Certification
Professional Certificate - Master's Degree Requirement
In order to satisfy the Master's degree requirement and requirement for 12 graduate semester hours in the content core for professional Certification, you must have been awarded a Master's from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or from an institution authorized by the Regents to confer degrees. Below are four possible routes to an acceptable master’s degree.
- Graduate Teacher Education Programs Leading to a Certificate
The Master’s degree is acceptable if it is based upon completing any teacher Certification program leading to any certificate, whether in New York State or another jurisdiction. The Master’s degree may be completed toward a classroom teaching, pupil personnel, or supervisory/administrative certificate.
Such a master's degree can be used to fulfill the master's degree requirement for any additional classroom teaching service certificate title.
- Master's Degree accepted previously to satisfy requirements for a permanent or professional classroom teaching certificate
This same Master's degree will satisfy the master's degree requirement and the requirement for 12 graduate semester hours in the content core for professional Certification for any subsequent certificate.
- Master's Degree in the Initial Certificate Content or Related Area
The Master’s degree may also be in the content area of the Initial certificate or in a closely related subject area. For more information go to the Professional Certificate - Chart of Related Master's Degrees.
In the case of any of the "Generalist" certificates (Early Childhood Education Birth- Grade 2, Childhood Education Grades 1-6, Generalist in Middle Childhood Education Grades 5-9, Students with Disabilities Birth-Grade 2, Students with Disabilities Grades 1-6 and Students with Disabilities Generalist Grades 5-9), the master's degree may be in any of the Liberal Arts & Sciences. - Required Coursework for those with an Unrelated Master's Degree
If the Master’s degree is in none of the above categories, the applicant for Professional Certification must complete twelve semester hours of graduate study in the content or related area of the Initial certificate.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The 12 graduate semester hours may be included in the unrelated Master degree.
Professional Certificate - Chart of Related Master's Degree
This table serves as a guide to common graduate degrees considered to be acceptable as related to the Initial certificate subject area for the purpose of qualifying for the Professional level certificate.
This chart is not intended to be an exhaustive list. For more information on the Master’s degree requirement click on the icon below.
Click on the Initial Certificate Area to view the related Master's or higher degrees for that area:
| Initial Certificate Area | Related Master's or Higher Degrees |
|---|---|
| Biology Chemistry Physics Earth Science |
Any of the four sciences is considered a related area to each other. Earth Science comprises the sub-fields of Astronomy, Geology, Meteorology and Oceanography. |
| Business and Marketing | Accounting
Marketing Business Administration Advertising Macro/Micro Economics Finance Business Management |
| Dance | Dance History
Choreography Dance/Movement Therapy Dance Performance Dance Theatre Physical Education |
| Early Childhood, Childhood, Middle Childhood Generalist | Any Liberal Arts and Sciences |
| English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) |
Any Liberal Arts and Sciences |
| English Language Arts | English Linguistics
Film Writing Communications Creative Writing Comparative Literature Journalism |
| Family and Consumer Science | Home Economics
Food and Nutrition Career Counseling Child and/or Family Studies Fashion/Textile Design |
| Health Education | Nursing
Anatomy & Physiology Chiropractic Dentistry Medicine Health Systems Administration |
| Languages Other Than English | A Master’s degree in any language other than English (LOTE) will be considered sufficiently related to any other language certificate to qualify as a related Masters Degree.
Linguistics |
| Literacy | Any Liberal Arts and Sciences |
| Mathematics | Statistics
Quantitative Analysis Applied Mathematics |
| Music | Music History
Music Composition Music Theory Music Therapy Music Performance Musical Theatre Conducting |
| Physical Education | Sports Medicine
Health Safety Education Sports Science Recreation Sports Administration Dance |
| Social Studies | Sociology Political Science History Geography Economics Archaeology Anthropology Area/Ethnic/Gender Studies Juris Doctor’s Degree |
| Students with Disabilities (Birth-2, 1-6, 5-9 generalist) | Any Liberal Arts and Sciences
Special Education |
| Students with Disabilities 5-9 and 7-12 specialist | Content area of the certificate or related content area as indicated in this table.
Special Education |
| Technology Education (Master’s must be related tomanufacturing/industry) |
Engineering ( e.g. Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Chemical)
Systems Analysis and Design Industrial Design Architecture Communication and Information Technology |
| Theatre | Theatre History
Dramatic Writing Drama Therapy Acting Theatre Production Radio & TV Production Film Production |
| Visual Arts | Fine Arts (Drawing, Printing, Printmaking, Sculpture)
Crafts (Ceramics, Fibers, Glass, Jewelry, Metal) Media Arts (Computer Art, Film, Photography, Video) Art History Art Conservation Art Therapy Commercial Design Applied Design Architecture |