Are you ready to move Nevada Forward?
The UNLV College of Education is piloting a secondary Accelerated Alternate Route to Licensure (A-ARL) program for school support professionals interested in becoming math or English/language arts teachers. This pilot program is designed to recruit and retain a highly-prepared teacher workforce to work in urban schools. The program utilizes culturally sustaining pedagogies in a fast-track, high-quality pathway for those with a bachelors degree to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching and complete qualifications for teacher licensure in a single academic year.
Another benefit? Funding from the Nevada Educator Preparation Institute & Collaborative (NV-EPIC) to support up to 75% of the cost of completing the A-ARL Master of Education program. The College of Education, along with various community partners, is also building a network of support committed to your success, and the Nevada Department of Education has committed funding to help expand the reach of UNLV’s A-ARL pathway to licensure.
Is UNLV’s Secondary AARL Pilot program right for you?
If you answer YES to ALL of these questions, this program may be a good fit.
*NOTE: Course sequencing is subject to change. These sequences are to be used as examples only.
Don’t have a bachelor’s degree? No worries! We have another program to help you achieve your goals. Click here for more information.
The UNLV College of Education also offers an Alternate Route to Licensure (ARL) program that has a less-accelerated timeline. Note: Tuition/Fees for this program are not covered by NV-EPIC. Click here for more information.
What makes A-ARL different?
Cohort model
The program uses a cohort approach, which values relationship building and nurturing a community of learners. Why? Because the best way to move Nevada forward is to prepare diverse individuals with other diverse individuals who bring rich and unique experiences to the table. The goal is to develop a community of educators to serve our communities .
ACCELERATED CURRICULUM TO MEET THE NEEDS OF WORKING PROFESSIONALS
A-ARL moves fast! But the program provides a high-quality experience tailored to the needs of working professionals that doesn’t sacrifice quality, time with your families, or take you away from your other responsibilities. Program courses are offered in a variety of online and in-person formats tailored to meet student needs by program area.
OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND WORK AT THE SAME TIME
Candidates who enroll in the A-ARL program are required to hold employment as school support professionals while completing program requirements. Completion of the Secondary A-ARL Pilot program will qualify candidates to become fully licensed teachers in Nevada.
Professional Development & Microcredentialing
Not everything will be learned in the classroom—UNLV’s or the school where you teach. The program offers world class professional development to give you new perspectives and ideas about how teachers move Nevada forward. NV-EPIC compliments A-ARL by offering free microcredential courses in partnership with the Clark County School District (CCSD) designed to provide you with the tools and resources you need to be effective in a constantly evolving educational landscape.
Continued Mentoring & Support
Developed in partnership between the Clark County Education Association (CCEA), the Public Education Foundation (PEF), CCSD, UNLV, and other partners, UNLV and NV-EPIC will support you with mentoring and induction for your first three years as a classroom teacher after the program ends. Why? Because your success as a teacher moves all Nevadans forward.
Funding Available
Costs never seem to stop rising. Gas prices, grocery prices, and even the price of your morning cup of coffee are skyrocketing. So, funding has been secured, at this point, to cover up to 75% of program costs for those who are both admitted to UNLV and accepted into the A-ARL program.
Looking for more information?
Have questions about the A-ARL program? Send us an email and we’ll get back to you in 48-72 hours.
Apply for NV-EPIC Secondary A-ARL Cohort 3.0
Prepare your documentation
Please ensure you have the following documentation/items ready to be uploaded with your application. Admission consideration may be delayed or denied without submitting these documents:
Transcripts may take several weeks to arrive and be processed. The good news? You only need to send in unofficial transcripts (that just means a PDF for most of you) to get the process started and apply. If admitted, you will need official transcripts on file.
Find more information about submitting transcripts and UNLV’s admission requirements on UNLV’s website.
If you are admitted to the program, you will need your immunization records. It’s never too early for you to start getting those together.
More information about required immunizations is available on UNLV’s website.
A requirement of admission into the Secondary (7-12) A-ARL Program is employment as a paraprofessional or school support professional in a Nevada public or Charter school. Applicants will be required to submit a letter of support from their supervisors attesting that they are aware of the requirements and will support the candidate with the necessary accommodations to successfully complete the requirement.
Applicants may download the PDF form here and submit it with their application materials.
After you submit your application, you will get an email invitation to submit a Kira Talent Video Interview. This should not take you more than 15 minutes to complete your interview. You will respond to two prompts during your assessment:
1) Introduce yourself and tell us why you want to be a teacher.
2) Tell us how you being a teacher will help move Nevada forward.
3) Describe your experiences teaching or working with a diverse student population. How do you approach meeting the needs of all students at your school?
You can learn more about how to use this program to submit your videos here.
If you have received an invitation to complete your Kira assessment, your CAS ID is your NSHE number.
Candidates invited to the NV-EPIC A-ARL Bridge Program must successfully pass either the Praxis Core or CBEST and submit official scores to NV-EPIC by June 16, 2023 in order to gain full admission into A-ARL Cohort 3.0. Students without official passing scores will not be admitted into Cohort 3.0.
For more information on these exams, visit Praxis or CBEST.
NOTE: You will not submit your Praxis/CBEST scores for admission to the UNLV Graduate College. Test scores will be sent directly to the NV-EPIC program after you have been notified of your acceptance. However, candidates are welcome to take the test and keep scores on file to ensure they meet the June 16 results deadline.
Candidates invited to the NV-EPIC A-ARL Bridge Program must successfully pass either the Praxis II (content area for secondary) exam and submit official scores to NV-EPIC by July 14, 2023 in order to gain full admission into A-ARL Cohort 3.0 Secondary Program. Students without official passing Praxis II scores will not be admitted into the program.
For more information on these exams, visit Praxis.
NOTE: You will not submit your Praxis II scores for admission to the UNLV Graduate College. Test scores will be sent directly to the NV-EPIC program after you have been notified of your acceptance. However, candidates are welcome to take the test and keep scores on file to ensure they meet the July 14 results deadline.
The Accelerated Alternate Route to Licensure (A-ARL) Secondary program is designed for students to complete coursework while working full-time as paraprofessional or school support professional in a Nevada public or charter school.
Candidates must secure a position in a Nevada public or charter school by August 21, 2023 in order to gain full admission into A-ARL Secondary Cohort 3.0. Students who do not secure employment at a Nevada public or charter school prior to the start of fall courses will not be permitted to continue in the program.
The NV-EPIC program maintains relationships with Clark County School District, Washoe County School District, and with Charter Schools and can assist students in finding open positions that fulfill requirements.
Submit your application
Complete your application to the UNLV Graduate College (via Grad Rebel Gateway). In the Application Type section, make the following selections:
Level of Study: Masters
Program of Study: NV-EPIC Secondary
Term of Admission: Summer 2023
Applications close May 9, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. No late applications will be accepted.
