Accreditation and Certification

The City College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The teacher education program of the College prepares pre-school, elementary, middle school, and secondary teachers and school service personnel with the master’s degree as the highest approved degree. Certificate programs beyond the master’s degree are also offered in several fields. The School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in 2016 and all of its programs are state approved. It is currently pursuing accreditation by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educatior Preparation (AAQEP), scheduled for 2025. The School of Education is affiliated with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

Programs of study are designed primarily to meet State certification requirements. Candidates who at the time of receipt of an advanced certificate or master’s degree and as a result of their studies at the College meet all the requirements of one of the College’s teacher education programs approved by the New York State Department of Education are recommended to that Department by the Certification Officer of the School of Education for state certification. However, State requirements change from time to time. Consequently, candidates interested in State certification should inform themselves of current requirements. Candidates having questions regarding State requirements should consult the Interim Certification Officer (NA 3/210) visit the CCNY certification website at www1.ccny.cuny.edu/prospective/education/certification.index.cfm or visit the NY State certification website at www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/ . All School of Education candidates should apply, upon conferred degree, using the State Education Department’s TEACH Online Services application system. Instructions for using the system are also available on the CCNY certification website.

Candidates who have completed a teacher education program at City College meet the educational requirements for certification in over 40 states through the Interstate Agreement on Qualification of Educational Personnel. Included among these are Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. More information on teaching in other states is available through the Certification Officer, NA 3/210.

Students who plan to take examinations to teach in the P-12 schools of New York City are advised to obtain a copy of the certification requirements from the Office of Teaching Initiatives, State Education Department, www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert for information and updates.