TeachSC | Frequently Asked Questions

Only you can decide if teaching is right for you, and there is a combination of skills and values that many teachers have. 

Here are some signs that you will like teaching:

• You want a career with autonomy, mastery and purpose.
• You have drive and curiosity to challenge yourself and grow.
• You've worked with children before and enjoy it.
• You want a job that's both creative and analytical, and that makes a real difference in your community.

Here are a few places to start your research:

• Visit our Explore Teaching page.
• Check out our articles, pages and videos to explore the ins and outs of teaching.

If you’re a first-year teacher, the average starting salary for South Carolina teachers is $44,693. If you have more experience or more education, South Carolina’s average teacher salary is $60,763.

• In most cases, school districts set their own salary schedules for teachers, which are often based on years of experience and credentials. 

You can learn more about South Carolina teacher salaries and benefits on our Salary and Benefits page.

You do not need a master’s degree to start teaching in South Carolina, but if you already have a bachelor’s degree and are changing careers to start teaching, a master’s degree isn’t a bad idea.

Benefits of getting a master’s degree to teach in South Carolina:

• A master's degree program offers extra support to learn the teaching trade, from lesson planning to classroom management.
• A master's degree will allow you to earn a higher salary.
• If you already have a teaching certificate, you can take classes to earn your master’s degree during nights and weekends. 

You can use our Program Explorer to find master's degree programs in South Carolina.

You can use financial aid such as scholarships, grants and loan forgiveness opportunities to help make teaching programs more affordable. 

Financial aid options in South Carolina:

• Scholarships: financial assistance that does not need to be repaid, and is offered based on a student’s merit, need or athletics, such as the TEACH South Carolina Scholarship. 
• Grants: a financial award that does not need to be repaid, such as the South Carolina Needs-Based Grant.
• Loan forgiveness: a cancellation of some or all a student’s loans after meeting specified requirements such as on-time payments, service commitments and tenure. The Teacher Loan Forgiveness program is a good example. 

Financial aid opportunities can be federally, privately or institutionally funded. You can learn more about financial aid for South Carolina teachers in our financial aid guide. 

Choosing the right teaching programs will depend on your experience and where you want to begin your teaching career. 

Consider these questions to help determine the program for you: 

• Do you want to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree along with your teaching certificate? Or do you want to jump right into teaching with an alternative certification program? 
• Do you have a budget? Does the program need to be mostly online to fit your schedule? 
• How much hands-on experience do you want, and what kind of mentorship do you hope to receive? 

Questions like these will guide you to choosing the program that fits your goals. You can learn more about choosing a teaching program in our article. 

You can absolutely teach in a subject other than what your degree is in. In South Carolina, you will need pass subject area assessments and take a teacher preparation program in your new subject. 

How to Get Certified in Your New Subject:

• Choose a Pathway: master’s of art in teaching programs offer a master’s degree alongside your teaching certificate, or you can take alternative certification programs or certificate-only programs. Learn more on our How to Become a Certified Teacher in South Carolina page.
• Take required courses: You may need to take extra courses in your new subject. You can check with your teacher prep program for course requirements.
• Pass subject area assessments: You must pass a subject area test for your new subject area to prove you can teach that subject. Learn more about testing in our Testing Guide.

To set your teaching career up for success, focus on professional growth and finding the right environment. Follow these key steps:

• Prioritize teacher effectiveness: Look for professional development opportunities, find strong mentors and challenge yourself to try new things in the classroom! These strategies can set you up for more benefits like promotions and pay raises. 
• Select the right employer: Research school districts and leadership carefully, as your school community and leadership will significantly impact your growth.
• Evaluate fit during interviews: Treat interviews as a two-way process. You're interviewing for a position, but you also want to find out if a particular school will be a good fit.

Teachers generally have a great deal of autonomy — more so than most jobs right out of college. From day one, you'll be entrusted with big responsibilities. 

Areas teachers will have the most autonomy

• Building classroom culture by way of room decoration, class room management techniques and classroom routines
• Instructional Strategy by choosing the activities, technology and teaching methods that best fit your students' needs
• Being creative with lesson implementation by adapting the required curriculum to be engaging for your students

That said, every school varies in terms of teacher autonomy, so it's smart to ask about this during job interviews.

In most cases, yes. With proper training, preparation and practice, you'll build the skills you need to manage students in your classroom.

Your teaching program should show you how to earn your students' trust, develop strong communication skills and use effective classroom management techniques.

Once you're in the classroom, you'll continue to learn on the job and learn from your colleagues. Teachers are a supportive bunch, and experienced educators at your school will help you to continue to build your craft. You've got this!

Yes! While there’s no single way to be a good teacher, there are a combination of skills and values that a good teacher has. Like any profession, it takes time and dedication to develop the skills to teach effectively. 

Therefore, good teachers need to have passion, drive, and curiosity to do their job well and better themselves. Each day, you'll improve your relationship-building, critical thinking, creativity and leadership skills, to support your students the best that you can.

The quickest way to become a teacher online is through alternative certification programs or teacher residency programs. 

Key benefits to non-traditional online programs

• Online coursework: asynchronous coursework can be completed at your own pace
• Fast-track training: shorter but enriched training courses on the fundamentals of teaching a classroom of students
• Earn while you learn: in many cases, once you finish training, you can start teaching in your classroom right away and apply what you learn as you teach. 

No matter what type of program you choose, you will have hands-on, in-person experiences during student teaching, so it can’t be done completely online. 

In most cases, it will take four years in a traditional teaching program. However, it ultimately depends on the type of teaching program you choose and where you are in your academic career. 

• Bachelor’s degree & certification: About 4 years
• Master’s degree & certification: 1–3 years
• Alternative certification: 1–2 years
• Certification-only: Up to 1 year

You can see different programs and their lengths in our Program Explorer.

The fastest pathways to become a certified teacher is through alternative certification programs or certificate-only programs. If you have educational or professional degrees in the subject area you want to teach, these programs allow you to learn how to teach and, in some cases, start teaching right away.

Learn more about South Carolina' s PACE program, or find other programs in our Program Explorer. 

You can become a teacher even if you have a unique background and there are pathways to teaching tailored specifically for situations like this. 

Pathways to a teaching certificate:

• Alternative certification programs are a good option for you if you want to change careers and have a bachelor’s degree in the subject you want to teach. 
• Career and Technical Education certification programs are a good option if you have vocational experience in a specific trade or industry.

Learn more about South Carolina teacher certification.

No, you can absolutely become a teacher in South Carolina at any point in your career. 

• If you have a bachelor’s degree, you can find many programs suited for career changers, such as master’s degree programs, certificate-only programs and alternative certification programs. 
• If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, there are traditional teaching programs that offer a bachelor’s and certificate at the same time. 
• If you have work experience in an industry or technical field, you can become a Career and Technical Education teacher to teach grades 9-12. 

Each program offers a different range of coursework, hands-on experience and mentoring. Learn more about South Carolina teacher certification. 

No, substitute teaching or paraprofessional roles do not qualify for the full-time classroom teaching experience required to get certified. Non-occupational experience is only credited towards current certified teachers who want to add a new subject area to their certification. 

However, working in those roles provides valuable experience for applying to teacher preparation programs. 

Yes, you can use your non-education degree or prior experience to teach in South Carolina. There are two options available: 

• Elementary and Secondary education (in any subject) teacher: You will need to pass an exam in your desired subject area, as well as fulfill requirements for a teacher preparation program. Pathways available to you include master’s degree programs, certificate-only programs and alternative certificate programs. Learn more in our teaching programs guide.
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher: This pathway is a non-traditional route to becoming a teacher. If you have work experience in industries like construction, hospitality, or health sciences, a CTE certificate lets you apply your skills to teach grades 9-12. Learn more about becoming a CTE teacher. 

Alternative certification is a type of teacher certification that prepares teachers for an accelerated entry into teaching. This type of certification is good for people who:

• Have a bachelor’s degree, but haven’t started a teacher prep program
• Have career experience in the subject you plan to teach
• Have previous experience in education

If you are unsure of what subject to teach, or curious about what options are available for you, learrn more about Connecticut certification subject areas and consider the Alternative Route to Certification (ARC) program.

An alternative certification program is a teacher preparation pathway that lets you earn your initial teaching certification while you teach in your own classroom. To apply, you will need to meet these requirements:

• Have a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution.
• A minimum GPA of at least 2.5.
• Pass required tests such as the Praxis II in your teaching subject.
• Some university programs may have their own testing requirements. 

The South Carolina Department of Education has its own alternative certification program called the PACE program. Other programs’ applications are available on university or institution websites, and you can find South Carolina alternative certification programs in our Program Explorer.  

South Carolina offers a variety of teacher certification programs, ranging from programs for people who have never been to college to programs for people who want a master’s degree. You can expect to find these types of programs available at different colleges and universities:

• Bachelor’s degree + certificate programs
• Master’s degree + certificate programs
• Alternative certification programs
• Certificate-only programs

Each program offers a different range of coursework, hands-on experience and mentoring. Learn more about South Carolina teacher certification. 

In South Carolina, the primary difference is that a teaching degree is an academic qualification from a college, while a teaching certificate is the legal authorization from the state to teach in a classroom.

To qualify for these credentials, you must meet different requirements:

• Teaching degree: Obtained by completing a college-level teacher preparation program, including specialized coursework in a specific subject area.
• Teaching certificate: Issued by the South Carolina Department of Education after you complete the degree, pass the required state certificate exams, and finish student teaching assessments. 

You can learn more about South Carolina teacher certificates in our certification guide.

Yes, you can earn your master’s degree and South Carolina teaching certificate in one program in as little as one to two years. 

The benefits of a master’s degree program:

• Integrated certification: Master’s of arts in teaching programs build in teacher certification requirements into your coursework to get you certified faster.
• Higher salary: You can start teaching with a higher salary with a master’s degree.

You can find a master’s degree program for you in our Program Explorer.

Yes, there are many earn while you learn (teacher residency) programs in South Carolina for teachers to get certified while teaching in a classroom. These programs are built for you to earn your teacher certificate in two to three years, all while applying what you learn from your coursework into the classroom. You can learn more in our guide about what to expect in a South Carolina Teacher Residency. 

A teaching residency program is a type of alternative certification program that allows you to earn your initial teaching certificate in two to three years while getting paid to teach in a classroom alongside a mentor teacher.

Key benefits to a teaching residency program

• Get paid to teach: receive an annual stipend ($25,000–$30,000) while in the program, with benefits! 
• More experience: you will commit to teaching in your school for the full school year, where other programs typically have student teaching last for a few weeks. You will also get support from your mentor teacher.
• Job opportunities: start a full-time teaching role, usually in the district where you trained. After you graduate, you’ll often commit to teaching in your district for a certain amount of time.

You can learn more about the benefits of South Carolina Teacher Residency Programs.

You can get your out-of-state teaching license evaluated by the South Carolina Department of Education to determine if you meet all the requirements to teach in South Carolina. 

Evaluation of your out-of-state teacher license:

• Comparable license: If you hold a valid, out-of-state license that is comparable to the South Carolina teacher license and have a bachelor’s degree or higher, you can submit your credentials for review.
• Provide teaching experience: You will need to provide proof of full-time teaching experience to get a South Carolina Initial teaching license.
• Pass content and teaching assessments: If your state did not require content or teaching assessments, South Carolina may require you to take these before getting certified.

No, in South Carolina, you cannot get your out-of-state teaching certificate reciprocated if it has expired. You will need to submit a valid out-of-state certificate and other materials in order to start teaching in South Carolina. 
Valid, in-state certified teachers may apply for a new certificate after ensuring they meet all current requirements, and that their certificate has not lapsed for over ten years.

Substitute teachers usually need atleast a high school diploma/GED and be at least 18 years old. School districts have different requirements and application processes, so check with the school district you want to substitute for to see the requirements to apply. 

You can’t teach in South Carolina immediately without a teaching certification, but you can go through an alternative certification program to begin teaching in a classroom faster or if you already have taken a teacher preparation program but haven’t passed your content exams, you can apply for a Provisional Initial Certificate.

Benefits of alternative certification programs in South Carolina:

• If you have a degree in the subject area you want to teach, these programs allow you to start teaching right away while you learn outside of school hours. 
• The South Carolina Department of Education has its own alternative certification program called the PACE program.
• Other alternative certification programs are available in our Program Explorer.

You can apply for a South Carolina teaching license even with an international degree or license. To begin the process, you will need to gather some documents as well as have your degree and credentials evaluated:

International teaching license application requirements:

• You must have a bachelor’s degree.
• Submit valid identification documentation, work experience, teaching licenses and fingerprinting.

You will also need to submit official transcripts to the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE) for a course-by-course evaluation. Learn more about sending in your documents.

International Visiting Teachers Program Pathway: Teachers who live in a country that has an agreement with the United States can apply for sponsorship to get certified and teach in South Carolina.

To have your international teaching certificate or degree recognized by the U.S. and to begin teaching in South Carolina, you will need to submit your transcripts to  the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE) for a course-by-course evaluation.

Once you submit all the required documents, the organization will evaluate your credentials and send a report to you or to the South Carolina Department of Education.

South Carolina has many benefits for veterans and military spouses to pursue a teaching career. 

Pathways available to veterans, military service members and their families:

• Teachers of Tomorrow offers training, programs and discounts for veterans to become teachers.
• Military spouses are eligible for expedited applications for applying to teach in South Carolina with an out-of-state teacher license.

You can learn more about pathways to teaching as a veteran or active military service member on our Military community members page.

Programs in South Carolina will have a variety of deadlines that vary depending on the program start, but generally, spring semester applications are due by October, summer by April, and fall by July. 

Typical application deadlines:

• Alternative certification programs have deadlines for cohorts that are usually early in the year, with applications opening in the winter for a summer start.
• Traditional teacher preparation programs through colleges and universities often have spring deadlines for the following fall semester.

Be sure to carefully review the programs you are interested in and account for deadlines when planning your application. Review application deadlines on our deadline search.

The balance working full-time while earning your teacher certificate, leverage programs that allow for you to complete coursework online or fast-track programs such as alternative certification programs. 

Carefully review program overviews to fully understand the requirements throughout the program. Take note that all teacher preparation programs will require you to student teach, so being able to work in a classroom will be a requirement at some point.
 

In most cases, it will take four years in a traditional teaching program. However, it ultimately depends on the type of teaching program you choose and where you are in your academic career. 

• Bachelor’s degree + certification programs take four years
• Master’s degree + certification programs take three years or less
• Certificate-only programs and alternative certification programs can take as little as one year

You can see different programs and their lengths in our Program Explorer.

You can apply for financial aid such as scholarships and grant opportunities to help make teaching programs more affordable. 

Types of program-specific financial aid:

• Institutional grants or scholarships: these are unique to your program’s institution, and help cover some or all of the cost of tuition.
• Teacher or education specific grants or scholarships: these are aid opportunities aimed to support future teachers
• Stipends or tuition assistance: residency programs will often offer a stipend to help pay for living expenses and may even offer tuition assistance to cover the costs of your teacher preparation program, too
• Federal financial aid: You can apply for free financial aid that gets directly sent to your institution, and may make you automatically eligible for other scholarships or grants 

You can learn more about financial aid for South Carolina teachers in our financial aid guide. 

Teaching preparation programs vary in cost, but there are financial aid resources available, especially for teachers and educators. 

Financial aid options in South Carolina:

• Scholarships: financial assistance that does not need to be repaid, and is offered based on a student’s merit, need or athletics, such as the TEACH South Carolina Scholarship. 
• Grants: a financial award that does not need to be repaid, such as the South Carolina Needs-Based Grant.
• Loan forgiveness: a cancellation of some or all a student’s loans after meeting specified requirements such as on-time payments, service commitments and tenure. The Teacher Loan Forgiveness program is a good example. 

Financial aid opportunities can be federally, privately or institutionally funded. You can learn more about financial aid for South Carolina teachers in our financial aid guide. 

To teach special education, you will need to go through a teacher preparation program that offers certification in Special education, or apply for an add-on endorsement,  as well as take a few exams.

Requirements to teach Special education: 

• Take a teacher preparation program that offers an endorsement in Special education
• Pass content exams: Special Education: Early Childhood/Early Intervention (5692)

South Carolina offers a unique scholarship program, SC-CREATE, to support future Special education teachers at specific universities.

You can find programs that offer an endorsement in Special education on our Program Explorer.

In South Carolina, there are three main requirements to become a certified teacher. The requirements may become more specific with each teacher preparation program. 

The key requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree: you must have a bachelor’s degree in education or a related field to the subject you want to teach. The standard GPA is 2.7.
• Teacher preparation program: you must take an approved teacher preparation program, either traditionally or in an alternative route, which leads to initial certification.
• Subject area exams: you will need to pass tests in your chosen subject area.

Learn more about becoming a teacher in South Carolina on our website.

While GPA requirements may vary depending on the program and university, you can generally expect to see a cumulative GPA of 2.7 as a requirement for most teacher preparation programs in South Carolina. You can view GPA requirements for programs in our Program Explorer. 

There are a variety of online resources available to help prepare you for the required exams to become a teacher. 

• TEACH.org resources, like free coaching and test guides
• edTPA: The edTPA website gives an overview of the edTPA process, including instructions and tips for submitting your materials.
• For the Praxis Core and Praxis II: Study.com offers free test prep with video lessons, practice quizzes and more.

You can learn more about test preparation in our testing guide.