State Certification

If you wish to teach in New York State public schools, you must be certified to teach in the subject and at the grade level in which you plan to teach.  CCNY offers two kinds of teacher preparation programs:

  • Traditional Certification programs
  • Alternative Certification programs 

Traditional certification programs require candidates admitted into an 鈥淎pproved Teacher Preparation鈥 program, to successfully complete their CCNY education program before being eligible to be institutionally recommended for initial and/or professional teacher certification

Alternative certification programs, programs through the New York City Department of Education (such as Teaching Fellows), are special programs that allow candidates admitted into an 鈥淎pproved Teacher Preparation鈥 program (graduate students only) to be institutionally recommended for a temporary certificate (鈥淭ransitional B鈥) after they have completed minimal requirements. Once you successfully complete your CCNY education program, candidates are eligible to be institutionally recommended for initial and/or professional teacher certificates.

For more information on the Alternative Certification programs, kindly follow the link below:

Certificate Types

鈥淚nitial鈥 Certification

鈥淚nitial鈥 certification is the first level of NYSED teacher certificates.

CCNY institutionally recommends candidates for their 鈥淚nitial鈥 certificate once they have successfully completed all requirements for the NYSED teacher certification:

  • CCNY Educational Requirements (advanced certificate, bachelor鈥檚 degree, or master鈥檚 degree)
  • Certification Exams:
    • Educating All Students (EAS)
    • Content Specialty Test (CST) - selected depending on specific certification looking to be achieved
    • Bilingual Education Assessment (BEA) - for 鈥淏ilingual Education Extension鈥 certification ONLY
    • School Building Leader (Parts 1 & 2) 鈥 for 鈥淪chool Building Leader鈥 certification ONLY
    • School District Leader (Parts 1 & 2) - for 鈥淪chool District Leader鈥 certification ONLY
  • NYSED mandated workshops:
    • Child Abuse
    • School Violence Prevention
    • Dignity for All Students Act鈥 (DASA)
    • Autism (for Special Education teachers ONLY)
  • Fingerprint clearance reflecting on the NYSED TEACH system
  • TEACH online application (with payment)

The initial certificate is valid for 5 years.  If you do not wish to lose your 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification, you must achieve the 鈥淧rofessional鈥 level of the certification you hold PRIOR to your 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification expiring. If you will not be able to obtain your 鈥淧rofessional鈥 certification within the 5 years that your 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification is in effect, you should apply on your NYSED TEACH account for a 鈥淭ime Extension鈥 on your 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification. It is best to do this at least 6 months PRIOR to your 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification expiring.

鈥淧rofessional鈥 Certification

鈥淧rofessional鈥 certification is the highest level of NYSED teaching certificates.

In order to obtain a 鈥淧rofessional鈥 certification, you must hold, or have held, an 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification in the same 鈥渢itle鈥 AND you must complete:

  • 1 year of 鈥淢entored Teaching Experience鈥 (only if your first year of teaching was in a NYCDOE public school)
  • 3 years of 鈥淧aid, Full-time Teaching Experience鈥
  • A Master鈥檚 Degree (related to the area in which you wish to be certified)
  • A Teach online application (with payment)

For more information regarding this matter, kindly follow the link below:

After your 鈥淧rofessional鈥 certification has been awarded, to keep it 鈥渁ctive鈥, you are required to continually complete 175 hours (every five years) of 鈥減rofessional development鈥.

鈥淭ransitional B鈥 Certification

A 鈥淭ransitional B鈥 (鈥淭rans B鈥) certification is issued to Teaching Fellows and other alternative program candidates, all of whom are in graduate programs, after completion of preliminary course work, required exams, fieldwork, and all workshops, but before completing their program, so that they can teach in New York City public schools while they complete their Master鈥檚 program. The 鈥淭rans B鈥 certification is valid for 3 years OR until the candidate graduates (whichever comes first). If the candidate is not ready to apply for the 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification before the 3 years have elapsed, the candidate may apply for a 鈥Time Extension鈥 on their TEACH account.

For more information regarding this matter, kindly follow the links below:

New York City Teaching Fellows:

New York City Teaching Collaborative:

鈥淚nternship鈥 Certification

鈥淚nternship鈥 certification is a certificate type that allows graduate candidates, who are still in the process of completing their programs, to teach in New York City public schools.

To be eligible to obtain an 鈥淚nternship鈥 certification, candidates must:

  • Have an official 鈥淣omination Letter鈥 (on school letterhead) from the school looking to hire you
  • Have a completed 鈥淎pplication and Approval鈥 form (from by both you and your CCNY program adviser)
  • Have successfully completed more than 50% of their CCNY coursework
  • Have a GPA of 3.0 or above
  • Have completed ALL mandated workshops:
    • Child Abuse Identification workshop
    • School Violence Prevention workshop
    • DASA workshop
    • Autism workshop (for SPED candidates only 鈥 completed in SPED 6100I)
  • Have passed at least one certification exam (SPED applicant鈥檚 need three: EAS, SWD, and Multi-subject).
  • Be enroll in a supervision course for the time that they are using their internship certificate (except when in student teaching)

The 鈥淚nternship鈥 certification is valid for up to two years and expires upon graduation.

For more information regarding this matter, kindly follow the link below:

The certifications explained above are the only certification that CCNY has registered with the NYSED and for which CCNY enters institutional recommendations.

Certification Pathways

The specific certification pathways that you will use when you complete your program and apply for your NYSED teacher certification are:

  • 鈥淎pproved Teacher Preparation Program鈥 pathway
  • 鈥淎pproved Teacher Preparation Program Certificate Progression鈥 pathway

These pathways are for CCNY Teacher Preparation Programs that are registered with the NYSED as leading to 鈥淚nitial鈥 and/or 鈥淧rofessional鈥 certification in a given subject area and at a given grade level.

If you obtain 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification based on completing a CCNY undergraduate or graduate degree that leads to 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification, you must use the NYSED 鈥淎pproved Teacher Preparation Program鈥 pathway to apply for your 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification.

NOTE: If you obtain your 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification based on completing an undergraduate degree that leads to 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification ONLY and wish to obtain your 鈥淧rofessional鈥 certification, once you have completed the following below:

  • 1 year of 鈥淢entored Teaching Experience鈥 (only if your first year of teaching was in a NYCDOE public school)
  • 3 years of 鈥淧aid, Full-time Teaching Experience鈥
  • A Master鈥檚 Degree (related to the area in which you wish to be certified)
  • A Teach online application (with payment)

You must use the 鈥淧rogram Certificate Progression鈥 pathway to obtain your professional certification.

If you obtain your 鈥淚nitial鈥 certification based on completing a CCNY graduate degree that leads to 鈥淚nitial鈥 and 鈥淧rofessional鈥 certification and wish to obtain your 鈥淧rofessional鈥 certification, once you have completed the following below:

  • 1 year of 鈥淢entored Teaching Experience鈥 (only if your first year of teaching was in a NYCDOE public school)
  • 3 years of 鈥淧aid, Full-time Teaching Experience鈥
  • A Teach online application (with payment)

You must use the 鈥淎pproved Teacher Preparation Program Certificate Progression鈥 pathway to obtain your 鈥淧rofessional鈥 certification.

For more information regarding this matter, kindly follow the link below:

Need additional assistance?

CCNY School of Education Contact Info:
Jose Osorio

Certification Officer

North Academic Center
Room 3/210
160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031

P | 212-650-5590
E | josorio1@ccny.cuny.edu

Problems with your NYSED TEACH account?

NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives Contact Info:

Monday 鈥 Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Main Office: (518) 474-3901 | Technical Support - (518) 486-6041

Support also available to you via email at: tcert@mail.nysed.gov

Last Updated: 02/21/2024 17:23