Basic Qualifications

• To apply for a teaching license in Nevada, applicants must meet the minimum standards determined by the Nevada Department of Education. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent legal status. Applicants must also complete a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum number of 22 credit hours in the field in which they intend to teach. Nevada recognizes certificates for elementary and secondary education. Secondary education teachers can be certified in math, science, social studies and language arts.
  
  

Student Teaching

• Nevada teachers can complete a degree in education with an emphasis in the field in which they intend to seek certification. Doing so will give them the needed student-teaching experience required by the Department of Education. The department also recognizes that some applicants will have degrees in other areas and will allow them to teach while earning certification. If the applicant has met all of the necessary requirements, he can take up to three years to meet all of the licensure requirements.
  
  

Application and Post-application

• Would-be instructors can download a teaching application from the Department of Education website. The application must be submitted with all transcripts from schools that the applicant attended to obtain her degree. A background check is also required. Applicants must obtain two fingerprint cards from a local law enforcement agency and submit these for review by the FBI. Once all materials have been reviewed, the applicant will receive notification of her eligibility to obtain certification.
  
  

Examinations

• Certification examinations are required before the applicant can move forward and begin teaching with the provisional teaching certificate. Nevada requires two Praxis certification examinations for educators. The first is an examination covering the applicant's subject knowledge. In other words, applicants must demonstrate that they know the subjects they plan to teach. The second examination covers principles of teaching and learning. Once certification has been completed, applicants can seek work and begin teaching. Any additional professional development courses must be taken during the interim period leading to the permanent teaching certificate. Teachers initially work under the supervision of an administrator or another authorized teacher.