General Education Alternative Licensure 1-Year Program
A one-year program designed for candidates teaching general education (early childhood through 12th grade) with at least two years of previous contractual teaching experience.
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What is Alternative Licensure?
Alternative licensure is a pathway that allows school districts to hire candidates with specific content knowledge and who hold an undergraduate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education to teach while completing the necessary teacher training based on the Colorado Teacher Quality Standards. While serving as a teacher, alternative candidates put what they learn into practice immediately.
What is required to join an Alternative Licensure Program?
- A desire to teach
- A Bachelor’s degree
- A teaching job in Pre-K through 12th grade in one of the endorsements listed below:
- Agriculture & Renewable Natural Resources (Grades 7-12)
- Business/Marketing (Grades 7-12)
- Computer Science (Grades K-12)
- Dance (Grades K-12)
- Drama Theatre Arts (Grades K-12)
- Early Childhood Education (Ages Birth-8)
- Elementary Education (Grades K-6)
- English Language Arts (Grades 7-12)
- Family and Consumer Sciences (Grades 7-12)
- Health (Grades K-12)
- Mathematics (Grades 7-12)
- Music (Grades K-12)
- Physical Education (Grades K-12)
- Science (Grades 7-12)
- Social Studies (Grades 7-12)
- Special Education Generalist (Ages 5-21)
- Technology Education (Industrial Arts) (Grades 7-12)
- Visual Art (Grades K-12)
- World Languages (Grades K-12)
What do our programs offer?
- Face-to-face classes
- One-on-one coaching sessions
- Instructors who are master teachers with teaching experience
- Development of effective teaching techniques
- Program options at the undergraduate level for post-baccalaureate candidates interested only in teaching credentials
- Program options at the graduate level for post-baccalaureate candidates interested in teaching credentials and a master’s degree
Choose an alternative licensure program that meets your needs
Metropolitan State University of Denver offers five Alternative Licensure Programs. Teacher Candidates in the Alternative Licensure Programs may be hired by any Colorado Front Range area public school district, public or private charter school, or accredited private school.
Browse our program options below.
General Education Alternative Licensure 2-Year Program
A two-year program designed for candidates teaching general education (early childhood through 12th grade) with little or no previous teaching experience.
Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education with Alternative Licensure
A two-year program designed for candidates teaching elementary education who meet qualifications to enter the Master of Arts in Teaching program. Successful candidates earn initial teacher licensure and a master's degree!
Master of Arts in Teaching: Special Education with Alternative Licensure
A two-year program designed for candidates teaching special education who meet qualifications to enter the Master of Arts in Teaching program. Successful candidates earn initial teacher licensure and a master's degree!
Special Education Alternative Licensure Program
A two-year program designed for candidates teaching special education.
Enroll today and begin your next chapter
To enroll, all candidates must have:
- A Bachelor’s Degree
- A full-time teaching contract.
Once you meet these two requirements, email [email protected] or call 303-615-0013 to gain access to the enrollment documents and process.
Please Note: access to enrollment forms is restricted to those who meet the requirements.
Program Cost
2023-2024 Academic Year Tuition for Alternative Licensure Programs
General Education Alternative Licensure 1-Year Program (ALP 1)
- Tuition is $5,350.00 + Mandatory Student Fees
- 10 undergraduate credits are awarded during the fall semester and 15 credits are awarded during the spring semester, for a total of 25 credits.
- Tuition and fee rates are subject to change.
General Education Alternative Licensure 2-Year Program (ALP 2)
- Tuition is $5,350.00 for the first year + Mandatory Student Fees
- 10 undergraduate credits are awarded for the fall semester and 20 undergraduate credits are awarded for the spring semester, for a total of 30 credits
- Second year ALP 2 candidates will receive coaching by a MSU Denver ALP coach
- The cost for coaching during the second year is $2,500.00
- Zero credits are awarded during the second year and no student fees are required
- Tuition and fee rates are subject to change.
Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education with Alternative Licensure (ALP 2 MAT)
- Tuition is $6,865.00 for the first year and $5,665.00 for the second year, for a total of $12,030.00 + Mandatory Student Fees
- A total of 50 graduate credits will be awarded
- To earn the master’s degree, students enrolled in ALP 2 MAT are required to take 3 additional courses (two 3 credit courses and one 4 credit course) with the School of Education, but outside of the ALP 2 MAT program at an additional cost to the student
- The tuition and fees for these additional courses can be found here
- Tuition and fee rates are subject to change.
Special Education Alternative Licensure Program (ALP SED)
- Tuition is $4,975.00 for each of the two years, for a total of $9,950.00 + Mandatory Student Fees
- 12 undergraduate credits are awarded each semester for a total of 48 credits
- Tuition and fee rates are subject to change.
Master of Arts in Teaching: Special Education with Alternative Licensure (ALP SED MAT)
- Tuition is $6,865.00 for each of the two years, for a total of $13,730.00 + Mandatory Student Fees
- A total of 49 graduate credits will be awarded
- To earn the master’s degree, students enrolled in ALP SED MAT are required to take 3 additional 3 credit courses with the School of Education, but outside of the ALP SED MAT program at an additional cost to the student
- The tuition and fees for these additional courses can be found here
- Tuition and fee rates are subject to change.
Payment Options
Option 1 – Pay in full
- Students may pay each semester’s tuition and fees in full by the tuition and fee payment deadline, set by the Bursar’s Office.
- Students who pay in full by the deadline will not be charged additional monthly service charges.
Option 2 – The MSU Denver Monthly Payment Plan
- MSU Denver offers a convenient payment plan allowing you to pay in manageable monthly installments. You can use a plan to pay all or part of your tuition, avoiding the high interest rates that normally come with a traditional loan – with one low non-refundable $35.00 fee at enrollment.
- The 4% fee will be waived for students who enroll in a payment plan, however, students are still subject to the monthly service charges of 1.5% throughout the semester, until the balance is paid in full.
- For more information on how this plan works, click here to connect with the Bursar’s office.
Option 3 – Financial Aid
- ALP 1, first year ALP 2, ALP 2 MAT, ALP SED and ALP SED MAT students may apply for financial aid through FAFSA.
- Early Childhood Education teachers are not eligible for Financial Aid.
Frequently Asked Questions
- You must obtain an Alternative License or an Interim Authorization from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and be hired as a full-time teacher in the same content as the Alternative License or Interim Authorization.
- To obtain an Alternative License, you must pass a CBI background check and complete the Alternative License application. The CDE will check your transcripts to ensure you have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and meet the following basic requirements:
- Elementary teachers must have passed the PRAXIS 5901 exam in Elementary Education.
- Special Education teachers must have passed the PRAXIS 5901 exam in Elementary Education.
- Secondary teachers must have either the required 24 semester hours of college credit in the primary subject they teach; or have passed the PRAXIS exam in the content area they teach.
- ECE teachers must have passed the PRAXIS 5024 Early Childhood Education exam or the PRAXIS 5901 exam in Elementary Education.
- If you do not meet the Praxis requirements, you are eligible to apply for an Interim Authorization for one year with the plan to complete the Praxis by the end of the year and apply for an Alternative License for the rest of the program.
Secondary teachers: if you are missing any of the required 24 semester hours of college credit in the primary subject, or if you are unsure if your credits will count, you should take the PRAXIS exam in the content area you would like to teach.
Yes! If a school district cannot find a highly qualified teacher with a Colorado teaching license, they have the option to hire a highly qualified individual who does not have a teaching license, but will have an Alternative License and that individual enters into and completes an Alternative Licensure Program within the specified number of years.
- Apply online to each individual school district for teaching jobs in the subject/grade level you want to teach.
- In addition, you may apply to any Colorado Front Range area school district, public or private charter school, or accredited private school.
- Most school districts know when they receive a resume/application from someone who does not have a teacher’s license, that this person is a possible candidate for the Alternative Licensure Program.
- Candidates may attend district and statewide teacher fairs. Each school district announces teacher fairs on the school district’s website. The interested candidates can indicate on their cover letter or resume that they are interested in the Alternative Licensure Program to obtain a teaching license.
Please Note: The ALP office does not know the hiring needs of each school district.
In general, the Colorado Department of Education requires that alternatively licensed teachers are hired under a full-time employment contract. However, alternatively licensed teachers with more than a half-time teaching contract (e.g. at least 0.51 FTE) may be allowed to enroll in the MSU Denver Alternative Licensure Program with CDE permission.
- School districts will list openings each spring, as the end of the current school year is ending and they have received notice of openings.
- School districts will interview and hire qualified individuals who hold a teaching license. If the district cannot find qualified licensed teachers, they will begin to interview potential ALP candidates.
- The interested individual can indicate on his/her cover letter or resume that he/she is interested in the Alternative Licensure Program to obtain a teaching license.
- ALP candidates are usually hired in May through August. MSU Denver ALP can accept individuals hired up until late September.
- ALP 1 & 2 candidates hold an Alternative License that is valid for 2 years.
- ALP SED candidates hold an Alternative License that is valid for 3 years.
Candidates who successfully complete the program will be eligible to apply for an Initial Colorado Teaching License.
- Individuals who have received an initial license need to complete an induction program in order to obtain a professional license.
- Each school/district runs an induction program, not MSU Denver.
- You can direct all questions regarding induction programs to the school district.
ALP is a unique teacher preparation program that weaves coursework with the experience of teaching in the classroom. The program is structured to present information and skills when the candidate can apply them to his/her classroom. Because of this unique design, coursework from previous teacher preparation programs are not transferred into ALP.
- ALP starts in mid-July with required summer seminar sessions.
- The summer seminar sessions prepare the ALP candidate for the first few weeks of school.
- All ALP classes meet one night a week during the school year.
- The ALP 1, ALP 2, ALP 2 MAT, and ALP SED evening classes start mid-August.
Yes, it is a required part of the program. If you are hired after the summer sessions have ended, you will be required to make-up the missed work.
- Once you are hired as a teacher, you need to contact the ALP office at 303-615-0013 for registration information.
- DO NOT APPLY TO MSU DENVER ONLINE.
- Once MSU Denver receives the ALP candidate’s enrollment information, the candidate will be notified by MSU Denver’s ALP staff of the next step in the process.
- ALP 1 is one year in length.
- The ALP 2, ALP 2 MAT, ALP SED, and ALP SED MAT programs are two years in length.
- The general education program candidates (ALP 1 and ALP 2) attend classes one night a week during the first year. ALP 2 candidates receive classroom coaching during the second year. MAT candidates attend classes for both year one and year 2.
- The special education licensure program, and both master’s program candidates attend classes one night a week during both years.
A Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education can be pursued at the same time as the ALP. See the Programs section of this page for details.
Tuition and payment options for the Alternative Licensure Programs are covered in the Tuition section of this page.
- Tuition and payment options for the Alternative Licensure Programs are covered in the Tuition section of this page.
- If your tuition and fees are not paid in full by the deadline, you will still be required to either pay for your tuition up front or by a payment plan.
- If you are awarded and accept any financial aid, you will be issued a refund from MSU Denver for any overpayment.
Alternative Licensure Faculty & Staff
Stephanie Cavallaro
Alternative Licensure Program Director
[email protected] 303-615-0013 Full Profile
Courtney Berry
Alternative Licensure Program (Special Education) Lecturer
[email protected] Full Profile
Jeanne Bonds
Alternative Licensure Program (Special Education) Lecturer
[email protected] Full Profile
Dr. Virginia Lindemann
Alternative Licensure Program (Elementary Education) Lecturer
[email protected] Full Profile
Cindy Price
Alternative Licensure Program (Secondary Education) Lecturer
[email protected] Full Profile
Questions?
Our contact information can be found to the right, but if you'd like to ask a quick question, please use the button below.
Email Us: [email protected]
Mailing Address
Campus Box 21
P.O. Box 173362
Denver, CO 80217-3362