In order to serve as a teacher, school support personnel, or an administrator in the state of Illinois at a public or recognized non-public school, you must obtain a Professional Educator License (PEL). To obtain a PEL, you must complete an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approved program and pass state tests and requirements specific to their area of education.
DePaul College of Education ISBE-approved Licensure Programs
- Undergraduate
- Graduate*
- Graduate Non-Degree
* Some graduate programs may necessitate taking additional courses to meet state licensure requirements. Please confirm with your advisor.
Endorsements
The initial Professional Educator License (PEL) includes a credential called an endorsement. Endorsements are added to a PEL upon successful completion of state requirements and indicate your role as an educator and subjects and grades you are eligible to teach. Educators have only one PEL but may have multiple endorsements to indicate various subject areas and grade levels. Additional endorsements can be earned and added to a PEL either concurrently or at a later date.
A teaching endorsement may be a grade-level endorsement (i.e. early childhood, elementary, secondary, or special) or a content/subject-area endorsement (i.e. middle school language arts, senior high school health education, or transitional bilingual educator). Administrative endorsements include chief school business official, director of special education, superintendent, principal, and general administrative. School support personnel endorsements include school counselor, school social worker, school psychologist, school nurse, and speech language pathologist (non-teaching).
Licensure Officers
Upon successful completion of the Illinois State Board of Education's (ISBE's) requirements, DePaul College of Education’s licensure officers recommend eligible individuals be entitled to an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL).
We have two licensure officers at the College of Education:
Dr. James Wolfinger
Associate Dean / Associate Professor
(773) 325-4290
jwolfing@depaul.edu
Nancy Hashimoto
Director of Advising/ Licensure Officer
(773) 325-4325
nhashimo@depaul.edu
Important Licensure Information