Education Licensure Information for Illinois

You could complete an initial teacher licensure program from ACE and apply it to Illinois’s out-of-state licensure requirements to obtain your initial teaching license, or Professional Educator License (PEL), in Illinois.

Based on the initial teaching program you choose, you can become a licensed teacher in Illinois through two different pathways.

Master of Arts in Teaching

You could earn your master’s degree through our M.A. in Elementary Teaching or M.A. in Secondary Teaching programs and apply for your PEL directly through the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

You must satisfy additional requirements, including:  

• A completed Form 80-02: State-Approved Program and Completion of Standards Verification, which you will then submit to [email protected] for processing (ACE will complete the form and send it to ISBE to include with your application) 
• Completing coursework that addresses methods of teaching exceptional children, reading methods, content area reading and methods of teaching English learners (included in ACE’s MAT programs) 
• Passing the applicable content test(s) 
• Applicants who have successfully completed a test of content at the time of initial licensure in another state are not required to complete a test of content 

For the most current information about becoming a teacher in Illinois, please check the ISBE website. 

Certificate in Transition to Teaching

You could earn your PEL through our Certificate in Transition to Teaching in Elementary Education, Certificate in Transition to Teaching in Secondary Education or Certificate in Transition to Teaching in Special Education using the reciprocity process.

To use the reciprocity process, ACE recommends Illinois residents who complete our T2T programs first be licensed in ACE’s home state of Indiana, and then apply for their comparable initial license in Illinois. You will be required to pass the applicable Illinois content test(s) through the Illinois Licensure Testing System.

For the most current information about becoming a teacher in Illinois, please check the ISBE website. 

The following ACE programs can be applied to Illinois’ out-of-state licensure requirements to obtain the Administrative Endorsement to your PEL:

• M.Ed. in Educational Leadership 
• Certificate in Principal Preparation (designed for those who already have a master’s degree)

You must satisfy additional requirements, including:  

• Registering for and taking the required certification exams (Principal as Instructional Leader 195 & 196) 
• A completed Form 80-02: State-Approved Program and Completion of Standards Verification, which you will then submit to [email protected] for processing (ACE will complete the form and send it to ISBE to include with your application) 
• ​Four years of teaching or school support personnel experience​

For the most current information about becoming an administrator in Illinois, please check the ISBE website.