Approved Teacher Preparation Program
The Approved Teacher Preparation Program as referred to on the certification requirements page of the Office of Teaching Initiatives website, refers to all registered and approved education programs within the School of Education.  Each degree or advanced certificate program  within the School of Education has been registered with and approved by New York State as meeting the requirements for NYS certification in their respective areas.  A candidate may only be recommended for a certificate in the subject area and grade level of the program they have completed.  Additionally, they may only be recommended for the certificate type the program has been registered as leading to.  Undergraduate programs may only lead to Initial certification, and graudate programs may lead to either Initial or Professional certification, depending on several factors including but not limited to, current certification status, requirements previously met, and years of full-time paid teaching experience.

The programs have been designed to meet not only the coursework requirements for the certificate, but also the Student Teaching experience requirement, and the reporting of Child Abuse and Maltreatment and School Violence Prevention training requirements.  In addition, some testing requirements are used for admissions purposes, thereby ensuring that those testing requirements are satisfied by our candidates as well.  Completion of these programs, therefore, makes the candidate eligible for a NYS certificate in that subject area, pending satisfaction of testing, fingerprinting, and experience requirements.  Candidates are expected to complete the programs as outlined in their program planning sheets.  Any deviation must be approved and documented by the program advisor. Some deviations, such as not completing student teaching, may allow a candidate to graduate but void their eligibility for an Institutional Recommendation.

The admissions and completion requirements for these programs are listed on their program planning sheets, which are distributed to each candidate upon admission to the program.  They are also listed in the college bulletins which are available at the information desk. Candidates are also highly encouraged to meet with their advisor to make certain they are on a certification track and are fulfilling all requirements.
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Internship Certificate Program
The Internship Certificate Program as described by the New York State Education Department is a program offered by Institutions which have registered and approved graduate programs which include an internship experience.   Candidates for the Internship Certificate program must already be enrolled in an approved graduate program leading to initial or professional certification.

CCNY Requirements for the Internship Certificate

• Must have completed 50% of the courses in the degree program.
• Must be in good academic standing; a GPA of 3.0 or greater.
• Must have passed the LAST, ATS-W, and CST exams which apply to the desired certificate.
• Must have completed the Child Abuse and Violence Prevention Seminars.
• Must have received fingerprint cleareance from New York State (NYSED Requirement).
• Must be currently employed or have received an offer for an available position from a school. The position must be in the subject area and grade level of the degree and certificate sought. (Download the confirmation letter below)

Procedure for applying for the Internship certificate
To obtain the Internship Certificate, candidates must first be approved by their program head. Candidates must submit to their program head, documentation of having met the above requirements, including:

• The confirmation letter signed by the school principal, chief official, or human resource department,
• Copies of NYSTCE score reports showing passing scores on the required exams,
• Copies of the Child Abuse and Violence Prevention workshop certificates (a printout of your state record in TEACH is acceptable.)

The candidate will submit the documents to their program head and will receive an application/approval form. The candidate will complete the top section of the form and return it to the program head. The program head will review the submitted documents and academic transcript to determine if the candidate meets the standards of the program, and will explain to the candidate what is expected. If the candidate is approved, the candidate and program head will sign the approval/agreement together and forward the form to the Certification Officer. The Certification Officer will review the form and documents and sign the form as well. The candidate will be issued a letter indicating that he/she has been approved and has been recommended for the certificate. The letter can be presented to the school officials as evidence of the recommendation until the certificate is issued. The institutional recommendation will be submitted to NYS via the TEACH system, and the candidate will also be instructed to file the State application for the certificate using the TEACH system. If the candidate's fingerprint clearance is already on file with NYSED, the certificate should issue by the following day.

For candidates enrolled in the Internship Certificate program, CCNY is required to provide supervision through appropriate faculty for the entire period during which the candidate is enrolled in the program and teaching under the Internship Certificate, not to exceed two years, which is the period of validity of the Internship Certificate.  The certificate may not be renewed, reissued, or extended. Candidates are expected to complete the program and fulfill the remaining requirements for an Initial Certificate within the two-year period. Candidates will be required to register for EDUC 2603N – “Supervised Teaching for Alternative Certification Candidates” each semester in addition to all other coursework required in their respective programs. This 1-credit course provides for candidates to supervised for purposes of the Internship Certificate. It does NOT replace the student teaching or supervised teaching requirement of the degree program.

Candidates must apply for the Internship Certificate prior to the start of the semester/school year in which it will be needed. The State issues certificates with effective dates of February 1st or September 1st of the given year. Since candidates are required to register for the EDUC 2603N course, applications must be approved prior to the end of the registration period of the upcoming semester.
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Alternative Teacher Certification Program - New York City Teaching Fellows (NYCTF)
The Alternative Teacher Certification Program for the New York City Teaching Fellows is an alternative route to New York State certification.  The NYCTF program is a collaborative between the New York City Department of Education, CUNY, and some private colleges.  Candidates enrolled in the NYCTF program are people who have backgrounds outside of education.  They apply to the NYCTF program through the New York City Department of Education and after a highly selective screening process, candidates are selected and assigned to the college based upon areas of need matched with the background of the Fellow.  Fellows admitted into a Master's degree program are required to complete the program as outlined on their program planning sheet, distributed to them upon admission to the program.  The Master's program is partially subsidized by the NYC Department of Education.   Completion of the program leads to an Initial or Professional certificate,depending on satisfaction of experience requirements

Candidates in the Teaching Fellows program are issued a Transitional B certificate at the commencement of their program, upon completion of a prescribed pre-service component, which enables them to teach in the classroom while  completing the degree. The Transitional B is valid for 3 years during which candidates are expected to complete the degree program and then apply for an Initial or Professional certificate.  The Initial certificate would be valid for 5 years, with the same effective date as the Transitional B.   In effect, the Initial Certificate would extend the candidate's eligibility to teach for 2 years beyond the Transitional B certificate.  Fellows must apply for their certificates via Institutional Recommendation. The State will reject any application for Individual Transcript Evaluation submitted by a Fellow as long as the Transitional B certificate remains valid.

Fellows are held to stringent State standards, and are required to complete the Child Abuse and Maltreatment and School Violence Prevention seminars, as well as receive fingerprint clearance before entering the classroom.  The Teaching Fellows program consists of 200 hours of pre service preparation, assignment to a teaching position, and continued coursework leading to a Master's degree.   Fellows are supported by Department of Education mentors, school site coaches, and monthly school site visits by adjunct faculty.
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Alternative Teacher Certification Program - MTL Transitional B
(Not currently accepting new candidates)
This Transitional B program was designed by the New York State Education Department, CUNY and its affiliate colleges to offer current New York City Department of Education teachers holding a Modified Temporary License (MTL) New York State certification.

Candidates for the MTL Transitional B at the City College of New York (CCNY) must meet the following criteria for admission to the program:

1. Candidates must hold a Modified Temporary License (MTL)
2. Candidates must be currently teaching in the New York City Department of Education public school system.
3. Candidates must qualify for admission to a City College School of Education graduate program.
4. Candidates are required to pay the graduate application fee of $125.00
5. Candidates must have passed two (2) New York State Certification Examinations - the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and the Content Specialty Test (CST) - upon admission to the program.

Upon Acceptance to the MTL Transitional B program, candidates are expected to meet with their respective advisor for program planning and registration.  Candidates are expected to continue this practice each semester while enrolled in the MTL Transitional B program.
Candidates will be required to register for EDUC 2603N – “Supervised Teaching for Alternative Certification Candidates” each semester in addition to all other coursework required in their respective programs.

Candidates accepted for matriculation, must formally apply for the Transitional B certification in the first two weeks of acceptance by contacting the Certification Officer, in NAC 3/213 or at educertification@ccny.cuny.edu. Candidates will be required to show proof of matriculation in a School of Education Master's degree program and proof of registration in order to be recommended for the Transitional B certification.  Candidates are required to pay all fees attached to this process.

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Alternative Teacher Certification Program - Science and Math Alternate Route to Teaching (SMART) (Not currently accepting new candidates)
The SMART Program, designed by the New York State Education Department, the New York City Department of Education, CUNY and affiliate colleges, offers an alternate route to certification through substitute teachign for individuals who have an interest in becoming math or science teachers in New York City public schools.  Once participants have met alternative certification requirements in the fall or early winter, they will enroll in a subsidized Master's degree program that allows them to be employed as a certified teacher with full salary and benefits.  

Candidates for the SMART Transitional B program at the City College of New York (CCNY) must meet the following criteria for admission to the program:

1. Must not be certified to teach and cannot have completed a teacher education program.
2. Must be currently teaching in the New York City Department of Education public school system or have a nomination for a position.
3. To teach science, have earned a Bachelor's degree with a major in science or in any other subject area, with a minimum of 12 credits in science.
4. To teach math, have earned a Bachelor's degree with a major in math or a Bachelor's degree with math-related academic coursework as demonstrated by a major in Economics, Finance, Engineering, Compputer Science, Accounting, Architecture, Statistics, Marketing, Physics, Chemistry or Biochemistry, or a major in any other subject area with a minimum of 12 credits in math.
5. Must qualify for admission to a City College School of Education graduate program in Mathematics or Science.
6. Candidates must have passed two (2) New York State Certification Examinations - the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and the Content Specialty Test (CST) - upon admission to the program.

Upon Acceptance to the SMART Transitional B program at CCNY, candidates are expected to meet with their respective advisor for program planning and registration.  Candidates are expected to continue this practice each semester while enrolled in the SMART Transitional B program.

Candidates accepted for matriculation, must formally apply for the Transitional B certification in the first two weeks of acceptance by contacting the Certification Officer, in NAC 3/213 or at educertification@ccny.cuny.edu. Candidates will be required to show proof of matriculation in a School of Education Master's degree program and proof of registration in order to be recommended for the Transitional B certification.

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