportunities for exposure to and preparation for their respective content test(s). Students have found distributed practice to be the most effective form of test prep. Content test practice questions and resources are available to students within their courses.
In addition, NLU has two full-time Educator Preparation Academic Support Specialists who work with undergraduate students in the Ed Prep programs to prepare for content testing. Oana Manta and Cara Ruzila help students prepare for the ECE content test, the ELE content test, the LBSI content test, and the Target Language Proficiency exam in Spanish. Supports are provided in multiple formats: large group, small group, one-on-one, and self-paced work. Please also see UG Ed Prep’s Content Test FAQ.
The self-paced work is a free NLU Discover Course that consists of modules that include guided videos, slides, and practice questions. Instructions to access the Discover course can be found at this link.
