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Educator Licensure and Preparation

  1. Educator Licensure and Preparation
  2. About
  3. Accreditation

Accreditation

Northern Illinois University is accredited as an educator preparation institution by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). NIU has been continuously accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), now CAEP, since 1954, the first year of NCATE accreditation. All licensure programs offered by NIU have also been approved by the ISBE and relevant national accrediting groups.

In addition, NIU is ranked as a Research University (high research activity) by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

NIU is fully accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) (formerly the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, or NCATE, renamed July, 1, 2013).

Initial Programs
(Accreditation Fall 2017)		 Advanced Programs
(Accreditation Spring 2021)
  • Early Childhood (graduate and undergraduate)
  • Elementary Education (graduate and undergraduate)
  • English Language Arts
  • Foreign Languages
  • Mathematics
  • Physical Education
  • Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Special Education (graduate and undergraduate)
  • Special Education: Visual Disabilities (graduate and undergraduate)

National Accreditation (non-CAEP)

  • Art Education (NASAD)
  • Music Education (NASM)
  • Chief School Business Official
  • Library Information Specialist
  • Principal Preparation
  • Reading Specialist
  • School Psychology
  • Superintendent
  • Teacher Leader
  • Technology Specialist

National Accreditation (non-CAEP)

  • School Counseling (CACREP)
  • Speech Language Pathologist (CAA)

Contact Us

Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation
Williston Hall 320
815-753-0846
TeacherCertification@niu.edu
Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
Illinois State Board of Education