How to Become a Teacher in Arkansas
The short answer to how to become a teacher in Arkansas: a bachelor's degree, an approved preparation program, the assessments required for your specific license area, and a background check make up the traditional path. DESE issues licenses through the Arkansas Educator Licensure System (AELS). Alternative routes like the Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway (ArPEP) can get you teaching sooner if you already hold a degree.
If you're researching how to become a teacher in Arkansas, the traditional path breaks down into four parts: a bachelor's degree, an approved preparation program, the assessments required for your license area, and a background check, all run through DESE. Most candidates finish all four in about four years if they start with an education degree. If you already have a bachelor's in something else, an alternative route can get you in front of a class sooner. If you'd like a refresher on what certification involves more broadly before diving into Arkansas's specific steps, start there, then come back here for the details that apply to this state.
Choose What You Want to Teach
Start with the grade band. Elementary, middle, and secondary each require a different license, and your coursework changes depending on which one you pick. If you're aiming for middle or high school, you'll also need to settle on a subject, since Arkansas licenses secondary teachers by content area, not just grade level. Get this decided early. It determines which Praxis Subject Assessment you'll eventually sit for.
Earn a Bachelor's Degree and Complete a Preparation Program
For the traditional licensure pathway, DESE requires a bachelor's degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university, plus an approved educator preparation program, before you can apply for a license. If you haven't started your degree yet, most students complete both at once through a joint program that blends the bachelor's coursework with the certification requirements. It runs faster than doing them separately, though it's a heavier course load semester to semester.
If you already hold a bachelor's degree in a field other than education, you'll complete an alternative or post-baccalaureate preparation program instead. Educator preparation programs combine coursework in teaching methods, differentiated instruction, and classroom technology with fieldwork: observation hours, reflective writing, and student teaching. Most candidates finish student teaching in 12 to 16 weeks.
Alternative Teacher Certification in Arkansas
If a traditional four-year program doesn't fit your situation, Arkansas has several alternative routes. DESE currently lists the Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway (ArPEP), the Arkansas Teacher Corps, Highly Qualified Professor, iTeach, the Provisional Professional Teaching License, Teach for America, master's-degree first-licensure programs, and MathTrack Institute. Each leads to the same license, just on a different timeline and with its own eligibility rules. Two of the most common are covered below.
Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway (ArPEP)
ArPEP is for candidates who already hold a bachelor's degree. It lets you work as a classroom teacher of record while you complete the remaining coursework and licensure requirements for your specific license area. This pathway does not require Praxis Core.
Arkansas Teacher Corps (ATC)
ATC is an accelerated route for high-achieving graduates and professionals from any academic background. Accepted candidates are placed in full-time, paid teaching positions in high-need Arkansas districts for a three-year commitment while they complete licensure requirements.
Assessments Required for Certification
Arkansas ties its testing requirements to the specific license or endorsement you're pursuing, not to one universal test. DESE's official assessment table lists exactly which exam applies to each credential, and it isn't always a standard content test: an American Sign Language endorsement, for example, requires the American Sign Language Proficiency Interview instead. Some pathways also allow testing alternatives or exceptions, so confirm the exact requirement for your license area with DESE before you register for anything.
Pedagogy Assessment
Most license areas require a pedagogy assessment covering instructional practice and teaching theory, commonly satisfied through the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exam. It isn't required the same way in every pathway, though. Provisional Professional Teaching License holders, for instance, can satisfy this requirement through PLT or an approved micro-credential instead.
Content-Area Assessments
You'll also need the content assessment tied to your specific license area, per DESE's official assessment table. For most subject and grade-band licenses, that's a Praxis Subject Assessment, but not for every credential. Check the table for your specific license area rather than assuming.
Apply for Your Arkansas Teaching License
Once you've cleared your preparation program and your required assessments, you apply through the Arkansas Educator Licensure System (AELS), DESE's online licensure portal.
Application Requirements
- Completed AELS application
- Official college transcripts showing your degree and credits
- Passing scores on all required licensure assessments
- Copies of any existing teaching certificates, if applicable
- Employment records, where relevant
- State and FBI background check clearance, including fingerprinting
Contact Information
Office of Educator Licensure, Arkansas Department of Education
Four Capitol Mall, Room 106-B, Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: (501) 682-4342
Find a Teaching Job in Arkansas
Once you're licensed, districts across the state are hiring, and the Arkansas Department of Education partners with the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators (AAEA) to run a statewide database of open teaching positions.
Arkansas Education Association (AEA)
Most public school teachers join either the Arkansas Education Association (AEA) or the non-union Arkansas State Teachers Association (AAE) for liability coverage, collective advocacy, and professional development access.
ARBenefits and Retirement
Arkansas state and public school employees can enroll in ARBenefits during their career and into retirement. Public school teachers also participate in ARTRS, the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, which pays out monthly retirement income.
Private Schools
Arkansas has roughly 174 private schools serving about 29,000 students, many with a Baptist or other Christian affiliation. Pay, benefits, and hiring requirements at private schools vary by institution and aren't governed by the same DESE licensure rules as public schools.
If you're weighing Arkansas against a neighboring state, the certification steps run similarly close by: see How to Become a Teacher in Louisiana, How to Become a Teacher in Mississippi, and How to Become a Teacher in Missouri.
Continue Your Education and Professional Development
Keeping an Arkansas teaching license active means logging professional development hours every year: DESE requires ongoing training in areas the state has flagged as critical, not just generic seat time.
Required Professional Development Topics
DESE generally requires at least 36 hours of professional development annually, with certain mandated trainings, including child maltreatment reporting, dyslexia awareness, teen suicide awareness and prevention, and family and community engagement, rotating on a five-year cycle. Arkansas law also requires an Arkansas history course for certain licensure areas. Confirm with DESE whether your specific license area is included.
Teacher Salaries in Arkansas
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, elementary school teachers in Arkansas earned a median annual salary of $56,210 as of May 2025, while middle school teachers earned $58,830 and secondary school teachers earned $59,710.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Job Growth (2024-2034) |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers | $55,220 | +12.0% |
| Elementary School Teachers | $56,210 | +11.9% |
| Middle School Teachers | $58,830 | +11.6% |
| Secondary School Teachers | $59,710 | +11.9% |
That growth direction is worth pausing on. Nationally, most K-12 classroom teaching roles are projected to decline slightly over the same period, but Projections Central shows Arkansas moving the other way, with double-digit growth across every core teaching occupation and an average of roughly 1,000 elementary teaching openings a year in the state.
Advancing Your Career With a Master's Degree
A master's degree isn't required for an Arkansas teaching license, but earning one can open options for additional endorsements, administrative roles, and specialized license areas. Graduate coursework in your subject area may also count toward your annual professional development requirement. Check with your district and DESE for how the hours apply to your specific license.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a teacher in Arkansas?
Most candidates finish a bachelor's degree and preparation program in about four years, plus 12 to 16 weeks of student teaching. After passing your required assessments and clearing a background check, DESE typically processes a completed license application within a few weeks to a few months. Alternative routes like ArPEP can shorten the wait before you're actually teaching, since you start as a teacher of record while finishing requirements.
Can I teach in Arkansas without an education degree?
Yes. If you already hold a bachelor's degree in another field, ArPEP and several other DESE-approved alternative pathways let you begin teaching under a provisional license while you complete the remaining coursework and licensure requirements. The Arkansas Teacher Corps offers a similar accelerated path for candidates from any major.
Does Arkansas accept teaching licenses from other states?
Arkansas has reciprocity agreements that can streamline licensure for out-of-state teachers, but you'll still need to submit your credentials to DESE through AELS and may need to complete additional assessments depending on your original state's requirements. Contact DESE directly to confirm what applies to your specific license.
What's the difference between ArPEP and the Arkansas Teacher Corps?
Both let degree-holders start teaching before finishing every requirement, but they're structured differently. ArPEP is an open pathway you can pursue in most districts. The Arkansas Teacher Corps is a competitive, cohort-based program that places accepted candidates in high-need districts for a three-year commitment. DESE lists several other alternative routes too, so these aren't the only two options.
Do I need a master's degree to teach in Arkansas?
No. A bachelor's degree and an approved preparation program are enough for a Standard Arkansas Teaching License through the traditional pathway. A master's degree isn't required, but it can open additional endorsement and license options, and related coursework may count toward your professional development hours.
- Four steps, one system - a bachelor's degree, an approved preparation program, the assessments required for your license area, and a background check, all submitted through AELS.
- Alternative routes are equal, not lesser, and there are more than two - ArPEP, the Arkansas Teacher Corps, and several other DESE-approved pathways lead to the same Standard license as the traditional path, just on a faster timeline for degree-holders.
- Arkansas's job market is bucking the national trend - core teaching occupations here are projected to grow more than 11% through 2034, while the national picture is flat to declining.
- PD renewal is annual, with a five-year rotation for specific trainings - DESE requires at least 36 hours a year, plus mandated topics like dyslexia awareness and child maltreatment reporting on a five-year cycle.
- Testing is license-specific, not one-size-fits-all - confirm your required assessments directly with DESE rather than assuming Praxis Core or PLT applies to every pathway.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, and High School Teachers. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2026.
Choosing a preparation program matters as much as choosing to teach. The sponsored programs listed on this page include options built for career-changers who already hold a degree, with online coursework that fits around a full-time job.