Skip to Content
Language Arts 2024-03-11T05:52:45-06:00

Beginning Teacher Pathway

Beginning teachers adding the endorsement to an initial license must satisfy the following requirements for the license:

  • 24-36 semester hours in language arts (see coursework listed below) and
  • Passage  of the following PRAXIS exam: English Language Arts (5038), or
    • For Elementary, Early Childhood, Middle Level, Special Education, and Deaf & Hard of Hearing licenses, Passage of the following PRAXIS exam: Middle School English Language Arts (5047)

Teacher with Existing License Pathway

Teachers seeking to add the endorsement to an existing NM teaching license of any level can either:

  • Passage of the following PRAXIS exam: English Language Arts (5038), or
    • For Elementary, Early Childhood,  Middle Level, Special Education, and Deaf & Hard of Hearing licenses, Passage of the following PRAXIS exam: Middle School English Language Arts (5047), or
  • Earn 24-36 semester hours of credit in language arts (please see coursework listed below) ;
    • if adding to an early childhood license, no upper-division credit hours are required;
    • if adding to an elementary license, 6 of the hours must be upper division credit;
    • if adding to a middle-level license 6 of the hours must be upper-division credit;
    • if adding to a secondary, pre k-12 specialty, special education, or deaf & hard of hearing licenses, 12 of the hours must be upper division credit;  or
  • Be certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in language arts

Accepted Language Arts Coursework

  • communication
  • composition
  • drama
  • literature
  • poetry
  • rhetoric

  • theatre
  • writing
  • English
  • English as a second language
  • English grammar
  • handwriting

  • journalism
  • linguistics
  • public speaking
  • reading
  • speech
  • Some American studies or philosophy coursework specific to this area may be counted

New Mexico Administrative Code

Language Arts NMAC
Page last updated March 11, 2024