Complying with Professional Licensure Requirements: A Beginner’s Checklist
Compiled in 2022 by the SAN Special Interest Team
Overview
Many professions (e.g. education, law, speech pathology, nursing, etc.) are regulated such that individuals must obtain licensure or certification (collectively, “licensure”) beyond their degree to be eligible for employment. Meanwhile, specific licensure requirements, including educational prerequisites, vary by U.S. state, territory, and district (collectively, “State”) as well as by profession, with individual state licensing boards/agencies overseeing these requirements.
Wherever licensure is required for employment, if an institution offers programs designed to meet or advertised as meeting educational requirements for licensure for such an occupation, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) requires (34 CFR § 668.43) institutions to publish the following information, regardless of course or program modality:
- States where it’s been determined the curriculum meets educational requirements
- States where it’s been determined the curriculum does not meet these requirements
- States where no such determination has been made[1]
If the institution has either (i) determined that the curriculum does not satisfy licensure requirements where a prospective student is located, or (ii) not made a licensure determination where a prospective student is located, the institution would need to separately notify the prospective student in writing (e.g., via email) prior to their enrollment.
For current students, if the institution later determines that the program does not meet educational requirements for licensure where a student is located (due to a change in the student’s location or a change in the Host State’s requirements), the institution must notify the student within 14 calendar days of making that determination. [...] Read attached document for the entire checklist.
SAN would like to express its gratitude for the SAN Special Interest Team for Professional Licensure, and specifically Erika Swain with the University of Colorado Boulder, Ricky LaFosse with the University of Michigan, Michael Jolley from the University of Nebraska System, and Cleston Murray with the University of Arkansas for their leadership. The collated information provided in this document would not be possible without the generosity of their time and experience.
Important Disclaimer: Neither the State Authorization Network (SAN) nor its Professional Licensure Special Interest Team claim that the following content ensures compliance with state and federal professional licensing rules. This document is intended for purposes of considering suggested practices. Institutions should consult its university’s general counsel in the process of creating a professional licensure disclosure procedure and applicable educational materials for the institution.