Faculty and students at library

Certification Information

Becoming certified to teach in New York State is an important step leading to a rewarding and challenging career—subject to many state and federal regulations. It is your responsibility to keep informed of the most current requirements, laws, and regulations that affect your teaching career and your future. Professional licensure and certification requirements often vary from state to state. St. John’s University has not determined requirements for individual states beyond New York. If you reside or plan to reside outside New York you are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate state licensing agency in that state to seek information and guidance before beginning the program.

Professional Licensure Disclosure--This notice is for consumer information purposes ONLY

You are entering a program that may prepare you for licensing or certification in New York State.

At this time, St. John’s University has not determined whether completion of this program meets educational requirements to sit for an exam or for licensure or certification eligibility in states other than New York. Also, if you move to a different state for any reason while participating in a program, please note that the St. John’s program may or may not meet that state’s educational requirements. Therefore, if you are considering seeking licensure or certification outside of New York after completing a St. John’s program, it is strongly advised that you contact the appropriate licensing agency in that state to receive guidance.

International students pursuing academic programs that lead to professional licensure are encouraged to confirm with the governmental or professional licensing organization in their country of residence and or country in which they intend to work as to whether a degree from St. John’s University would be formally recognized for employment, certification and or licensure purposes.


St. John’s University Definition of Student Location

In accordance with federal regulation must make a determination, in accordance with the institution's policies or procedures, regarding the State in which a student is located, which must be applied consistently to all students. (34 CFR 600.9(c)(2))

At St. John’s University a student’s initial location is determined at the point of acceptance based on students reported permanent address reported by the student on the admission application. Student’s location is changed when a student under takes the formal process to change their permanent mailing address on file with the University.


As of April 27, 2022, NYS will no longer be requiring the edTPA and/or the ATS-W and the General Core in the liberal arts and sciences as requirements for certification.  Please see the details at Office of Teaching Initiatives Website http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/


Attention all SOE Juniors:

All workshops (Child Abuse, Violence Prevention, DASA, NYS Safety), Fingerprinting, and all Certification exams (CST and EAS) must be completed prior to the end of your junior year. 

Contacts

You are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate Certification Staff in The School of Education at St. John's University to assist you with questions concerning certification for your specific area:

Queens
(including School Psychology, TSSLD and Library)

Lily Scarabino
[email protected]
Sullivan Hall, Room 528
Phone: 718-990-2506
Fax: 718-990-2549

Staten Island
Fay Dimino
[email protected]
DaSilva Hall, Room 207
Phone: 718-390-4506
Fax: 718-390-4273

Initial Certification

It is the first step toward Professional Certification, which is needed to maintain a teaching license in New York State.

Initial Certificate is entry level teacher certification in NY State and is valid for five years.

It is the first step toward Professional Certification, which is needed to maintain a teaching license in New York State. Below lists the requirements for all students completing a bachelor’s, five-year combined bachelor’s/master’s, career change, or alternative certification program.

The NYSED approves individuals and organizations to offer the required training workshops in both online and in-person formats. Upon completion of each workshop, the provider will give you an official Certificate of Completion (COC) and electronically submit your workshops to your Teach account.  

Always keep a copy of any documents you send to NYSED for your own records

Child Abuse Identification/Mandated Reporter Workshop

NYS has recently updated Mandated Reporter Training Requirements. This law requires that mandated reporters, including those who have previously undergone the current training, complete the updated training curriculum by April 1, 2025 https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/ca.html

Please register for the FREE updated Mandated Reporter Training in Child Abuse here: https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/cps/mandated-reporter-training.php

This updated training is offered in English and Spanish.

School Violence Prevention

The college recommends using www.workshopsexpress.com/  

This workshop is available completely online.

Costs

  • The cost to all students/alumni/non-St. John's University students is $44.95.

Training in Harassment, Bullying, Cyberbullying and Discrimination in Schools: Prevention and Intervention (Dignity for All Students Act (DASA))

The college recommends using https://www.workshopsexpress.com/ This workshop is available completely online.

School Safety Workshop

Consult your academic advisor for the course number and CRN for this online three-hour workshop offered each semester

 

All teacher and SBL/SDL candidates are required to take a series of exams as part of their requirements to become certified to teach in New York State. The New York State Teacher Certification Exam series is designed to ensure that certified teachers have the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively teach in the New York State public schools. Teacher candidates will not become New York State certified without a passing score on all the necessary exams.

Certificate SoughtExams Required
Initial TeachingEducating All Students (EAS) test
Content Specialty Test (CST)
Initial School Building LeaderRevised School Building Leader (SBL) assessment
Educating All Students (EAS) test
Professional School District LeaderSchool District Leader Education All Students (EAS) test

Information from NYSED about certification exams currently required for initial certification and additional areas of certification can be found by visiting http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/certexam.html

If you are still unsure of the required exams after you have consulted the NYSED website, contact your advisor or a Teacher Certification Officer to determine the appropriate exams for your program and certification sought. Your department and program faculty may have specific guidelines for when you should take each of the tests. Always check with your advisor first!         

To register for the exams online, visit nystce.nesinc.com. You will need a credit card for payment. Remember to select the appropriate St. John’s campus as your reporting school when you register.   

St. John’s University – Main Campus 680

St. John’s University – Staten Island Campus 685

Study guides for the exams are available on the NYSED website at nystce.nesinc.com/PageView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/GENRB_PrepStudyGuide.html.

Scoring and passing requirement information can be found at nystce.nesinc.com/PageView.aspx?f=GEN_UnderstandingYourTestResults.html.

Transitional B Certification

Transitional B Certification applies to anyone who is enrolled in either a New York City Teaching Fellow or Collaborative Partner Teacher program at St. John's.

Transitional B Certification applies to anyone who is enrolled in either a New York City Teaching Fellow or Collaborative Partner Teacher program at St. John’s. 

Please contact the Department of Clinical Experience and Partnerships at [email protected] for any questions regarding the completion of these programs.

Transitional B Certification

  • Students must have all workshops and DASA must show up on TEACH.
  • All three exams must be passed.
  • Fingerprints must be cleared.
  • IRAF must be submitted to request Trans B.
  • Students must apply and pay for the certificate using the correct program code.
  • Certification is valid for up to three years while enrolled in the program. However, once a student completes or leaves the program, it is no longer valid. 

Initial Certification

Upon completion of degree and graduation requirements, including requisite content core coursework and submission of an IRAF, students will be endorsed for initial certification. Once that occurs, the Transitional B certification automatically expires. It is the responsibility of the students to apply and pay for the license and complete in a timely manner any outstanding certification requirements.

Deficiencies: Students who have content core coursework still outstanding by the completion of their degree will not receive University endorsement for initial certification until those requirements are met. Any delay in applying for and receiving initial certification at the time of graduation may subject you to additional state requirements.

Applying for Certification

To apply for certification.

PLEASE BE ADVISED

IF YOU ARE SEEKING AN INITIAL/PROFESSIONAL OR PROVISIONAL/PERMANENT RECOMMENDATION FOR CERTIFICATION ON OR AFTER MARCH 2015, ARE GRADUATING OR HAVE GRADUATED, AND HAVE SATISFIED ALL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS, YOU MUST COMPLETE AND SUBMIT AN INSTITUTIONAL RELEASE AUTHORIZATION FORM TO THE CERTIFICATION OFFICE TO THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION BEFORE WE WILL PROVIDE INSTITUTIONAL ENDORSEMENT. 

Forms must be completely filled out or they will be returned. To avoid any possible delay, e-mail or bring the completed form to the Certification Officer in the DEAN’S OFFICE WHEN YOU ARE READY TO SEEK CERTIFICATION.

Please contact the Certification Officer for your area if you have specific questions about certification or to discuss your Institutional Release Authorization Form.

You can fill out and submit the Institutional Release Authorization Forms here:

Degrees are conferred three times a year, on or around the following dates: January 30, September 30, or the next weekday following May commencement. Diplomas are usually available for pick-up in the Dean’s Office of The School of Education one month after degree conferral.

Certification endorsements for St. John’s programs will be made shortly after these degree conferral periods provided you have met all requirements. 

You must apply directly to New York State for certification. For instructions on Applying for a Certificate (Word), refer to Applying for a Certificate. You must log into your TEACH account, pay required fees, and provide all requested information as well as the NYSED program code for the Approved Teacher Preparation program that you completed at St. John’s. Use the same program code when you complete the Institutional Release Form.

After your degree is officially conferred, you have satisfied all deficiencies and workshop requirements, and you have properly submitted the Institutional Release Authorization Form to your Teacher Certification Officer, we can then access and review your account in the TEACH online system. We will then provide the institutional endorsement. Please note that NYS makes the final determination on certification. 

The New York State Education Department no longer prints paper certificates. You can check your TEACH account to see if your college recommendation has been posted and if your certification has been issued. Once your certificate is listed on your TEACH account as "issued," it is considered a valid NYS teaching certificate.

Contact Information for Office of Teaching Initiatives

Information for School Counseling, School Psychology, Library Science, and Speech Language Pathology (TSSLD) Certification

For graduates seeking provisional and/or permanent certification or initial and/or professional certification, depending on your area, it is necessary to complete an online application via the TEACH online account. And you must submit the Institutional Release Authorization Forms here.

Information for Clinical Mental Health Counseling Certification

For graduates seeking certification in the area of Mental Health Counseling, please be sure to obtain all forms for certification from Dr. Heather Robertson, Chair, Department of Counselor Education. In addition to mailing forms to the state, the University will also provide documentation to verify candidate program completion. Upon conferral of degree and submission of Form 2 to our Certification Office, documentation will be mailed directly to the Office of the Professions in Albany.

Professional Certification

After you have received your initial teaching certificate, you are expected to progress to the professional teaching certificate within five years.

After you have received your initial teaching certificate, you are expected to progress to the professional teaching certificate within five years. 

In some circumstances, you can request a time extension for the initial certificate from NYSED.     

Requirements for completing the Professional Certification include:

  • Successful completion of an appropriate master’s degree
  • 3 years of classroom teaching experience (including one year as a mentored experience)
  • Completion of the 6 hour DASA training workshop (if not already completed for the initial certification prior to May 2014)

When you receive your degree from St. John’s University, we usually provide the university endorsement for initial/professional certification. It is your responsibility to provide evidence of your teaching experience and completion of DASA training directly to NYSED and verify that it appears on your TEACH account.

For information about maintaining your professional certificate and ongoing Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) requirements for teachers: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/resteachers/registrationctlehome.html

 

Additional Information and Resources

Interstate Reciprocity

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) issues the Conditional Initial Certification to qualified individuals holding a reciprocal certificate who have not yet met the state testing and workshop requirements. At least one reciprocal certificate from each of the 50 states is accepted. When applying for certification, you should apply for initial certification and then choose Interstate Reciprocity as your pathway. For information, consult this link.

Applicants must apply directly to the New York State Education Department for the Conditional Initial Certificate. Once granted, it is valid for up to two years to enable a teacher to complete additional testing and workshop requirements.

International Students

Students who are seeking initial teacher certification and who wish to receive University endorsement for a career change master’s program in education completed at St. John’s University will need to provide the Certification Officer with official translated transcripts of all previous coursework. Indication of grades and credits awarded must appear on the transcript.  Only evaluations completed by a NACES member organization will be accepted.  

New York State requires a US social security number before they will issue you a teaching certificate. United States citizenship or permanent resident status is required for Permanent and Professional Certification only.

If you do not seek an endorsement for certification following the completion of a master’s degree at St. John’s and wish to apply for Individual evaluation of non-US credentials, please see this information.