State Licensure Requirements
Many occupations in the United States require professional licensure or certification to be eligible for employment. These licenses or certifications are issued by state agencies, such as a state professional licensing office or a state board specific to a profession. These agencies are responsible for ensuring that individuals are qualified to practice by establishing rules that govern the profession within the state, including requirements and procedures for obtaining licensure or certification required for employment in the occupation.
Each state regulates professions differently and has their own educational requirements for pursuing licensure. Additionally, there are often other requirements to purse licensure beyond the educational preparation you receive at UNC. These requirements may include, but are not limited to, additional post-graduation examinations (such as state-specific jurisprudence examinations), additional experience or training requirements (such as state-specific history courses or state-mandated trainings), and other administrative procedures related to the application process. These procedures may include background checks, review of criminal history or prior convictions, fingerprint submissions, verification of identity, age, social security number, and citizenship, program review fees, and application fees.
State requirements for licensure often change over time. If you intend to seek employment in a regulated profession upon graduation, it is important that you understand how that occupation is regulated where you intend to practice and that you are familiar with the requirements and processes related to acquiring licensure.
Please visit our Licensure Requirements by Program page to review our determination of whether programs at UNC meet educational requirements
for licensure in certain states. We strive to keep our webpages updated as we continue
to research state-specific requirements for licensure. You can also explore which
states regulate various professions, as well as corresponding website links for state
licensing agencies, on our State Licensure Boards page.
If you have questions or would like additional information pertaining to licensure
requirements and processes, please email Licensure@unco.edu. We are happy to assist you in navigating and understanding state licensure requirements.
Please note that certain programs, including some licensure programs, may have additional state approval processes for some learning placement activities, such as internships, healthcare clinicals, and student teaching experiences. Please visit the State Authorization (SARA) page for more details.
