(1) Teacher, specialist, or administrator licenses may be issued by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to applicants who submit acceptable evidence of successful completion of an accredited professional educator preparation program.

(2) Applicants for an initial Montana Class 1, 2, 3, or 6 license who qualify under subchapter 4 of this chapter and meet the following qualifications to practice may be licensed as appropriate:

(a) applicants who have a current professional (not provisional, alternative, or lifetime) teacher, specialist, or administrator license from another state and completed an accredited professional educator preparation program in an area approved for endorsement in Montana;

(b) applicants who graduated within the last five years from an accredited professional educator preparation program in an area approved for endorsement; or

(c) applicants who hold a current license from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in an area approved for endorsement in Montana.

(3) Applicants for an initial Montana Class 1 or 2 license must verify completion of a supervised teaching experience as part of an accredited professional educator preparation program.

(4) Applicants for an initial Montana Class 1, 2, or 3 license whose degree is more than five years old and who do not have current out-of-state licensure must have earned six semester credits from a regionally accredited college or university within the five-year period preceding the effective date of the license. For the purposes of this provision, current licensure does not include provisional or lifetime licenses.

(5) Applicants for an initial Montana Class 6 license who meet the requirements of ARM 10.57.433, 10.57.434, and 10.57.435 may be licensed as appropriate. Applicants with a degree more than five years old and who do not have current out-of-state licensure must have earned six graduate semester credits from a regionally accredited college or university within the five-year period preceding the effective date of the license. For the purposes of this provision, current licensure does not include provisional or lifetime licenses.

(6) Applicants for an initial Montana Class 4 license may be licensed as Class 4A, 4B, or 4C depending on the level of education and extent of training as required under ARM 10.57.420 and 10.57.421.

(7) Applicants for an initial Montana Class 5 license who meet the requirements of ARM 10.57.424 and the relevant section(s) of ARM 10.57.425 through 10.57.432 may be licensed as appropriate.

(8) Applicants for an initial Montana Class 7 license who meet the requirements of ARM 10.57.436 may be licensed as appropriate.

(9) Applicants for an initial Montana Class 8 license who meet the requirements of ARM 10.57.437 and 10.57.438 may be licensed as appropriate.

(10) All applicants must meet all other nonacademic requirements for licensure in Montana pursuant to 20-4-104, MCA.