Eligibility

APPLICANTS FOR FIRST TIME CONNECTICUT CERTIFICATION

There are two paths to eligibility for educator certification in Connecticut.

ELIGIBILITY BASED ON PROGRAM PREPARATION

Connecticut certification is usually based on completion of a state-approved educator preparation program. To obtain Connecticut educator certification based on program preparation, educators must:

1. Successfully complete a state-approved planned program of general academic and professional education at a regionally accredited college or university and earn formal institutional recommendation for certification; and
2. Pass subject-specific tests, if applicable to the endorsement requested.*

* See Guide to Assessments for Educator Certification in Connecticut.

ELIGIBILITY BASED ON TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Educators who have completed the equivalent of two school years of full-time teaching in the grade level and subject appropriate to the endorsement requested may waive the planned program requirement. However, all coursework, degree, testing and any experiential requirements must still be met.

To obtain Connecticut teacher certification based on teaching experience, educators must:

1. Document no fewer than 20 school months of successful, appropriate full-time teaching experience in the same approved nonpublic school OR an out-of-state public school under a valid certificate;
2. Pass subject-specific tests, for those endorsements where a test is required*; and
3. Successfully complete all required general academic and professional education coursework for the endorsement areas sought. All coursework must result in credit awarded to official transcripts from regionally accredited colleges or universities.

* See Guide to Assessments for Educator Certification in Connecticut

Certification in all areas except occupational subjects requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. All candidates applying for a Connecticut educator certificate requiring a bachelor’s degree must submit an official transcript verifying award of the degree, regardless of the basis of their certification.

NOTE: Only coursework resulting in credit awarded to an official transcript of a regionally accredited college or university can be accepted to meet certification requirements.

Educators who have not completed an educator preparation program and do not have the experience to waive the planned program requirement should seek academic advisement from regionally accredited colleges or universities with state-approved programs in the area they would like to teach. For a list of Connecticut institutions that offer approved educator preparation programs, please see the Guide to Approved Educator Preparation Programs in Connecticut