College Algebra
Mathematics licence area; ask your EPP whether it counts at this level.
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →North CarolinaTeachers
24 content hours for a North Carolina residency licence
Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
The short answer
A North Carolina residency license lets a career-changer teach while finishing an educator preparation programme. Under G.S. 115C-270.20 you need a bachelor's degree, a public school job, enrolment in an approved EPP, and either 24 semester hours in the licence area or a passing score on the State Board content test. It lasts one year and may be renewed twice.
The rule
Under G.S. 115C-270.20(a)(5), a residency license is a one-year license, renewable twice, for a person with a bachelor's degree who is enrolled in a recognised educator preparation programme and has either 24 semester hours of coursework in the licence area or a passing score on the State Board-approved content exam.
The rule asks for 24 semester hours in the licence area. The legal source is G.S. 115C-270.20.
| Requirement | North Carolina residency license | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | Bachelor's or higher | [3] |
| Content | 24 semester hours in the licence area, or pass the State Board content exam | [3] |
| Programme | Enrolled in an approved educator preparation programme (EPP) | [1] |
| Job | Employed by a North Carolina public school system or charter school, which requests the license | [1] |
| Length | One year, renewable twice (up to three years) | [1] |
| Pedagogy | edTPA or PPAT required | [2] |
Who decides
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), Licensure Section, for the State Board of Education 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
- 24 semester hours of coursework in the licence area on a college transcript, checked by your EPP on Form RL.
- Instead of the hours: a passing score on the State Board-approved content exam for the area.
What does not count
- Coursework outside the licence area, even at a high level.
- A credit recommendation that no college has posted.
- The pedagogy assessment: the 24 hours do not replace edTPA or PPAT.
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 North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), Licensure Section, for the State Board of Education.
Pre-Calculus
Mathematics licence area coursework.
Self-paced online Pre-Calculus course (MATH 115). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Calculus 1
Mathematics licence area coursework.
Self-paced online Calculus 1 course (Math 165). NCCRS recommends 4 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Principles of Statistics
Often listed in secondary mathematics content.
Self-paced online Principles of Statistics course (Statistics 101). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Intro to Biology 1
Science licence area coursework.
Self-paced online Intro to Biology 1 course (Biology 100). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Intro to Biology 2
Second biology course for a science area.
Self-paced online Intro to Biology 2 course (Biology 200). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →The path via a college transcript
- Get a job offer from a public schoolA North Carolina public school system or charter school must employ you and request the residency license with Form RL.
- Enrol in an approved EPPThe EPP decides you are qualified, enrols you and signs Form RL, checking either your 24 hours or your content test.
- Count your hours in the areaTake your transcripts to the EPP and ask which courses count toward the 24 hours in your licence area, and whether a grade minimum applies.
- Fill a gap or take the testIf you are short, ask the EPP in writing which courses it will count. Courses with ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations count only after a college posts them via a college transcript.
- Plan the pedagogy assessmentedTPA or PPAT is required during residency regardless of how you met the content rule.
TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; Newlane is a third. North Carolina community colleges and universities set their own transfer rules. Ask the college and your EPP in writing before you enrol.
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 | About $198-$396 for 2-4 courses over 2-4 months | 15 Nov 2026 |
| StraighterLine | $99 a month plus $79 a course | About $356-$712 for 2-4 courses over 2-4 months | 15 Nov 2026 |
The content test is the other route and may cost less if you know the subject. Online courses still need a college to post the credits, at that college's fees, and your EPP decides whether they count toward the 24 hours.
What UPI Study cannot do here
- UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited; your EPP reads a college transcript, which UPI Study cannot issue.
- UPI Study is not an educator preparation programme and cannot enrol you for a residency license.
- UPI Study cannot decide whether a course counts toward the 24 hours in your licence area; your EPP and NCDPI decide.
- UPI Study does not prepare you for edTPA, PPAT or the State Board content exams.
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 your EPP in writing which courses it will count toward the 24 hours in your licence area, and ask the college in writing which courses it will post, before you enrol.
NC residency license requirements in plain words
The residency license is North Carolina's route for people with a bachelor's degree who did not train as teachers. It replaced the old lateral entry license. A school system or charter school hires you, an approved educator preparation programme (EPP) enrols you, and the employer requests the license with Form RL. You teach on the license while you finish the EPP.
To get the first year you must show content knowledge in the area you will teach. G.S. 115C-270.20 gives two ways: 24 semester hours of coursework in the licence area, or a passing score on the State Board-approved content exam. Your EPP checks which one you meet when it completes Form RL; the content item applies in year 1.
Residency license NC 24 hours: what counts
The hours must be in the licence area: mathematics hours for a mathematics license, biology and related science for a science license, and so on. Your EPP decides which courses on your transcript fit, so bring every transcript and ask for a written count. NCDPI's FAQ says the 24-hour route for adding an area to a licence is not available for Elementary Education or Exceptional Children: General Curriculum; ask your EPP whether the same limit applies to your residency area.
If you are a few courses short, the gap is often in one subject: a mathematics graduate of an engineering degree may be short on statistics or discrete mathematics, a biology graduate may be short on a second-level course. Courses with ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations can fill such gaps only after a college posts them, and only if your EPP counts them.
- Licence area hours only
- Your EPP makes the count
- Ask about any grade minimum
The content test route
If you know the subject well, the State Board content exam may be quicker and cheaper than more coursework. Ask your EPP which exam your area uses and what passing score applies. Many candidates who are close on hours sit the test instead; others take the courses because they want the grounding before they teach.
Either way, the residency license also needs a pedagogy assessment. NCDPI's FAQ lists edTPA or PPAT as required for residency applicants, and the EPP prepares you for it.
How long it takes
The license runs one year and may be renewed twice, so you have up to three years to finish the EPP and the required tests while you teach. Meeting the content rule early leaves more of that time for the programme itself. Plan any extra coursework before your start date if you can.
Questions people ask
What do I need for a North Carolina residency license?
A bachelor's degree, a job offer from a North Carolina public school system or charter school, enrolment in an approved EPP, and either 24 semester hours in the licence area or a passing State Board content exam score. The employer requests the license with Form RL.
How long does a North Carolina residency license last?
One year, renewable twice, for up to three years. You must stay enrolled in the EPP and employed by the school to keep teaching on it, and finish the programme and tests within that time.
Can online courses count toward the 24 hours?
They can count if a college posts them on its transcript and your EPP agrees they are in the licence area. Courses with ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations reach your EPP via a college transcript. Ask the EPP in writing first.
Is it better to take the content test or more courses?
If you know the subject, the test is often faster. If you are short on background or want to be ready to teach the subject, courses help. Ask your EPP which route it expects for your area and timeline.
Does the residency license work for elementary teaching?
Residency licenses can be issued in many areas. NCDPI's FAQ says the 24-hour coursework route does not apply to Elementary Education or Exceptional Children: General Curriculum when adding an area. Ask your EPP how content is shown for those areas.
Do I still need edTPA or PPAT?
Yes. NCDPI lists a nationally normed pedagogy assessment, edTPA or PPAT, as required for residency applicants. Meeting the content rule with hours or a test does not replace it, so plan the assessment with your EPP from the start of your first year.
Read next
- 24 hours or the Praxis: North Carolina residency licenceFor a North Carolina residency license you meet the content rule in one of two ways: 24 semester hours of coursework in the licence area, or a...
- Teacher assistant to teacher in North CarolinaA North Carolina teacher assistant becomes a teacher by finishing a bachelor's degree, then either completing an educator preparation programme or...
The same topic in nearby states
Ready when you have it in writing
Fill a content-hour gap with ACE- or NCCRS-recommended courses, moved via a college transcript, once your EPP agrees they count.
Sources
- NCDPI: Residency licensure (official)An approved EPP must find the applicant qualified and enrol them; a North Carolina public school system or charter school must employ them; one-year license renewable twice for up to three years; Form RL from the employing system. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- NCDPI: Licensure forms and FAQs (official)A nationally normed performance or pedagogy assessment (edTPA or PPAT) is required for residency applicants; the 24-hour coursework route for adding an area excludes Elementary Education and Exceptional Children: General Curriculum. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- N.C. General Statutes Chapter 115C Article 17E (Licensure), G.S. 115C-270.20 (official)Residency license: degree, 24 semester hours of relevant coursework or passing the content exam, enrolment in an EPP, requested by an employing entity with supervision; one year, renewable twice (read via ncleg.gov search extract; the PDF returned 403). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Sophia Learning: Plans and pricingPrice for Sophia Learning, checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- StraighterLine: PricingPrice for StraighterLine, checked on 15 Nov 2026.