English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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How to substitute teach in Kansas without a degree
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
You can substitute teach in Kansas without a degree through the Emergency Substitute License. The main route needs 60 semester credit hours from a regionally accredited college, on official transcripts. If you have fewer hours, the Greenbush training modules route needs a high school diploma and a hiring district, and the license is limited to that district.
Two routes, one license
Kansas calls it the Emergency Substitute License, but it is the standard way in for people without a teaching degree. KSDE offers it through two routes, and which one suits you depends on how much college you already have and how many districts you want to work in.
The Standard Substitute License, by contrast, is only for people who finished an approved teacher preparation program.
Route 1 and route 2 side by side
Here is how the two routes compare on KSDE's page:
| 60 credit hours route | Greenbush modules route | |
|---|---|---|
| Education needed | 60 semester credit hours from a regionally accredited college | High school diploma |
| Training | None beyond the credit | Greenbush Emergency Substitute Training Modules |
| District | Apply on your own | Verification of hire from a local district |
| Fees on KSDE's page | $60 application | $60 application plus $57 fingerprints |
| Where you can work | Ask KSDE and your district | Limited to the district on the license |
Your checklist for the 60-hour route
- Order official transcripts from every college you attended.
- Add up semester credit hours, leaving out CEUs and clock hours.
- Check that each college's accreditor is on KSDE's list.
- If you have fewer than 60, list the courses you need to close the gap.
- Apply to KSDE with transcripts and the $60 fee.
If you are a few courses short
Most people who left college partway through need between one and five courses. General education is fastest: composition, algebra, psychology, sociology, history. Each is usually 3 semester hours, and Kansas counts general or professional education coursework.
You can take these at a 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. KSDE checks the accreditor of the college on your transcript, so ask KSDE in writing first whether the transcript you plan to send will count.
Which route to choose
If you have a job offer from one district and fewer than 60 hours, the Greenbush route can get you in the classroom sooner. If you want to sub across districts, or expect to stay in substitute work, finishing the 60 hours gives you a license that is not tied to one district's hire. Many people start on the Greenbush route and finish their credit hours while they work.
Whichever route you choose, keep copies of everything you send KSDE and every reply you get. Renewal comes round quickly: the first license runs only to 30 June of the school year you apply.
One more tip: if you hold a license from another state or a bachelor's degree from abroad, ask KSDE before you start courses. A foreign degree may need an evaluation first, and that evaluation may already show more than 60 semester hours.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask KSDE Teacher Licensure in writing whether your planned college transcript, and its accreditor, count toward the 60 semester credit 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 kansas with only a high school diploma
Yes, through the Greenbush route: a high school diploma, the Greenbush Emergency Substitute Training Modules, verification of hire from a local district, the $60 application fee and a $57 fingerprint check. KSDE's page says that license is limited to the district on it.
can i substitute teach in kansas with a bachelor's degree that is not in education
Yes, through the Emergency Substitute License. A non-teaching bachelor's degree does not qualify for the Standard Substitute License, but it will normally carry well over 60 semester hours for the emergency license.
how fast can i get a kansas emergency substitute license
If you already have 60 semester hours, the time is mostly ordering transcripts and KSDE's processing. If you need extra credit first, allow one to three months for courses plus time for the transcript to post.
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.
See the course →
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 KSDE a college transcript from a college on its accreditor list.
Sources
- KSDE Teacher Licensure: License Information and Application (Emergency and Standard Substitute) (official)Emergency Substitute License option 1: minimum 60 semester credit hours from a regionally accredited college or university (accreditors listed); CEUs and clock hours do not count. Option 2: Greenbush Emergency Substitute Training Modules with a high school diploma and verification of hire. $60 application fee; $57 fingerprint fee on option 2; first license valid through 30 June of the school year of application. Greenbush license: 25 consecutive days in one assignment, 75 days per semester in one district. Standard Substitute License needs a bachelor's degree and an approved teacher preparation program. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- K.A.R. 91-1-203(e), Emergency substitute teaching license (Cornell LII copy of the Kansas regulation)Applicants submit an official transcript showing at least 60 semester hours of general education coursework, professional education coursework, or a combination, an application and the licensure fee; last amended in Kansas Register Vol. 42 No. 09, effective 17 Mar 2023. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.