Graduating from many of the programs in the School of Education fulfills the academic requirements of teacher or pupil personnel certification in New York State.  However,  the New York State Education Department (NYSED) has additional requirements for all certifications, including passing scores on New York State Teacher Certification Examinations, U.S. citizenship, good moral character (confirmed by a criminal background check), and timely application.  

All teacher education candidates must meet NYSED requirements for identifying child abuse; preventing school violence and drug/alcohol abuse; and promoting school safety. This requirement is met for most candidates by taking the online Safe Schools, Healthy Students (SSHS) Online Course.

Complete information about certification requirements is available from the New York State Education Department (Office of Higher Education, Room 979 Education Building Addition, Albany, NY 12234, 518-474-5851), which maintains a teacher certification web site at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/. Your academic advisor can help you interpret this information, although it remains your responsibility to be aware of current state regulations and fulfill them in a timely manner.