All North Dakota teacher education programs must be reviewed on a seven-year cycle. Without this approval, the candidates would not be licensed in North Dakota. The ND ESPB governing board is responsible to continually review the North Dakota standards and procedures pertaining to licensure and program approval.
Program Accreditation provides additional recognition that the content and quality of the program has been evaluated and meets standards set by the profession. Students and their families can be assured that appropriate knowledge and skill areas are included and that the program is stable, both professionally and financially.
Our programs are state approved and nationally recognized.
ND Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB) 
Teacher licensure in the state of North Dakota is regulated by the Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB). Information about the process of applying for licensure can be found at their website: www.nd.gov/espb/
Teacher licensure and credentialing is also regulated by the ND Department of Public Instruction. Information about requirements can be found at their website: https://www.nd.gov/dpi/SchoolStaff/SAO/credentials/
Note: Completion of academic degree programs in education and counseling do not guarantee licensure, certification, credentialing, or placement of our graduates. A graduate who seeks licensure, certification, and/or credentialing in any state or jurisdiction needs to check the specific requirements for that state or jurisdiction and, if needed, discuss the policies with her or his advisor.
Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) 
The School of Education is currently accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). CAEP-accredited programs are reviewed against professionally approved standards, ensuring a high quality academic programs.
NDSU's Teacher Education programs have been granted full accreditation at the initial-licensure level. Those programs are: agricultural education, art, biological sciences, business, chemistry, comprehensive science, earth science, English, family and consumer sciences, French, health, history, mathematics, music (instrumental and/or vocal), physical education, physics, social science, and Spanish.
This accreditation status is effective between Fall 2019 and Fall 2026. The next site visit will take place in Spring 2026.
Program Impact
Completer Effectiveness: Impact on P-12 Learning and Development
Surveys are administered to graduates and their supervisors during their first year of employment. Results consistently show that our graduates are effective in their roles. Data reported below are from the surveys completed by supervisors of completers from, the 2019-20 academic year. The response rate was 54%.
In response to the following prompt: To what extent do you agree or disagree that this first-year teacher does the following?
Graduation Rates
Candidates are admitted to the teacher education program as sophomores or juniors in the undergraduate program. Candidates in the initial licensure master's program are admitted holding a bachelor's degree in a content area. The average rate of completion is three semesters (1 1/2 years) for both the undergraduate and master's candidates. The table below shows completion rates and GPAs of admitted cohorts.
Ability to Meet Licensing Requirements
Our candidates average between 88% and 92% passing rate on all required licensure exams. These exams include Praxis Core Tests (measuring reading, writing and math) and Praxis Subject Tests (including content specific tests and general teaching skills and knowledge tests). Completing all licensure exams is required to student teach.
Ability to be Hired in Education Positions
According to the Transition to Teaching Survey (TTS), 93% of 2019-2020 program completers applied for teaching positions in North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota; in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Of those, 97% accepted positions. If the completers were employed in an educational setting, the table below indicates the type of position.
