Certification FAQs

Alternate route programs offer a flexible pathway to full teacher certification in New Jersey for college graduates and career changers who did not complete a traditional education program. Candidates can teach with full pay in a New Jersey public school while completing required coursework and certification requirements. These programs are also known as Certificate of Eligibility Educator Preparation Programs (CE-EPPs).

Anytime! The 50-Hour Pre-Professional Experience coursework is self-paced and asynchronous, so you don’t have to wait for a new semester to get started. Once you complete the 50-Hour Pre-Professional Experience and obtain your Certificate of Eligibility (CE) or Limited Certificate of Eligibility (Limited CE), you will be able to complete your enrollment and continue with your alternate route coursework.

No. You can get started with a bachelor’s degree or higher in any subject from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

After completing the 50-Hour Pre-Professional Experience, you must obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (CE) or a Limited Certificate of Eligibility (Limited CE) in an endorsement area approved by the program to continue. Earning a CE or a Limited CE* requires meeting New Jersey’s subject-matter coursework and testing requirements for your chosen certification area, as outlined by the New Jersey Department of Education. *Waiver options available.

If you graduated from a college or university outside of the United States or its territories, you must submit an official foreign credential evaluation to the program. The evaluation must be completed by an agency that is a member of either the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE). Your evaluation must include: - Confirmation that your degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution - A course-by-course breakdown showing the semester-hour equivalent of your studies - Your cumulative undergraduate (baccalaureate) GPA Be sure to request a two-part, course-by-course evaluation to meet all requirements.

(1) Establishing Eligibility; Obtain your Certificate of Eligibility (CE) → (2) Employment and Provisional Teacher Process (PTP); Secure a teaching position and earn your Provisional Certificate → (3) Becoming Permanently Certified; Complete alternate route program and other requirements to receive your Standard Teaching Certificate