Pennsylvania Teacher Certification
Pennsylvania currently has a two-tier certification system. New teachers begin at Level I, which is valid for six years of teaching service. At the end of six years, every teacher must complete at least 24 credits of post-baccalaureate coursework and have gone through an induction program set up by their school in order to obtain Level II certification. In order to keep a Level II License Active, teachers must complete a required number of continuing education credit units. If you are certified to teach in another state, Pennsylvania has interstate reciprocity agreements with 45 other states that can make it easier for you to begin teaching in Pennsylvania.
Broad Requirements for Instructional and Educational Specialist Certifications
1. Hold a Bachelor’s Degree: Baccalaureate degree awarded (either prior to admission to the program or as part of the program) or for vocational subject areas, two years of full-time wage earning experience in the area of the certificate requested.
2. Completion of an approved program of study leading to certification in the area of certificate requested:
- State-approved teacher education program completion, including a supervised student teaching experience, leading to a comparable certificate.
- Affirmation/recommendation of successful completion from the certification officer at the college/university/educational entity on an application form designated by the Bureau or through the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS) for provisioned users in TIMS.
- For active/valid out-of-state instructional certificate holders, with two (2) years of successful classroom experience, program verification will not be needed. A copy of your certificate and verification of the two years of experience will be required.
3. Hold a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA): A 3.0 overall cumulative GPA as noted on Bachelor’s or Master’s transcript is required for an initial certificate in Pennsylvania. Active/valid out-of-state instructional certificate holders, with two (2) years of successful classroom experience will not be evaluated for the 3.0 GPA requirement.
The cumulative GPA must be indicated on the college transcript. If it is not indicated on the college transcript, the overall GPA may be supplied in a letter from the college or university for out-of-state applicants. For applicants completing their program through a Pennsylvania entity approved to offer the program, the affirmation/verification should be completed through TIMS.
NOTE: All references to a GPA are relative to a 4.0 scale. Applicants with credits on other scales must have the equivalent GPA.
Required Tests
To become certified in Pennsylvania, teachers must earn qualifying scores on the Basic Skill Test and on all Subject Area tests for specific instruction areas. These are the required tests for Instructional I certification.
Basic Skills Test:
Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators
Subject Area Competence:
Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge
Praxis II Subject Assessments
For additional information, see the Pennsylvania Department of Educations Testing Requirements website.
Licensure Application Process
To submit a completed licensure application create an account with the Time Information Management Systems (TIMS). Make sure you have all your supporting documents listed below.
- Pay the application processing fees
- Verify proof of bachelor’s degree
- Verify completion teacher preparation program
- Submit passing test scores on required exams
- Submit a good moral character review, if applicable
Contact Information
Pennsylvania Department of Education
School of Leadership and Teacher Quality
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17126
717-728-3224