Certification

Applicants from Other States - Program Completers

Important

The Office of Teaching Initiatives can not determine eligibility for certification until an application has been submitted, and a review of your credentials has been completed.

New York State does not pre-approve educator preparation programs completed in other U.S. States or Territories.

 important

A certificate can be issued to an applicant who completed a comparable educator program in another U.S. State or Territory and has completed all examination, workshop and fingerprinting requirements. Information regarding the requirements for certification can be found below:

Classroom Teachers
  • Submit an application and fee for an Initial certificate
  • Complete a comparable1  approved teacher preparation program, in the subject of the application, at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that would lead to an institutional recommendation for certification in the state the college is located
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • 2.5 cumulative GPA in a Bachelor’s or higher degree
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams for Initial certificate sought
  • Fingerprint Clearance
  • Complete all required workshops
how to apply   Certification Requirements

 

School Building Leaders
(Principal, Assistant Principal, and all other single building administrators)
A note regarding the Conditional Initial Certificate

If you possess a valid educator certificate/license in another U.S. State or Territory, and would like to review the requirements for the two-year Conditional Initial certificate, refer to: Conditional Initial certification
  • Submit an application and fee for an Initial certificate
  • Complete a comparable.1 approved principal-level school administration program at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that:
    1. Would result in a recommendation for principal-level certification in the State the College is located.
    2. Includes at least 21 semester-hours of graduate level coursework in school leadership, plus a comparable administrative internship
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Master's degree
  • At least three years of Classroom Teaching or Pupil Personnel Service experience.
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams for School Building Leader certification.
  • Fingerprint Clearance
  • Complete all required workshops

 
how to apply   Certification Requirements

School District Leaders
(Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and all other District-wide administrators)
  • Submit an application and fee for a Professional certificate
  • Complete a comparable.1 approved district/superintendent-level school administration program at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that:
    1. Would result in a recommendation for superintendent-level certification in the State the College is located.
    2. Includes at least 27 semester-hours of graduate level coursework in school leadership, plus a comparable administrative internship
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Master's degree
  • 60 semester-hours of graduate-level college coursework (total from all graduate colleges attended)
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams
  • Complete all required workshops
  • Fingerprint Clearance

 

School District Business Leader
  • Submit an application and fee for a Professional certificate
  • Complete a comparable.1 approved school district business leader program at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that:
    1. Would result in a recommendation for superintendent-level certification in the State the College is located.
    2. Includes at least 27 semester-hours of graduate level coursework in school leadership, plus a comparable administrative internship
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Master's degree
  • 60 semester-hours of graduate-level college coursework (total from all graduate colleges attended)
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams
  • Complete all required workshops
  • Fingerprint Clearance

 

Pupil Personnel Titles
(Social Worker, Psychologist, Counselor, etc)

Certification through this pathway is not available for these titles. 

1. Program must be similar to a New York State-registered teacher preparation program completed at a New York State College/University. Comparability based on Official Compilation of Closed, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (8 CRR-NY 52.21External Web Site). ↩
2. Certificate must be active in the state of issuance.↩
3. A “regular” certificate, in a comparable subject area and similar grade-level, that has no limits/restriction. A list of acceptable-level certificates can be found at: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/levelcert.html.↩
Last Updated: February 8, 2024