B K Licensure Certificate

UNCW’s Watson College of Education (WCE) now offers a Birth–Kindergarten (B-K) Licensure Certificate designed to prepare individuals for North Carolina B-K teaching licensure.

Residency teachers serving as lead teachers in early childhood classrooms and individuals with a bachelor’s degree who are pursuing initial B-K teacher licensure can complete the 21-credit-hour program in less than two years. Current teachers seeking B-K Add-On Licensure can complete the certificate with 18 credit hours.

“Our Early Childhood program has a long history of launching incredible teachers,” said Jes Cardenas, coordinator of WCE’s B-K Licensure Certificate program. “As more educators enter the field through different pathways, we’re excited to offer a new certificate that will expand this opportunity and remove barriers to access for current and future teachers in North Carolina.”

Designed for working professionals, all certificate courses are delivered fully online in an asynchronous format. Classroom experiences are aligned with each candidate’s licensure pathway. Residency teachers generally complete field placements in their own classrooms, while teachers pursuing add-on licensure can complete placements in their current school or school district.

Courses are taught by experienced early childhood faculty, and WCE provides personalized advising and licensure support throughout the program. For students pursuing initial licensure, edTPA support is embedded within the program to help guide participants through the process.

The Birth–Kindergarten Licensure Certificate is a stand-alone licensure pathway rather than a degree program. All courses are offered at the undergraduate level and are eligible for North Carolina T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarship funding.

For more information, contact Dr. Cardenas at cardenasj@uncw.edu or visit the B-K Licensure webpage.

For information about WCE’s residency programs, visit the Residency Licensure webpage.