English Composition 1
The 3 writing hours in the 15-hour core.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →New MexicoTeachers
New Mexico paraprofessional licence: 48 semester hours for a Level 3 educational assistant
Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
The short answer
A New Mexico paraprofessional, called an educational assistant, needs a Level 3 licence to work in a Title I program. Under 6.63.9.10 NMAC that means an associate degree, 48 semester hours of college credit, or a 70 percent score on a PED-approved basic skills test. The degree and 48-hour routes include a 15-hour core in reading, writing, maths and education.
The rule
Under 6.63.9.10 NMAC a Level 3 educational assistant needs an associate degree or 48 semester hours from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university, each including 15 hours in reading, writing, maths and education, or a passing score of at least 70 percent on a PED-approved test.
The rule asks for 48 semester hours (including a 15-hour core: 3 reading or language arts, 3 writing, 3 maths, 6 education-related), or an associate degree. The legal source is 6.63.9.10 NMAC.
| Level | What 6.63.9 NMAC asks for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | High school diploma or equivalency, age 18, orientation; up to 3 years, not renewable | [1] |
| Level 2 | Level 1 items plus the PED educational assistant competencies; 9 years | [1] |
| Level 3, route 1 | Associate degree from a nationally or regionally accredited college, with the 15-hour core | [1] |
| Level 3, route 2 | 48 semester hours from such a college, with the 15-hour core | [1] |
| Level 3, route 3 | At least 70 percent on a PED-approved test of reading, writing and maths at 8th grade level | [1] |
| 15-hour core | 3 reading or language arts, 3 writing, 3 maths, 6 education-related (non-remedial) | [1] |
| Title I | Educational assistants in Title I programs must hold Level 3 | [1] |
Who decides
New Mexico Public Education Department, Professional Licensure Bureau decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Which credits count
What counts
- Semester hours of academic credit awarded by a nationally or regionally accredited college or university, toward the 48.
- Non-remedial courses in reading or language arts, writing and maths, 3 hours each, for the 15-hour core.
- 6 hours in readiness, professional education, classroom management, teaching assistance or special education, for the rest of the core.
What does not count
- Remedial or developmental courses: the 15-hour core must be non-remedial.
- Course certificates sent to the district instead of a college transcript.
- Credit for Level 1 or Level 2, which ask for no college hours at all.
Courses that fit
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of New Mexico Public Education Department, Professional Licensure Bureau.
College Algebra
The 3 maths hours in the core.
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Educational Psychology
How children learn: a fit for the 6 education-related hours.
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Psychology
General credit toward the 48 hours and a base for education courses.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Psychology of Diversity
Useful in New Mexico's bilingual and multicultural classrooms.
Self-paced online Psychology of Diversity course (Psychology 112). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Sociology
General social science credit toward the 48 hours.
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 →The path via a college transcript
- Check which level you needAsk your district whether your post is in a Title I program; Title I posts need Level 3 before hire.
- Count your hoursOrder transcripts from every college you attended and count semester hours, then check the 15-hour core: reading, writing, maths and 6 education-related hours.
- Choose the college that will post your creditAsk a nationally or regionally accredited college in writing how it would post ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses.
- Ask the PED or your district in writingAsk whether credit posted that way counts toward the 48 hours and the core.
- Finish and applyTake the courses, get the official transcript, and apply for Level 3 through the PED licensure process with your district.
TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; a transcript from a nationally or regionally accredited college is what the rule asks for.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
What it costs
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month or $799 a year | Self-paced general courses; the hours still have to be posted by an accredited college | 15 Nov 2026 |
| StraighterLine | $99 a month + $79 a course | $1,264 in course fees for 16 courses (48 hours), plus the months you study | 15 Nov 2026 |
New Mexico community colleges also teach these courses at their own per-credit rates; we could not confirm a current rate at an official page today, so none is listed. UPI Study PRO is $99 a month for as many courses as you finish, but it saves money only if a college posts the hours and the PED or your district agrees they count.
What UPI Study cannot do here
- UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited; our courses carry ACE or NCCRS recommendations, and the rule counts hours awarded by a nationally or regionally accredited college or university.
- We cannot issue a licence or post credit on a transcript.
- We cannot say whether the PED or your district will count a given transcript.
- We cannot give the district's basic skills test or the PED competencies for Level 2.
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.
Confirm in writing first
Ask the PED Professional Licensure Bureau, or your district's licensure contact, in writing whether hours posted by a college from ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses count toward the 48 hours and the 15-hour core, and keep the reply.
Three licence levels
New Mexico licenses educational assistants, often called paraprofessionals or teacher aides, under 6.63.9 NMAC. The Public Education Department issues three levels. Level 1 and Level 2 need no college credit. Level 3 does, and it matters because the rule says an educational assistant in a Title I targeted assistance or school-wide program must hold Level 3, and must meet it before hire.
Many New Mexico schools run Title I programs, so Level 3 is often the licence a district asks for first. Level 1 lasts up to three years and cannot be renewed; Levels 2 and 3 last nine years.
- Level 1: high school diploma or equivalency, age 18, orientation.
- Level 2: Level 1 items plus the PED educational assistant competencies.
- Level 3: an associate degree, 48 semester hours, or a PED-approved test.
The 48 hours and the 15-hour core
The 48-hour route needs semester hours awarded by a nationally or regionally accredited college or university. At least 15 of those hours must be non-remedial courses in four areas: 3 in language arts or reading, 3 in writing, 3 in maths, and 6 in readiness, professional education, classroom management, teaching assistance or special education. Pedagogy courses in those areas count too. The associate degree route asks for the same 15-hour core inside the degree.
The other 33 hours can be any college subjects. Psychology, sociology, history and science courses all add to the total.
- 3 hours: language arts or reading.
- 3 hours: writing, such as English Composition 1.
- 3 hours: maths, such as College Algebra.
- 6 hours: education-related, such as Educational Psychology.
Where online courses fit
UPI Study's courses carry ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations. They count toward the 48 hours only once a nationally or regionally accredited college or university awards the credit on its own transcript. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and many other colleges do the same.
Before you start, ask the college how it would post each course, and ask the PED or your district in writing whether hours posted that way count toward the 48 and the core. If you are close to 48 already, a few self-paced courses can finish the gap between school terms.
Questions people ask
What does a New Mexico paraprofessional need for Level 3?
Under 6.63.9.10 NMAC, a high school diploma or equivalency, age 18, an orientation, and one of three routes: an associate degree or 48 semester hours from a nationally or regionally accredited college, each with a 15-hour core, or at least 70 percent on a PED-approved basic skills test.
What is the 15-hour core?
Fifteen non-remedial semester hours inside the 48 hours or the associate degree: 3 in language arts or reading, 3 in writing, 3 in maths, and 6 in readiness, professional education, classroom management, teaching assistance or special education. Pedagogy courses in those areas count as well, according to the rule.
Is the ParaPro test required in New Mexico?
The rule does not name ParaPro. It allows a test of reading, writing and maths at an 8th grade level that the PED approves, with a passing score of at least 70 percent. Ask your district which test it uses and how to book it before you choose between the test and the 48 hours.
Do UPI Study courses count toward the 48 hours?
Only once a nationally or regionally accredited college or university awards the credit on its own transcript, because the rule counts hours awarded by such a college. Our courses carry ACE or NCCRS recommendations, which many colleges consider. Ask the college how it would post each course, and ask the PED in writing.
How long does a Level 3 licence last?
Levels 2 and 3 are issued for nine years, according to 6.63.9.13 NMAC. Level 1 is issued for up to three years and cannot be continued or renewed, so an assistant who starts at Level 1 needs a plan to reach Level 2 or Level 3 within that time.
Does Level 3 help me become a teacher later?
The 48 hours can become the first part of a bachelor's degree, which a New Mexico teaching licence needs. Courses such as English Composition 1, College Algebra and Educational Psychology fit most education degrees, but each college decides how they count, so ask it in writing before you plan on it.
Read next
- Level 1, 2, 3 educational assistant in New MexicoThe New Mexico educational assistant license has three levels under 6.63.9 NMAC. Level 1 needs a high school diploma, age 18 and an orientation....
- 48 hours or ParaPro in New MexicoFor a New Mexico Level 3 licence you can pass a paraprofessional test or complete 48 semester hours. The rule does not name ParaPro: it asks for at...
The same topic in nearby states
Ready when you have it in writing
Get a written answer from the PED or your district first, then work through your hours at your own pace and have a college post the credit.
Sources
- 6.63.9 NMAC: Licensure for Educational Assistants Pre K-12 (State Records Center and Archives) (official)6.63.9.8: Level 1 needs a high school diploma or equivalency, age 18 and an orientation; Level 2 adds the PED educational assistant competencies. 6.63.9.10: educational assistants in Title I targeted assistance or school-wide programs must hold Level 3, by an associate degree or 48 semester hours from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university (each with at least 15 non-remedial hours: 3 language arts or reading, 3 writing, 3 maths, 6 readiness, professional education, classroom management, teaching assistance or special education, or pedagogy), or at least 70 percent on a test under 6.63.9.11 (reading, writing and maths at an 8th grade level, PED approved). 6.63.9.13: Level 1 for up to 3 years, not renewable; Levels 2 and 3 for 9 years. History: amended 10-31-07. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Cornell LII: New Mexico Administrative Code, Title 6, Chapter 63Part 9 of Chapter 63 is Licensure for Educational Assistants Pre K-12. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Sophia: Plans and pricingPrice for Sophia Learning, checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- StraighterLine: PricingPrice for StraighterLine, checked on 15 Nov 2026.