Can I Teach in Alabama with a Bachelor's Degree?

Yes, you can teach in Alabama with a bachelor's degree in a non-education field, subject to the target field's requirements — you don't need an education degree, and you don't need to go back to school for a second bachelor's. Alabama has multiple alternative certification routes specifically built for career changers, and several of them let you start teaching full-time while you complete the remaining requirements.

The catch is that which routes are available to you depends on what grade level and subject you want to teach.

Four Routes for Non-Education Degree Holders

Provisional Certificate in a Teaching Field (PCTF): Available for secondary fields (grades 6-12 and some career-technical areas). Your employing district's superintendent must sponsor the application. You teach full-time while completing four pedagogy courses at an approved Alabama college over the first two years. The PCTF is issued as three consecutive one-year certificates. Not available for elementary (K-6), early childhood (P-3), or special education.

Conditional Certificate in a Teaching Field (CCTF): Available through state-approved Alternative Teacher Preparation Organizations — iteach ($4,949), American Board ($1,450-$1,900), or #T.E.A.C.H. You teach full-time under the CCTF for up to three one-year terms. Like the PCTF, this covers secondary fields only.

Interim Employment Certificate (IEC): Available for all fields including elementary, early childhood, and special education. Requires enrollment in an approved Alternative Class A master's program at an Alabama university. You teach full-time while earning your graduate degree. This is the only alternative route for K-6 and P-3 teaching.

Temporary Special Education Certificate (TSEC): Available exclusively for collaborative special education grades 6-12. You teach while completing five required special education courses at an approved university.

GPA Requirements

Alabama enforces a strict GPA threshold:

• 2.50 or higher overall undergraduate GPA: You qualify for standard entry to any alternative route
• 2.00 to 2.49: You can still qualify, but you must either earn a 5% increased score on the Praxis Subject Assessment or complete six upper-level semester hours in your teaching field
• Below 2.00: You are ineligible for any Alabama teacher certification pathway

Alabama does not round GPAs. A 2.49 stays a 2.49 — it does not become a 2.50.

The Employment-First Requirement

Every alternative route requires you to have a teaching job before you can apply for the credential. This is different from states where you get certified first and then job hunt. In Alabama:

1. You secure a full-time teaching position in an Alabama school district
2. The district's superintendent formally sponsors your application
3. The ALSDE issues your provisional, conditional, or interim certificate
4. You begin teaching while completing your program requirements

This means your job search and certification process run in parallel. Use Alabama's official K-12 job board at careersalk12education.org to find openings. Districts cannot legally hire you without active background clearance, so complete your Fieldprint fingerprinting ($46.20) before interviewing.

What You'll Need to Pass

Regardless of which route you choose, career changers must pass:

• Praxis Subject Assessment in your target teaching field ($120-$170 through ETS). Register and specify ALSDE code 7020 as your score recipient. If you fail, you must wait 28 days before retaking
• edTPA portfolio ($300) or, after three years of teaching experience, the Praxis PLT exam ($156)
• Pearson Foundations of Reading (test 890, $139) — only if your certification covers elementary (K-6), early childhood (P-3), or collaborative special education (K-6)

You'll also complete the Alabama Teacher Mentor Program (ATMP) during your first year, with a minimum of 2.5 hours per week of contact time with an assigned mentor.

Cost Comparison

The Alt-A route costs more upfront but lands you on the Class A salary lane, which pays more at every experience step across your career. For a long-term teaching commitment, the higher tuition often pays for itself within a few years.

The No-Student-Teaching Question

You do not need traditional student teaching on any alternative route. The PCTF and CCTF replace student teaching with full-time paid employment — you learn in the classroom while earning a salary. The IEC route similarly has you teaching while completing your master's coursework.

The only candidates who complete traditional student teaching are those in standard university education programs (the traditional route to Class B certification).

The Alabama Teacher Certification Guide includes a pathway decision worksheet that matches your degree, GPA, and target subject area to the right certification route, with a cost-timeline planner to compare total investment across all options.

See more Alabama guides →