Endorsements

Initial Endorsement

The initial endorsement is a teaching field indicated on a Professional Educator License (PEL). The initial endorsement will be the major field of study in which one completes an approved program of which IWU has 8. The initial endorsement/PEL serves as a foundation to which any teaching endorsement can be added.  IWU has initial endorsements in Secondary Education for Biology, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Physics, & History.  IWU has initial endorsements in Elementary Education, World Languages Spanish, & Music.

*****Please note if transferring any courses that count for endorsements (initial and subsequent), the Assistant Director of Teacher Licensure will need official copies of all transcripts*****email bwells@iwu.edu

Grade Range Initial and Subsequent Endorsements

Subsequent Endorsements

Subsequent endorsements can only be added to an initial endorsement.  Subsequent content area endorsements can be added at any grade level even if the underlying teaching endorsement on the PEL is a different grade range.

In general, subsequent endorsements require:

• 18 semester hours / 4.5 IWU units of 100 or above (non-remedial) level with a grade of "C-" or higher in acceptable coursework from a regionally accredited college or university    ***Some endorsements require specific coursework defined by ISBE***
• A passing score on the appropriate ILTS Content Test

***The Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy or the Global Seal of Biliteracy (working or professional fluency) waives the World Language Content Test and/or Language Proficiency Tests for those seeking bilingual endorsements in the same language***

• World Languages must also pass an Oral Proficiency Interview at the Intermediate High level***

Science and Social Science Exception:

• Individuals who hold a PEL in any senior high science or social science may add additional senior high endorsements in the same subject (i.e., science or social science) by completing 12 semester hours of content specific coursework (grade of C- or better) OR by passing the applicable content area test.  For social science at IWU this means majoring/initial endorsement in History and then by completing 12 hours OR applicable content area test, one could teach Political Science, Geography, Economics, Psychology, or Anthropology/Sociology depending on the test or hours.  For science at IWU this means majoring/initial endorsement in Biology or Physics and then by completing 12 hours OR applicable content area test, one could teach Chemistry, Earth & Space, or Environmental depending on the test or hours.         

The IWU Assistant Director of Teacher Licensure can add subsequent endorsements to the initial PEL at the time of graduation.

If after graduation, there is a $50.00 fee for each endorsement.  Contact your local Regional Office of Education (ROE) at https://www.isbe.net/Pages/contact-licensure.aspx to add the endorsement and add the endorsement through your ELIS account.

Popular IWU Subsequent Endorsements

Middle Grade Endorsement (5-8)

Reading Teacher Endorsement (PK-12)

Physical Education, Business Marketing and Computer Education (BMC), Business Marketing Computer Programming (BMCP), Drama/Theatre Arts, Visual Arts, Health Education, Computer Science, World Language, Music, Dance

***Not all courses at IWU for Early Childhood Education (Birth - Grade 2) 

***Not all courses at IWU for English as a Second Language (ESL) and Bilingual Education