Alternative Teacher Certification in Indiana

Indiana alternative certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Indiana Department of Education — Office of Educator Licensing publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Hold a bachelor's degree and meet T2T admission criteria

   Transition to Teaching (T2T) programs serve bachelor's degree holders from regionally accredited institutions. Admission generally requires GPA 3.00+, GPA 2.50 plus five years professional experience, or a passing state-approved content assessment.

   Source: in.gov

2. 2

   Enroll in an Indiana-approved T2T program and obtain employment

   Candidates enrolled in an Indiana-approved T2T program and hired by an Indiana school corporation (or eligible charter/nonpublic school) may receive a three-year, non-renewable T2T permit while completing the program.

   Source: in.gov

3. 3

   Apply for the T2T permit in LVIS

   Submit official transcripts, required trainings (CPR, suicide prevention, human trafficking, child abuse/neglect), and a signed acceptance letter from the T2T program verifying enrollment and plan of study.

   Source: in.gov

4. 4

   Complete the T2T program while teaching

   Finish coursework and clinical requirements while employed under the T2T permit. Pass content and pedagogical Praxis tests for each license area before applying for the Professional Educator License.

   Source: in.gov

5. 5

   Apply for the Professional Educator License

   After program completion and testing, apply for the PEL through LVIS with institutional recommendation.

   Source: in.gov

Indiana's Transition to Teaching pathway compresses alternate certification into a three-year non-renewable permit tied to simultaneous employment and enrollment. Rule 511 IAC 16-4-8 requires verification of enrollment and an established plan of study before permit issuance—candidates cannot obtain the permit speculatively. Maximum credit hours are capped by license area (for example, 18 for secondary, commonly 24 for elementary including six in reading), shaping program intensity.

Admission flexibility acknowledges non-traditional backgrounds. T2T programs may admit candidates with overall GPA 3.00+, GPA 2.50 plus five years of professional experience, or a passing state-approved content assessment—with secondary candidates also eligible via a graduate degree in the subject. That tiered admission matrix helps career changers with workplace experience but strong transcripts in their content field.

The T2T permit authorizes employment while coursework continues, but it is explicitly non-renewable at three years. Candidates who cannot finish the program and Praxis requirements within that window must exit and reassess rather than extending permit status indefinitely—a sharper cliff than states with renewable provisional licenses.

Mandatory training and testing requirements mirror the traditional pipeline. T2T applicants submit the same CPR, suicide prevention, human trafficking, and child abuse training certificates as university completers, and must pass both content and pedagogy Praxis tests before the Professional Educator License issues. Successful completers then enter the Initial Practitioner tier with the same two-year conversion rules as traditional graduates.

Required exams and fees

Indiana uses ETS Praxis content and pedagogy assessments (Indiana transitioned from Pearson to Praxis). Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of August 2026).

Moving a license to Indiana

T2T is for candidates entering Indiana's alternate pipeline, not for transferring out-of-state alternate credentials. Out-of-state licensed teachers follow reciprocal pathways with content testing requirements on the teacher licensing page.

Official Indiana reciprocity guidance