Professional License

After obtaining the Initial License, teachers will have 5 years to satisfy the requirements for the Professional License. To qualify for a Professional License, you must have:

1. Satisfied the requirements for the Initial License.
2. Three years of successful teaching experience in a public or non-public school. Experience may be in any grade or subject in the same certificate category (classroom teaching) in order to satisfy the requirement. However, experience in either of the other two certificate categories (pupil personnel service or administration/supervision) may not be used to satisfy the experience requirement for a Professional certificate in a classroom teaching title.
3. Completed a mentored experience. The first year of employment in a public school district under your initial certificate must include a mentored experience, unless you already have two years of prior teaching experience.
4. A functionally relevant Master’s or higher degree that has been awarded by a regionally accredited institution of higher education or from an institution authorized by the Regents to confer degrees or a non-functionally relevant master’s degree with inclusion of some specific coursework. (e.g. MALS to include Math content. Not a functionally relevant degree).

Application for Professional Licenses after obtaining an Initial License through a “registered and approved” program in an institutional setting must be made directly to NYSED or through BOCES to NYSED. Application forms may be obtained on the NYSED certification application page.

To maintain the Professional License, teachers must complete 175 hours of in-service education every 5 years. Further information can be on the NYSED site. 

Please consult your employer to determine the types of experiences they deem to be acceptable for meeting this requirement. Also, please note that you are still required to pursue professional development hours even if you are not employed in a school.