Pre-Education at Nevada State University

So You Want To Be A Teacher?

At Nevada State University, students who declare a “Pre-Education” course of study, with the intention to pursue a Bachelor of Arts or Science in one of our Education degrees are admitted to NS as a pre-major in their relevant degree path. The pre-major allows students to pursue courses required for their degree, while simultaneously working on all pre-requisites needed to apply for the Teacher Preparation Program and transition into the full degree.

This page is designed to provide you all the information you may need as you begin your undergraduate pursuit of a career in Education. For the most up-to-date information, we already recommend speaking with the School of Education or visiting their homepage here.

What Paths Are Included in Education?

Nevada State offers multiple degrees that lead to teaching licensure for the state of Nevada. Please see the below chart for the Education majors that we currently offer. You can find out more information about each degree plan by visiting the website for each.

Early Childhood Education (Ages Birth to 8)

Early Childhood & Early Childhood Special Education (BA)

Elementary Education (Grades K through 8)

Secondary Education (Grades 7 through 12)

There are also minors and endorsements available. For more information, please contact your Advisor or the School of Education. You can find detailed degree sheets for each of these degrees, concentrations, and minors on our Degrees & Programs page.

How Long Does it Take to Earn a Degree in Education?

Most students can complete an education degree in four years if they take an average of 15 credits per semester and are admitted into the School of Education once they reach 60 credits. Some concentrations in the Secondary Education degree and the Special Education concentration may require some summer coursework or an additional semester. Which courses you choose in the Core Curriculum, and how quickly you pass the Praxis Core or CBEST exam will all determine the likelihood of being able to graduate in four years. For more information on the Praxis Core/CBEST, see “What is the Praxis Core/CBEST Exam?”

Here is a general progression of what your time here at Nevada State will look like:

Step 0: Prospective School of Education Student
See “How Do I Apply to Nevada State?”

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Step 1: Pre-School of Education Student
Meet with Academic Advisor and Academic Success Coach
Take Praxis Core (or CBEST) and apply for substitute teaching license

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Step 2: Admitted to School of Education
Meet with Faculty Advisor and Academic Success Coach
Take Praxis Subject Assessment

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Step 3: Student Teaching
16 weeks, full-time in a school
Gain hands on experience in a classroom under a licensed teacher

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Step 4: Graduation

How Do I Apply to Nevada State?

Whether you are a first-time student or a transfer student, you can find the application to apply to Nevada State here. Please be aware of application and transcript deadlines! If you have any questions, you can call the Admissions & Recruitment Office at 702-992-2130 or email admissions@nsc.edu.

If I Am Interested in Transferring, What’s Next?

If you are currently attending an institution other than Nevada State, we recommend meeting with our Transfer Coordinators. They can speak with you about the transfer process. Information and appointments can be found by following this link.

You can also contact the Office of Admissions at (702) 992-2170 or email us at transfer@nevadastate.edu.

If you have transfer credits from any other institutions the only way to know how many of the credits will transfer into your degree program is to apply to NS and have your official transcripts sent to us. The time frame for application processing is typically 4 – 6 weeks. This time frame starts when we have received all of your official transcripts from all of your previous schools. You can meet with a Transfer Coordinator who can outline the application process with you. Once you have been accepted into the school you will be able to sit down with a Pre-Education Advisor to review your transfer credits and your path to application to the Teacher Preparation Program. Once you have applied and requested your transcripts you are welcome to call our Admissions & Recruitment Office to determine if we have received your transcripts. (702) 992-2170. To get a general idea of what courses are likely to transfer into NS feel free to use our Transfer Equivalency Database. The majority of schools that we will accept credits from are listed on here. Search the school you are transferring credits from and then enter the course designation from your transcript – for example ENG 112. This will show you how that class transferred to NS in the past. Using this in tandem with the attached degree sheet for your major will allow you to perform your own unofficial credit evaluation and get an idea of what coursework will be likely to transfer into the degree. If a specific course or school is not listed on the database this simply means that no one has previously attempted to transfer credits from that school or that particular course. It does not mean that NS will not accept these credits. All information provided on the Transfer Equivalency Database is unofficial.

What Are The Requirements For Admission To The Teacher Preparation Program?

All Pre-Education students, regardless of concentration, will need to meet the requirements below before applying for admission to the Teacher Preparation Program. Once admitted, you will no longer be a “pre” major, but will be a full “Elementary Education” or “Secondary Education” major. Pre-Education students meet with an Academic Advisor to find out when they will need to apply for program admission.

Requirements for program admission:

Admission to Nevada State as a Pre-Education major (see “How Do I Apply to Nevada State?”)
Must have a 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA (this includes all coursework taken at NS and transferred to NS from prior colleges)
Must have passing scores on the Praxis Core or CBEST exam
Apply for a substitute teaching license through the Nevada Department of Education
A substitute teaching license requires either 60 completed college credits or completion of an Associate’s degree

What Is the Praxis Core (Or CBEST) Exam?

Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators Test (Core) measures basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics and is designed to assess the academic skills necessary for the field of education. 39 of the 50 states in the U.S. use the Praxis Core exam as a requirement in their teacher education programs and for state teacher licensure.

The California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) also measures basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. It is also designed to assess the academic skills necessary for the field of education. 3 out of the 50 states in the U.S. accept the CBEST exam for meeting licensure (California, Oregon, and Nevada).

Registration for Praxis Core

Registration: For more information and to register for the exam, please visit www.ets.org/praxis . ETS is currently offering At Home Testing for the Praxis Core while some testing centers may be closed; more information can be found here.

Registration for CBEST

Registration: For more information and to register for the exam, please visit here.

When Should I Take The Test?

Pre-Education majors who have completed ENG 102, MATH 120, and the 2 Praxis Core Preparation Lab courses are encouraged to take the Praxis Core (or CBEST) exam. It’s generally recommended to complete the Praxis Core or CBEST by 60 completed credits. To meet the requirements for admission into the Teacher Preparation Program, Pre-Education students must pass one of these exams. Please note the differences in scoring, cost, test structure, and websites under “What is the Praxis Core (Or CBEST) Exam?”

Are There Any Resources Available To Help Me Pass The Praxis Core (Or CBEST) Exam?

Yes! Please visit our Praxis Resource Center here. This lists all the free resources you have access to as an NS student and some online recourses. Additionally, your major likely requires EDU 163 and EDU 164. These one credit lab classes prepare you for the Reading/Writing (EDU 163) and Math (EDU 164) components of the Praxis Core exam.

For additional information on the PRAXIS/CBEST, including test prep and strategy, we encourage you to contact Monica Cuevas. Monica is the Academic Success Coordinator for the School of Education and her focus is on assisting students with these exams. Monica can be reached by email at monica.cuevas@nevadastate.edu.