Internship Certification for Teacher Candidates

If you are a junior or senior in a graduate/master’s classroom teacher program and receive a job offer to teach the same subject as your graduate degree, you may be able to work with an internship certificate while you are still taking classes and earn a teacher’s salary and benefits. An internship certificate (PDF) is specifically designed for graduate students who have not yet held New York State certification in the same subject area of the certificate held.

Do You Have a Job Offer?

I Do Not Have a Job Offer

If you have not received a job offer, and are or will be eligible for the internship title, you can search for a job on your own and/or use the New Teacher Finder  while the application is opened (usually December to August).

If you don’t have a job offer:

1. You need to complete at least 50% of your graduate program for certification with a GPA above 3.00.
2. You will need to complete three mandated workshops.
3. Your fingerprint records need to be recorded on your New York State TEACH account before you begin to work. Follow these instructions under the section “Complete Your Fingerprint Clearance Documentation.”
4. You can ask your adviser for an “on track” letter.

I Have a Job Offer

1. The principal will need to write a job offer letter to confirm that they will hire you for a full-time position, teaching the same age group/subject as your college program.
2. You will need to send the job offer letter to your program adviser and ask the adviser to confirm the following three items:
   • The work site is approved for your work while in college. Note that internship certificates are issued under the control of the program and students must be approved at the program level by the program adviser.
   • You have completed least 50% of your graduate program for certification with a GPA above 3.00.
   • Confirm if you need a course for supervision:
     • Students in secondary education working with internship certification will be required to take SEED 7542 or 7543 student teaching or SEED 7001 each term the student is working under internship certification to provide supervision as required by the NYSED.
     • Students in the Early Childhood/ Art Education and Childhood/Bilingual/Special Ed graduate programs working with internship certification who have completed student teaching will be required to take ECAE 7001 or CBSE 7012 each term the student is working under internship certification to provide supervision as required by the New York State Education Department.
3. You will need to complete three mandated workshops.
4. Your fingerprint records need to be recorded on your New York State TEACH account before you begin to work. Follow these instructions under the section “Complete Your Fingerprint Clearance Documentation.”
5. After you have all of the requirements listed above, you will need send the confirmation from your adviser and job offer letter to the certification officer, Helen Spencer, via e-mail. She will add a recommendation for certification to your New York State TEACH account if you are eligible for the title and will send you information about the next steps needed. She will also send you an “on track” letter that you can use in the next step.
6. Starting January 1, 2025, all Internship certificate applications must have a Superintendent Statement entered into the applicant’s account solely for the purposes of the internship. Districts are not required to have the Superintendent Statement entered prior to the Institute of Higher Education (IHE) entering the Internship certificate recommendation.
7. After the steps above, you should complete the New York City Public Schools  (NYCPS) job application if this will be your first NYCPS teaching job and if you have not completed the application this year. The data in that application will be used as part of the hiring process, even though you have a job offer and/or if you had another NYCPS title such as substitute or assistant/paraprofessional.
8. After the steps above, you will need to pay a $50 application fee for New York State internship certification using your New York State TEACH account. Application program codes, needed for the application, are listed on the Student Information Sheet (PDF).

What Happens Next

If you are eligible for internship certification, you should plan to finish your certification tests and other requirements for initial certification before you finish your graduate program. Your master’s program completion date will be the end date for your internship certification. The internship certificate is valid for a maximum of two years from its effective date, or when you finish your master’s program, whichever happens first. When you complete or leave the college program, the certificate is no longer valid, regardless of the expiration date listed in TEACH.  A time extension may be possible only if you are eligible.