Certification Requirements

In order to be eligible for New York State certification, students need to complete the following.  Students completing these requirements will be eligible for Initial Certification (this replaces the old Provisional Certificate). This Initial Certificate is valid for 5 years. This is NOT a renewable certificate.

To receive the next certification, the Professional Certificate (this replaces the old Permanent Certification), you must:

• Complete a master’s degree in a field related to what you are teaching.
• Complete three years of successful teaching experience with the first of those three years being a mentored teaching situation
• There are no examinations required.
• Complete 175 hours of Professional Development over a 5-year period to keep your Professional certificate valid.

For more information regarding certification in New York State, visit the Office of Teaching Initiatives web site or contact Martin Coates, Certification Officer for New York State at Houghton University.

Agreements with Other States

New York shares Interstate Agreements with numerous other states. If you are interested in certification requirements in other states, go to that state’s education web page for specific information. When you request certification in a state that has reciprocity with New York State, they will send you a packet of information that will outline what you will need to complete in order to receive certification in that particular state.

• Pennsylvania Certification Requirements (very important information!)
• General Pennsylvania Certification Information and application form
• New Jersey Certification Requirements
• Praxis exam information
• Teacher shortage areas

Certification Links

The links below provide information on certification requirements and other related topics:

• The Office of Teaching Initiatives
  • From here, you can link to information on:
    • Teaching jobs in New York State
    • Certification requirements in New York State
    • Certification exam information
    • Online Certification Verification
    • Fingerprinting information
• New York State Teachers Certification Exams Registration Bulletin
• Teacher Supply & Demand Information
• Higher Education Institutions Results Reports (How does Houghton compare with other New York State Institutions of Higher Learning on Pass-Rate Data for Certification Examinations?)