FAQs

What is Career-Technical Education?

Career-Technical Education is the contemporary term that describes educational programs designed to prepare Ohio high school students for careers in trade areas. This term replaced the term "vocational education" some years ago. Career-Technical Education programs prepare students for specific occupations or a career cluster in a wide variety of career areas. Many programs prepare students for initial entry into a specific occupation. In addition, some programs prepare students for further post-secondary study. These programs are referred to as Tech Prep. Career-Technical Education is different than Technology Education which refers to the former Industrial Arts. It is also different than Instructional Technology or Technical Education.

What is Career-Technical Teacher Education (CTTE)?

CTTE at Kent State University is one of a small number of teacher education programs in Ohio designed to prepare teachers as educators primarily in Ohio Schools in Career-Technical Programs. The KSU program is the only program in Northeast Ohio serving the Career-Technical Education community. The program is comprehensive offering teacher licensure programs, baccalaureate and graduate degrees, and a national occupational testing site.

How do I go about becoming a Career-Technical teacher?

The primary path to becoming a licensed teacher in a Career Technical trade area is through the 2-Year Provisional or One-Year Supplemental licensure path.. Each path offers specific licenses.  Work experience and/or teaching experience is the employment criteria. This option requires a teacher to be hired by a school district into a teaching position in their trade area then joining the KSU CTE licensure program.

What are the costs associated with earning a Career-Technical license?

The costs associated with obtaining a CTE license depend on the specific path involved. The experience-based path (2-Year Provisional or One-Year Supplemental) requires either 12 or 24 semester credit hours depending on the work or educational background of the teacher.

  • For teachers with an Academic/Traditional License - the 12.0 graduate credit hour program tuition cost is approximately $6,000.00.
  • For teachers without an Academic/Traditional License - (no baccalaureate degree) the 24.0 undergraduate credit hour licensure program tuition cost is approximately $12,000.00.
  • For teachers without an Academic/Traditional License - (baccalaureate degree outside education) the 24.0 graduate credit hour licensure program the approximate cost is $10,500.00.

Does an academic teacher still need to get a Career-Technical license?

All Career-Technical teachers must be licensed by the State of Ohio. Teachers with academic licenses must add a Career Technical teaching field code specific to the trade area they teach through the KSU Career-Technical Educator licensure program.

How can I speak with an advisor?

Undergraduate and Graduate advising is directed by Dr. Davison Mupinga (dmupinga@kent.edu).

What is NOCTI?

NOCTI is the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute. KSU is a certified test site for NOCTI. This institute provides testing to verify occupational competency in various occupations. Teachers who are licensed through Industry Option can take NOCTI exams in two parts; a written test (held in a classroom setting on main Kent campus) and a performance component (in a lab setting) with a proctor in the trade area being tested. This enables the teacher to earn from 12 - 24 college credit-by-exam hours which can be applied to a bachelor's degree in Educational Studies.

How do I register for a NOCTI exam?

View the Registration Form

The written exam is proctored twice a year on a Saturday morning on Kent campus - usually the second Saturday in March and October (Fall and Spring semesters only). You will find these dates on the "Important Dates" link from this page. The performance exam is given on an as-requested basis during the academic year and may be scheduled after taking and passing the written part of the exam.