English Composition 1
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How to substitute teach in Iowa without a degree
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
You can substitute teach in Iowa without a bachelor's degree. The Substitute Authorization asks for 60 semester hours or an associate degree, an approved course of at least 15 clock hours, and mandatory reporter training. It covers grades PK-12 for short assignments and lasts five years. Paraeducators without 60 hours have a narrower option for their own classroom.
The short answer: hours, not a degree
Iowa separates the substitute license, for licensed teachers, from the substitute authorization, for everyone else. The authorization is built for people with some college: the board's page asks for 60 or more semester credit hours, or an associate degree, on official transcripts from an accredited college. Any subject counts.
That makes it one of the more open routes into a classroom in the Midwest. If you left college partway through, you may already be close.
Your checklist
- Order official transcripts from every college you attended and add up the semester hours.
- If you have fewer than 60, list how many you need.
- Book the substitute authorization course with an AEA or another approved provider.
- Complete mandatory reporter training for child abuse.
- From 1 July 2026, have your citizenship or work authorization documents ready.
- Apply to the Board of Educational Examiners.
If you are short of 60 hours
Most people in this position need between one and five courses. The quickest way is general education: composition, algebra, psychology, sociology, history. Each is usually 3 semester hours.
You can take these at an Iowa community college, or take self-paced courses and move them via a college transcript. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit and post it on their transcript. Ask the board in writing first whether it will count that transcript toward the 60.
What the authorization lets you do, and what it does not
Knowing the limits helps you decide whether the authorization is enough for you.
| You can | You cannot |
|---|---|
| Substitute in any subject, grades PK-12 | Serve as a long-term substitute |
| Cover a contracted teacher on leave | Fill an open position |
| Work up to 10 days in a row in one assignment in a 30-day period | Stay longer in that assignment |
The paraeducator route
Certified paraeducators who have finished the AEA substitute course but not 60 semester hours can get a Limited Substitute Authorization. It lets you substitute only in your current assigned classroom. If you want to sub anywhere in the district, the 60 hours are still the way to the full authorization, and a few courses may be all that stands between you and it.
A realistic timeline
If you already have 60 semester hours, the slowest parts are ordering transcripts and finishing the course. The self-paced AEA course is about 15 hours of work, so many people finish it within two weeks alongside a job. Mandatory reporter training is a short online module. After that, the board reviews your application.
If you are short, add the time to earn and post the missing credit. Four 3-credit courses taken one after another, self-paced, often take two to three months. Then the partner college evaluates the credit and issues a transcript, which can take several more weeks. Start the substitute course while you finish your last credits so that both are ready at the same time, and send the board everything in one application.
Before you pay for any course, write to the board and ask whether the transcript you plan to send will count toward the 60 hours. Keep the reply. It costs nothing and protects the time and money you are about to spend.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners in writing whether credit on your partner college transcript counts toward the 60 semester hours before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
can i substitute teach in iowa with an associate degree
Yes. The board's page lists an associate degree as an alternative to the 60 semester hours, shown on an official transcript. You still need the approved substitute authorization course of at least 15 clock hours, mandatory reporter training, and from 1 July 2026 proof of citizenship or work authorization.
how long does it take to get an iowa substitute authorization
The course itself is about 15 hours, and the self-paced AEA version can be done in a week or two. If you need extra college credit first, allow one to three months, plus time for your transcript to be posted and the board to review your application.
can a paraeducator substitute teach in iowa
A certified paraeducator with the AEA course but under 60 semester hours can hold a Limited Substitute Authorization for their own assigned classroom. With 60 hours, they qualify for the full authorization.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Introduction to Sociology
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Close your credit gap, then send the board a college transcript.
Sources
- Iowa Board of Educational Examiners: Substitute Authorization (official)60 or more semester credit hours or an associate degree on official transcripts from a U.S. Department of Education-accredited college, plus the substitute authorization course; PK-12; no long-term subbing; 10 days in a row in a 30-day period in one assignment; valid 5 years; renewal 2 credits plus mandatory reporter training. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Iowa Administrative Code 282 IAC chapter 22, rule 22.2 (Substitute authorization) (official)282 IAC 22.2 (effective 26 Feb 2025): applicants meet Iowa Code section 256.165 and complete an approved workshop of at least 15 clock hours (classroom management, strategies for learning, diversity, ethics); valid five years. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Iowa Department of Education: Pathways to substitute teaching (30 Sep 2025) (official)Three routes: Substitute License (for licensed teachers, long-term subbing allowed), Substitute Authorization (60 semester hours plus the course), Limited Substitute Authorization for certified paraeducators (own classroom only). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.