State Certification
Georgian Court University recommends and submits certification applications to the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) Office of Licensing and Credentials on behalf of students who have completed all program requirements in our state-approved teacher preparation programs within one year from the date of the student’s program completion. After one year, the student must apply directly to the state.
Below you will find a series of drop-down menus to better assist you with the requirements for certification. Follow the links for additional information.
All students who are submitting applications must meet the following requirements:
- Complete all required coursework with grades posted and / or degree posted
- Apply for graduation (if applicable)
- GPA requirement met. Students graduating after September 1, 2016 will need to achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00
- Pass all required basic skills testing (Core) and content area (Praxis II or OPI/WPT). Copy of passed exam must be submitted to the School of Education (if applicable)
- Successfully complete the Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying Exam (HIB)
- Additional requirements based on certification area (see Certification Program Checklists for further information)
- All certification materials can be emailed to Schyler LaMattina at slamattina@georgian.edu
GCU’s State-Approved programs leading to certification:
Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs (Undergraduate Catalog)
The School of Education offers three undergraduate teacher education programs, each leading to a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing (the initial New Jersey teaching certificate which provides an applicant with the opportunity to seek employment) and endorsement as a Teacher of Students with Disabilities:
- Early Childhood Education P3 with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Elementary Education K-6 with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Teacher of a Specific Subject Grades K-12 with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
Instructional Certificates:
- Early Childhood Education P3 with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Elementary Education Teacher K-6 with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Teacher of Art with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Teacher of Biological Science with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Teacher of English with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Teacher of Spanish with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Teacher of Mathematics with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Teacher of Social Studies with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Teacher of Chemistry with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
Middle School Endorsements:
- Elementary School Teacher with Language Arts/Literacy Specialization Grades 5-8 with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Elementary School Teacher with Mathematics Specialization Grades 5 -8 with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Elementary School Teacher with Science Specialization Grades 5-8 with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Elementary School Teacher with Social Studies Specialization Grades 5-8 with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
- Elementary School Teacher with World Language Specialization Grades 5-8 with Teacher of Students with Disabilities
Endorsements:
- Bilingual Education
- Early Childhood Education P3
- English as a Second Language
- Teacher of Students with Disabilities
Educational Services Certificates: Professionals providing specific services such as reading specialists, counselors, etc.
- Director of School Counseling Services
- Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant
- Reading Specialist
- School Counselor
- School Psychologist (must have program completion verification from the Chair)
Administrative Certificates: Professionals in a leadership role in the schools, such as principals, supervisors, superintendents, etc. fee as indicated
- Principal
- School Administrator
- School Business Administrator
- Supervisor
Follow the links provided for the program audit checklist. Each checklist will provide the documentation that is required when submitting your certification packet.
All application for certification will be processed through the Department of Education’s NJedcert Portal. The process is completely online. Once all relevant materials are verified by GCU, you will be nominated for your certifications and you will receive an email from NJedcert notifying you that you have been nominated.
If you do not have an NJedcert account, DO NOT create one until you receive the follow up email from NJedcert prompting you to create the account. Creating an account outside of the specified email link will cause a second account to be made and your nomination will NOT come through.
If you already have an account, you will just need to click on the link you are emailed when you are notified of your nomination.
Once you have created your account and are logged in, click “Apply” and your nominations will be presented to you. Once your payment goes through, your certificates will be issued.
| Administration and Leadership State Codes |
|
|---|---|
| State Code | Certificate / Endorsement |
| #0101 | School Administrator |
| #0109 | School Business Administrator |
| #0106 | Supervisor |
| #0200 | Principal |
| Educational Services State Codes |
|
| State Code | Certificate / Endorsement |
| #0602 | Director of School Counseling Services |
| #3300 | Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant (LDTC) |
| #3310 | Reading Specialist |
| #3100 | School Psychologist |
| #2702 | School Counselor |
| #2475 | Teacher of Students with Disabilities (Endorsement only) |
| Elementary and Secondary Education |
|
| State Code | Certificate / Endorsement |
| #1001 | Elementary School Teacher in Grades K-6 |
| #1300 | Teacher of Comprehensive Business |
| #2270 | Teacher of Chemistry |
| #1013 | Teacher of Preschool through Grade 3 |
| #1200 | Teacher of Art |
| #2210 | Teacher of Biological Science |
| #1410 | Teacher of English |
| #1900 | Teacher of Mathematics |
| #2300 | Teacher of Social Studies |
| #1550 | Teacher of Spanish |
| #1475 | Teacher of English as a Second Language |
| #1480 | Teacher of Bilingual/Bicultural Education (Endorsement only) |
| #2475 | Teacher of Students with Disabilities (Endorsement only) |
Initial Teacher Cert:
All Education students are required to complete a HIB program and pass the associated HIB exam PRIOR to enrolling in student teaching. The Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying program is a New Jersey Department of Education (N.J.S.A 18A: 37-22) requirement for all educators entering the workforce beginning in the 2012 school year to have completed, through their pre-service preparation, a program that allows demonstration of harassment, intimidation and bullying prevention.
A link to the exam can be found within the SOE Advising Organization on Blackboard.
NOTE: If you have completed the state-mandated training in your school district, an original letter documenting the training completed and signed by either the Human Resources Director, Principal or any Administrator, will be reviewed for content.
Administrative and Advanced Programs:
All candidates in Administrative and Advanced Programs are required to show proof of having completed HIB training. This proof can be:
- Certificate of Completion from having taken it in class as part of your GCU program.
- Certificate of Completion or an original letter from your school district if you have done the state-mandated training with them.
- Certificate of Completion from completing Legal One NJ’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights v2 (registration information for this online course can be found here https://portal.njpsa.org/store/detail.aspx?id=LOBUN37V2)
Frequently Asked Questions
When all required course work is completed and all required documentation is collected.
All Grades must be posted to the transcript (including student teaching)
Degree must be posted to the transcript
Georgian Court University will recommend your applications once your degree is posted (baccalaureate or master’s degree) by the Office of the Registrar, and all required documentation has been received. Recommendation cannot be sent before the official graduation date. You can follow up with the Office of the Registrar on the status.
Note: CEAS educator preparation programs have up to one year from the date the student has completed the approved program to recommend to the NJDOE for issuance of a certificate.
New Jersey requires that candidates for certification achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 when a GPA of 4.00 equals an A grade for students graduating on or after September 1, 2016 (2.75 for those graduating before September 1, 2016) in a baccalaureate degree program.
Because you have completed a traditional teaching program in a state-approved program, you will receive a CEAS (Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing). This is a credential with lifetime validity. The CEAS permits you to seek and accept employment in positions requiring certification.
What is the difference between a Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing? (CEAS) and a Certificate of Eligibility (CE)?
- CE (Alternate Route) – is a credential with lifetime validity issued to an individual who has NOT completed a teacher preparation program, but who has met the basic requirements for certification including academic study and applicable test requirements. The CE authorizes an individual to seek and accept employment in NJ public schools requiring certification.
- A CEAS is issued to persons who HAVE completed an approved college teacher preparation program. Upon employment the bearer needs to be mentored in the school district for one year. Upon completion of the mentoring period the principal may recommended the candidate for a permanent certificate.
From the time GCU receives your application, verifies your eligibility, submits information into the state’s electronic website, mails all related documentation and fees to NJDOE – it will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks from the time the state enters our BATCH before you will be able to track your application on the NJDOE website.
You can check you application status by logging into your NJedcert account and checking “My Applications” and/or “My Certifications.”
First comes the PROVISIONAL – after hiring, the school district will register the novice teacher into a state of New Jersey mentoring program; then the, STANDARD – after the mentoring program is complete, a recommendation for a standard license from the mentor and the principal is submitted to the state. The teacher then applies to the state for their standard.
A “certificate” is the license required for an individual to teach, it refers to one of three types of credentials – instructional, educational services and administrative.
An “endorsement” is the descriptor that is placed on the certificate to identify the specific area qualified to teach in conjunction with the certificate earned.
Example: a candidate who completes a secondary certification program in English/Language Arts will receive a secondary certificate endorsed in English/Language Arts. If that person later meets the requirements for an endorsement in Math, the new math endorsement would be added to the Secondary English/Language Arts Certificate.
Yes: highly qualified teachers must hold a baccalaureate degree, certified by the NJDOE and demonstrate content expertise in the core academic subject they will teach (passing score on the appropriated Praxis Subject Assessment test).
New Jersey has specific forms of reciprocity with other states for instructional, educational services and administrative certificates under our regulations. Please visit the state website for guidance.
Any additional questions can be addressed to Schyler LaMattina, Director of Assessment & Certification at slamattina@georgian.edu.
Additional certification information can be found at the NJDOE Licensure & Credentials site at:
https://www.nj.gov/education/license/.
If I have questions, who should I contact?
Schyler LaMattina
Director of Assessment & Certification
slamattina@georgian.edu
732-987-2780