General Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility requirements for the Arizona Teaching Fellows are dictated by the Arizona Department of Education and are therefore non-negotiable. Candidates must meet all of the requirements listed below to be considered for the program, so please read this entire section very carefully to determine whether you are eligible.  If you know someone who would make a great Teaching Fellow, refer a Fellow here.

• You must possess a bachelor's degree (conferred before May 30, 2013).
• Your undergraduate GPA must be 3.00 or higher (see additional info below).
• You must meet all legal requirements to work in the United States.
• You must meet testing requirements to teach your subject area.
• You cannot be a credentialed teacher.

You must possess a bachelor’s degree (conferred before May 30, 2013).

You must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher learning (college/university) or be on track for a bachelor's degree to be conferred no later than May 30, 2013 in order to apply.

Graduates of foreign universities must have their transcripts evaluated by one of the following foreign credential evaluation agencies prior to applying:

•  American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
•  Educational Credential Evaluations
•  World Education Services

When requesting an evaluation, you should ensure that the evaluating agency includes a full list of coursework you completed and specifically states that you earned the U.S. equivalent of a bachelor's degree in your field of study.

Your undergraduate GPA must be 3.0 or higher.

You must have an average undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher in order to apply. Exceptions may be granted to individuals with GPAs 2.5 and above AND a demonstrated exceptional achievement in some other area as evidence by resume and application questions. If you are seeking an exception, you must make the case for why your achievement should be considered as exceptional on your application.  Please note:  AZTF is unable to provide exceptions for individuals with GPAs below 2.5.  Additionally, AZTF evaluates  candidate seeking an exception within the context of a completed application through a candidate's demonstration of achievement and commitment in the résumé, education/employment/volunteer history, and essay question responses.  AZTF is unable to evaluate a candidate's GPA eligibility outside of a submitted application.  If you have questions about your eligibility to apply with a GPA below a 3.0, the best and only way to have an accurate assessment by AZTF is to submit your application.  The AZTF application is free and non-binding.  We are confident that a committed candidate with a strong application will receive an exemption for a GPA below 3.0 but no lower than 2.5. 

You must meet ALL legal eligibility requirements to work in Arizona.

You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and you must complete an application for an Arizona Department of Public Safety Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card and receive background authorization.

You must meet all testing requirements to teach your subject area.

Your teaching subject area is assigned upon careful staff review of your application and résumé. You will be informed of your official assignment if you are invited to interview. You may be admitted to the Arizona Teaching Fellows program prior to passing the required test(s).  But passing scores must be submitted by strict deadlines in order to fully enroll in our summer Pre-Service Training. All final acceptances are contingent upon passage of required tests; we therefore strongly encourage you to register and take required tests as early as possible.

You cannot possess a teaching license/certificate from any state.

Arizona Teaching Fellows provides an accelerated certification pathway into the teaching profession for outstanding recent graduates and accomplished mid-career changers. It is therefore not open to candidates that have ever been licensed teachers in any state. 

Am I eligible to teach math or science?

Typically, Fellows with either a major or minor in a math or science related subject area during their undergraduate degree are able to pass the subject knowledge exam and begin teaching.  Candidates with a strong business background, particularly if it's related to economics or finance, have been successful math Fellows in our program. On occasion, we've had Fellows from other subject areas with strong prior tutoring or substitute teaching experience in a secondary education math classroom, successfully pass the math subject knowledge exam and begin teaching.  If you are a candidate, interested in teaching math or science and you have less than 12 credit hours in these subjects, it is recommended you review the NES Test resources to gage your comfort with the test. Please view the Testing Requirements section for more information on testing.