All colleges and universities participating in the Federal Title IV financial aid program and those who are members of NC-SARA are required to notify students whether or not their programs meet the academic or educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in other states.
Wilkes University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the PA Department of Education, where required. Our programs that lead to licensure or certification are approved by the appropriate Pennsylvania professional or certifying boards, where required. However, we do not guarantee that our programs will meet the educational requirements of other states as every state professional licensure board has the right to determine its own requirements to practice.
In addition to educational requirements for licensure, state professional boards and agencies have the right to regulate what constitutes activity within their state, control of clinical placement activities, faculty qualifications, and a myriad of other things. Institutions who choose to enroll students from other states are subject to these regulations as well. As such, there may be some states for some online programs where Wilkes is not able to enroll students because we do not meet these regulations.
Before students begin a Wilkes University program that is either online or may lead to licensure or certification, we strongly recommend that they review their program of interest below.
As with all professional licensure programs, the state requirements can change at any time and without notice. While Wilkes reviews these regulations and requirements periodically, it is possible that our information may not be completely current. Because of this, we still encourage students to check with the appropriate professional licensing board to determine the educational requirements needed keeping in mind that these requirements can change while the student is enrolled. Links to these sites are provided for each program. Please contact the appropriate admissions office, graduate or undergraduate, or the program director with any questions.
Accounting
CPA certification or licensure is not required to work in accounting. However, if one wishes to practice as a state-licensed certified public accountant, the individual must meet the state educational and experience requirements and pass the appropriate examination(s) as well as meet all other state requirements. The Wilkes University accounting major is 122 credits and meets the educational requirements in Pennsylvania to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination; however, there are additional educational and experience requirements needed in order to obtain licensure as a CPA. Other states have similar requirements, but Wilkes has not made a determination as to whether our program meets the educational requirement for the other states.
To learn more about individual state requirements for CPA licensure, visit the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy website external website.
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The Master of Business Administration was not designed to lead to any professional licensure. The program is available fully online or as a hybrid program on campus and enrolls students from any state. Students may take the M.B.A. to help fulfill the additional educational requirements needed to obtain CPA licensure, but will want to work closely with an advisor to ensure proper course selection.
The Creative Writing programs, M.A. and M.F.A., do not lead to any professional licensure. The program is open to enrollment from all 50 states.
Undergraduate Education
The undergraduate pre-service teacher education programs at Wilkes University are specifically designed to meet the licensure and certification requirements for Pennsylvania and are NOT designed to meet the licensure requirements for any other state and are advertised as such. In addition to the traditional campus-based program, Wilkes offers an online early childhood initial certification program that typically only enrolls students located in PA. Therefore, Wilkes has not made a determination of whether or not our undergraduate teacher education programs meet the educational requirements for licensure in other state.
It is our practice for all students who qualify to obtain initial certification in PA first and if they desire to teach in another state to then apply to the other state for certification after first obtaining PA certification. In fact, some states encourage this to facilitate the reciprocity process. It is important to know that even through reciprocity states often have additional requirements that will need to be met before certification can be granted. Students are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate program coordinator or department chair with any questions. Faculty work closely with students who express interest in locating to other states to ensure they are aware of what they will need to do for the other state after they obtain certification in PA.
Information about teacher certification reciprocity can be obtained from the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification Interstate Agreement website. external website
Graduate Education – Master’s and Doctoral
As standalone programs, the following Master of Science in Education programs are not designed to meet any additional licensure or certification either in or out of Pennsylvania
- Educational Development and Strategies*
- Effective Teaching
- Instructional Media*
- International School Leadership
- Online Teaching*
- School Business Leadership
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages*
*The programs marked with an asterisk have an option for already certified K-12 Pennsylvania teachers to select specific courses and/or complete additional activities, such as fieldwork, in their program curriculum, to obtain an endorsement in a related field from the PA Department of Education Bureau of Teacher Certification. Wilkes has not made the determination if this same option exists for students from other states because the programs are not designed to meet other states’ requirements.
The same is true for the following standalone endorsement programs. Certified K-12 Pennsylvania teachers can receive a PA Endorsement. Students from other states can enroll, but with no endorsement option. These programs were designed specifically for PA educators and as such Wilkes has not determined if they meet requirements for certification, endorsement or licensure in other states.
- Autism Endorsement
- Online Instruction Endorsement
- STEM Endorsement
- Instructional coaching Endorsement
The following Master of Science in Education programs have been specifically designed to meet the educational requirements for additional certification, endorsement or licensure only in the state of Pennsylvania. The Middle Level Grades 4-8 certification is an initial teacher certification program also only in Pennsylvania. All of the programs have been approved by the PA Department of Education. In the event an out-of-state student opts to enroll in these programs, they are only able to complete the master’s degree requirements but do not complete any internship-type activities. Wilkes has not made the determination if these programs meet the educational requirements for certification or licensure in another state as they are not intended for out-of-state students. Out-of-state students may contact the appropriate program coordinator or admissions counselor with any additional questions related to this.
- ESL Program Specialist Certification
- Instructional Technology Specialist Certification
- Grades 4-8 Initial Certification
- Reading Specialist Certification
- Special Education Certification
- Superintendent Letter of Eligibility
The Doctor of Educational Leadership program is designed for a broad array of educators. Three tracks are offered that do not lead to any additional licensure or certification, educational technology, curriculum and instruction, and education al leadership studies. One additional track is available only for Pennsylvania K-12 certified principals, the Superintendent Letter of Eligibility. This track only enrolls students who are appropriately certified in PA. As such, it is not designed to meet the licensure or certification requirements for any other state.
Programs Available by State
Wilkes University currently enrolls students from the states below for these graduate programs:
- Autism Endorsement
- STEM Endorsement
- Online Instruction Endorsement
- Instructional Coaching Endorsement
- Educational Development & Strategies – MS
- Effective Teaching - MS
- Educational Leadership – MS only
- Instructional Media – MS
- Instructional Technology – MS only
- Middle Level – MS only
- Online Teaching – MS
- School Business Leadership – MS
- English to Speakers of Other Languages – MS only
- Educational Technology - EdD.
- Curriculum and Instruction - EdD.
- Educational Leadership Studies - EdD.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Locate contacts from each state department of education from the U.S. Department of Education website external website.
Wilkes University offers engineering degrees in the following areas:
- Electrical
- Mechanical
- Civil
- Environmental
- Engineering Management
Electrical, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (EAC of ABET). Civil engineering and Engineering Management programs are not accredited by ABET. Civil engineering program started in Fall 2021 and is not eligible for ABET accreditation until after the first class of graduates.
Pennsylvania does not require a license to practice as an engineer. The Professional Engineer license is only required in PA if an individual wants to pursue positions designated as a professional engineer. Wilkes University’s electrical, mechanical, and environmental engineering programs meet the educational requirement to pursue the Professional Engineer licensure in Pennsylvania. Individuals must also pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam to obtain the first level of licensure, Engineer-in-Training. This certificate is valid in all 50 states while the individual completes the remaining requirement to achieve the full licensure as a Professional Engineer. The civil engineering program does not meet the requirements for licensure at this time. The engineering management program does not lead to any professional licensure.
Other states may have different requirements to practice as an engineer. Certain professional roles may require the Professional Engineer licensure whereas others may not. At this time, we have not yet determined if our engineering programs meet the educational requirements for licensure of the other states. In most cases though, a licensed professional engineer in PA can obtain licensure in other states by reciprocity.
Graduates of the civil engineering program will be not be able to pursue licensure as a Professional Land Surveyor as the Wilkes University program until it meets the educational requirements for this designation in Pennsylvania. Wilkes has not determined if the program meets the educational requirements in other states.
Geology
Wilkes University offer a bachelor’s degree in geology that meets the educational requirements – including field training (field camp) – to sit for the National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) Fundamentals of Geology exam and obtain professional licensure in Pennsylvania from the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists as a Geologist-in-Training.
The Wilkes University Geology Program (GEO) satisfies all the educational requirements for ASBOG member states. For a list of requirements of ASBOG member states, please see the state requirement matrix (.pdf).
The document below lists state requirements for professional geologist (PG) licensure in states that are not ASBOG members and provides information on whether or not the Wilkes program meets the requirements:
Requirements for Non-ASBOG member states (.pdf)The National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) external website maintains links to individual state boards where you can research the requirements of other states.
Geographic Information Science Certificate
Wilkes University offers a certificate program in Geographic Information Science (GIScience) that can satisfy some educational requirements for a variety of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) certifications. These certifications are not required to practice in the field but can be useful to enhance career growth. The most widely accepted Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) certification examination is through the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI). The GISCI Geospatial Core Technical Knowledge Exam is just one step in a larger application process. The GISP certification process can begin at any time during one’s career, but to receive final GISP approval, a candidate must have 4 years equivalent full-time geospatial experience, meet portfolio requirements, pass the GISCI Geospatial Core Technical Knowledge Exam, and complete all requirements within 6 years from portfolio approval or passing the exam (GISCI, 2020a). The portfolio combines aspects of education, experience, contributions to the field, employment, and other criteria that take several years to build. The portfolio has a point conversion system for different experiences, coursework, etc. Course points can be claimed for any GIS-related course, workshop, or other formal, documented educational activity.
Students who complete the Certificate in Geographic Information Science at Wilkes University meet the educational requirements for the exam and could attain up to 16.875 points of the required 30 in GIS coursework towards GISP certification through the GISCI.
Wilkes University’s nursing programs are accredited by CCNE and approved the by Pennsylvania Board of Nursing.
To learn more about individual state requirements, visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) website. external website
DNP and PhD
Wilkes University’s Ph.D. in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) programs do not lead to any additional licensure in the field. Courses and clinical activities typically needed for licensure are not part of these programs. Wilkes is currently able to enroll students physically located in the following states into the PhD and DNP programs:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
MSN and Post-Graduate Certificate Programs
The Wilkes University MSN and Post-Graduate Certificate programs prepare students to site for the national board certification exam in the appropriate population focus.
Wilkes University is either currently approved or exempt from approval and able to enroll students who are physically located in the states below. We have determined that our program meets the state educational requirements for APRN licensure or certification in these states.
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Californi
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
While the University works to keep this list current, state professional licensing boards change their regulations without notice so it is still strongly advised to contact the appropriate state Board of Nursing to confirm current requirements or speak to a program advisor within your population focus area.
Please take note that there may be additional requirements beyond education in order to achieve licensure. For example, nursing professional licensing boards typically require background checks, fingerprinting, and national board certification with a board-approved credentialing organization. A few states require additional clinical experience or mentoring outside of what is provided during the educational experience. Students are strongly encouraged to ensure they have reviewed the requirements in the state where they intend to become licensed.
The MSN and Post-Graduate Certificate programs cannot currently enroll students who are physically located in the states listed below because we do not meet the regulatory requirements to do so. As such, Wilkes has not made a determination as to whether our programs meet the educational requirements for professional licensure.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Louisiana
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New York
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Washington
- Wyoming
Wilkes University has determined that our MSN and post-graduate certificate programs do not meet the requirements for APRN licensure in Kansas. Kansas requires additional course credits beyond what the Wilkes' programs entail. As such, we no longer admit students from Kansas into the nurse practitioner programs for both the MSN and post-graduate certificate options.
ABSN
The Accelerated BSN (ABSN) program prepares students to take the appropriate NCLEX exam in order to obtain licensure as a registered nurse (RN). The program currently meets the requirements for licensure and only enrolls students from the following states:
- Indiana
- Pennsylvania
- Vermont
Wilkes does not meet the requirements from the state licensing boards of the remaining states not listed above in order to enroll students and as such has not determined if our program meets the educational requirements for licensure in those states.
Wilkes University’s PharmD program meets the educational requirements to sit for the NAPLEX (national exam) and the Pennsylvania State Law Exam (PA MPJE) that are necessary to obtain licensure as a pharmacist in PA. Licensure is required in every state in order to practice as a pharmacist. Wilkes has not determined if our program meets the educational requirements to sit for the required exam(s) of other states. The faculty and other coordinators in the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy work with students to determine if there are other educational requirements that they might need to meet if they intend to practice in another state.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy website external website maintain inks to the individual state boards where you can research the requirements of the other states.