New York Alternative Teacher Certification Process and Programs
New York offers alternative teacher preparation pathways, also known as non-traditional programs, designed for those who have a bachelor’s degree outside of education. If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, you may find our guide to traditional certification in New York helpful. Teacher certification in New York is overseen by the New York State Department of Education (NYSED) Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI). Learn more about alternative teacher certification pathways available in the state below.
Table of Contents
- New York Alternative Certification Requirements
- Types of Alternative Teaching Licenses
- Testing Requirements
- Licenses From Another State
- Schools With Alternative and Master’s Programs
- Best Alternative Certification Programs
- Fastest Alternative Certification Programs
- Additional Resources
Requirements for Alternative Certification
To be eligible for an alternative preparation program, candidates must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Alternative teacher preparation programs, which must be on the NYSED approved program list, typically lead to the award of a certificate or master’s degree, depending on the program. Completing a master’s degree in education can also prepare candidates for a Professional Certificate in New York, which uses a two-tier system of teacher licensure.
Types of Alternative Teaching Licenses in New York
There are four alternative teacher certification pathways in New York, which lead to an Initial Teaching Certificate once all requirements are met. You can find further information about these pathways on the OTI website.
Transitional A Certificate
The Transitional A Certificate is designed for those who wish to teach career and technical education subjects in grades 7 through 12. Candidates must have at least an associate’s degree with a 2.5 GPA or above with two years of work experience. For select subjects, a high school diploma with four years of work experience may be sufficient. Candidates must also have an employment offer from a New York school district. If issued, the Transitional A Certificate allows candidates to teach while meeting the requirements for an Initial Certificate for classroom teachers, which include:
- Passing scores on the required exam(s), based on the candidate’s education and experience
- Completing the state’s workshops in Child Abuse Identification; School Violence Intervention and Prevention; and the Dignity for All Students Act
- Completing nine semester hours of education courses
- Completing teaching experience for the endorsement area with satisfactory evaluations
Once requirements are met, the Transitional A Certificate can be converted into an Initial CTE Certificate.
Transitional B Certificate
Those who hold an undergraduate degree with a major in the subject they intend to teach will typically follow the Transitional B pathway. For this route, candidates enroll in an NYS Registered Alternative Program. After meeting foundational coursework requirements, candidates may be eligible to teach while completing the teacher preparation program and meeting other requirements for an Initial Certificate, such as state-required testing and workshops on state-specific laws.
Transitional C Certificate
Those who hold a graduate degree in the subject in which they are seeking certification may follow the Transitional C Certificate pathway, which typically resutls in a postgraduate certificate. While enrolled in a state-approved Transitional C program, candidates are eligible to act as the teacher of record while completing the initial requirements for licensure. After completing Transitional C Certificate requirements, new teachers will be issued a Professional Certificate.
Transitional G Certificate
The Transitional G Certificate is designed for college professors who have a graduate degree and at least two years of college-level teaching experience who wish to transition to K-12 teaching. To be eligible for this pathway, candidates must obtain an employment offer and recommendation for enrollment in the Transitional G program from a qualifying school. Once issued, the Transitional G certificate allows the holder to teach while meeting the remaining testing and coursework requirements for an Initial Certificate.
Testing Requirements for New York Alternative Certification
The NYSED uses its own test series, the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE), to assess prospective teachers. To achieve initial certification, candidates in most licensure categories must pass the Educating All Students (EAS) test and the Content Specialty Test (CST) in the subject(s) to be taught. Career and Technical Education candidates must additionally pass the Communication and Quantitative Skills Test (CQST).
Transferring Teaching Licenses From Another State
New York considers licensure via reciprocity for candidates who have completed comparable teacher preparation and testing in another state. A streamlined pathway is available for those who have an active and comparable teaching certificate in another state. To learn more, review our teacher certification reciprocity resource or visit the OTI website.
Schools With Alternative and Master’s Programs in New York
To qualify for teacher certification, you must complete an approved teacher preparation program. Alternative route teacher licensing programs typically lead to a certificate or master’s degree. The not-for-profit, school-based alternative certification programs below have been approved by the NYSED for the preparation of teachers.
| State-Approved School | Accreditation | Program Type(s) | Alt. Teacher Program Enrollment4 | Alt. Teacher Prep Prog. Completers4 | Alt. Licensing Exams Pass Rate4 | Net Price5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelphi University* | CAEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $29,821 |
| Bank Street College of Education* | AAQEP | Certificate, Master’s | — | — | — | N.Av. |
| Bard College | AAQEP | Certificate, Master’s | — | — | — | $25,484 |
| Canisius College* | — | Alternative, Master’s | 56 | 22 | 95% | $18,828 |
| Colgate University | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $25,935 |
| Columbia University | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $22,126 |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | AAQEP | Master’s | 314 | 107 | 91% | $4,736 |
| CUNY City College* | — | Alternative, Certificate, Master’s | 654 | 108 | 92% | $4,546 |
| CUNY Hunter College* | CAEP | Alternative, Certificate, Master’s | 753 | 205 | 97% | $4,014 |
| CUNY Lehman College | CAEP | Alternative, Certificate | 329 | 56 | 96% | $3,913 |
| CUNY New York City College of Technology* | AAQEP | Alternative, Certificate | — | — | — | $5,417 |
| CUNY Queens College | CAEP | Certificate, Master’s | 20 | — | — | $5,594 |
| CUNY Staten Island | CAEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $5,228 |
| Daemen University | AAQEP | Alternative, Master’s | 328 | 139 | 92% | $19,314 |
| Elmira College | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $21,944 |
| Fordham University | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $41,569 |
| Hofstra University | — | Certificate, Master’s | 1 | 1 | N.Av. | $34,011 |
| Iona College | — | Master’s | — | — | — | $29,103 |
| Ithaca College | — | Master’s | — | — | — | $35,904 |
| Long Island University-Post | — | Master’s | — | — | — | N.Av. |
| Manhattanville University* | CAEP | Alternative, Master’s | — | — | — | $24,499 |
| Metropolitan College of New York* | — | Master’s | — | — | — | $24,083 |
| Molloy College | — | Master’s | — | — | — | $27,454 |
| Nazareth University* | AAQEP | Alternative, Master’s | — | — | — | $31,521 |
| New York University* | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $45,417 |
| Niagara University* | CAEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $19,172 |
| Pace University | — | Master’s | 592 | 161 | 87% | $32,866 |
| Relay Graduate School of Education | CAEP | Alternative, Master’s | 2365 | 475 | 98% | N.Av. |
| Roberts Wesleyan University | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $23,359 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | CAEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $36,514 |
| Sarah Lawrence College | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $41,396 |
| Siena College | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $32,602 |
| St. John Fisher College | CAEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $29,722 |
| St. John’s University-Queens | AAQEP | Master’s | 410 | 149 | 82% | $26,771 |
| St. Thomas Aquinas College | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $21,139 |
| SUNY Buffalo State | CAEP | Alternative, Master’s | — | — | — | $13,400 |
| SUNY College at Brockport | CAEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $16,076 |
| SUNY Empire State University* | AAQEP | Alternative, Master’s | 140 | 20 | 95% | $12,059 |
| SUNY Fredonia | — | Master’s | — | — | — | $14,509 |
| SUNY College at Old Westbury | — | Certificate, Master’s | — | — | — | $10,273 |
| SUNY New Paltz | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $16,079 |
| SUNY Oswego* | AAQEP | Alternative, Master’s | — | — | — | $16,398 |
| SUNY Plattsburgh | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $15,760 |
| SUNY Stony Brook University | — | Master’s | — | — | — | $16,478 |
| Syracuse University* | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $47,177 |
| Touro University-Manhattan | CAEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $22,711 |
| University at Albany, SUNY | AAQEP | Master’s | — | — | — | $16,100 |
| University at Buffalo, SUNY* | AAQEP | Alternative, Certificate, Master’s | 9 | 1 | N.Av. | $16,120 |
| University of Rochester* | AAQEP | Alternative, Master’s | — | — | — | $36,254 |
| Utica University* | AAQEP | Alternative, Master’s | 31 | 1 | N.Av. | $22,782 |
| Wagner College* | AAQEP | Alternative, Master’s | — | — | — | $31,944 |
| Yeshiva University | — | Master’s | — | — | — | $35,603 |
- — indicates none or not applicable.
- N.Av. indicates data was not available or pass rates were omitted for confidentiality.
- *Schools with an asterisk offer programs that can include paid classroom placements, subject to qualifications and experience. Students may be responsible for securing their own placement. Contact programs for further information.
Best Alternative Teacher Certification Programs in New York
We used overall pass rates on the teacher licensing exams to identify the best alternative teacher certification programs in New York. The following schools all reported 90% pass rates or above for alternative and master’s program graduates.
- Relay Graduate School of Education (Alternative, Master’s; 98%)
- CUNY Hunter College (Alternative, Certificate, Master’s; 97%)
- CUNY Lehman College (Alternative, Certificate; 96%)
- SUNY Empire State University (Alternative, Certificate; 95%)
- Canisius College (Alternative, Master’s; 95%)
- Daemen University (Alternative, Master’s; 92%)
- CUNY City College (Alternative, Master’s; 92%)
- CUNY Brooklyn College (Master’s; 91%)4
Fastest Alternative Certification Programs
The following schools have the fastest programs to qualify for teacher certification in New York based on the shortest possible time to completion. The shortest alternative certification programs are often the most affordable because they require fewer credit hours. Check with programs to verify program costs and funding opportunities.
- Bard College (12 months)
- Columbia University (12 months)
- CUNY City College (12 months)
- CUNY New York City College of Technology (12 months)
- Elmira College (12 months)
- Metropolitan College of New York (12 months)
- New York University (12 months)
- Pace University (12 months)
- Relay Graduate School of Education (12 months)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (12 months)
- Siena College (12 months)
- University of Rochester (12 months)
- University at Buffalo, SUNY (12 months)
- Wagner College (12 months)
Additional Resources
- New York City Department of Education (NYCED) Alternative Routes to Certification: Resource specifically for NYC-area teachers looking for alternative route options.
- New York State Education Department (NYSED) Pathways to Certification: Information on all approved pathways to teacher certification in New York.
- New York State Teacher Certification Examinations: Detailed information on exam requirements for prospective teachers in the state.
Related Articles
- Alternative Teacher Certification Guide
- How to Become a Teacher in New York City
- New York Traditional Teacher Certification Guide
- Teacher Certification Reciprocity Guide
References:
1. New York State Education Department: https://www.nysed.gov/
2. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP): https://caepnet.org/provider-search
3. Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP): https://aaqep.org/accredited-programs
4. US Department of Education 2021 Title II Report: https://title2.ed.gov/Public/Home.aspx
5. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/