NC TEACH Alternative Licensure for Middle Grades Social Studies (6-9)

North Carolina Teachers of Excellence for All Children (NC TEACH) is designed to recruit, train, support, and retain mid-career professionals as they become licensed teachers in North Carolina. UNC Greensboro’s Middle Grades Social Studies certification area offers residency licensed teachers a foundation in content and method for teaching 6-9 grade levels.

This program at UNCG serves teachers who earned their undergraduate degree in a different field and wish to apply that knowledge to teaching in middle schools. With their courses and field training, working teachers will build upon a foundation of social studies knowledge. They will learn to translate lessons in history, geography, economics, civics, and political science at a more advanced level.

NC TEACH middle grades social studies Program Distinctions

The program emphasizes how to teach middle school social studies through:

• Historical inquiry
• Civic engagement
• Geographic literacy
• Economics instruction
• Political science concepts
• Curriculum planning
• Assessment design
• Classroom management for adolescents
• Standards-based instruction aligned with North Carolina expectations

Rather than requiring extensive undergraduate education coursework, the program concentrates on the instructional knowledge needed to become a successful licensed teacher.

Why Earn Your middle grades social studies licensure at UNCG

The NC TEACH middle school social studies licensure elevates teachers’ knowledge for the 6-9 grade level. In the meantime, they continue to teach. They also get to engage in field-based experiences as residency license teachers in local public school systems.

Through the middle school social studies licensure program, teachers with classroom experience learn how to improve their teaching practice. Their mentors and faculty provide expert evaluations and periods of reflection on their current practice.

Graduate students in the School of Education benefit from hands-on learning. Their instructors will advocate for them at the school where they teach to ensure they balance their courses with their teaching obligations. Students interested in research may work alongside faculty members on cutting-edge studies and innovation projects. They will gain experience in discovering solutions to pressing social and educational issues.

Funding and Scholarships While Getting Licensure

Each year, the School of Education awards over $1 million in scholarships and graduate assistantships to students.

The Haggai Academy is a scholarship program that provides scholarships of up to $8,000 per year, as well as a wide range of additional enrichment opportunities, for non-traditional students (24 years of age or older) pursuing an initial teacher license.

After Graduating with your middle grades social studies teaching licensure

Graduates of UNC Greensboro’s NC TEACH middle school social studies program can qualify to become fully-licensed teachers in North Carolina. Many participants earn positions even before completing their degrees.

In addition to middle school classrooms, graduates may go on to work in colleges or universities as instructors or administrators. Graduates may work with pre-service or inservice teachers in university teacher educator programs and school district offices.

The U.S. Department of Education requires that all higher education institutions advise students as to whether their curriculum provides them with the eligibility to apply for a professional license and/or certification in the state for which they plan to practice. As such, please review UNC Greensboro’s status by state for the initial teaching license. You should note whether the program either “meets”, “does not meet”, or if there “has not been a determination” of the program’s status in the state for which you plan to practice. Review the Licensure Reciprocity Information.