Teachers have a lasting and lifelong impact on the lives of their students. After all, who doesn’t remember the teacher who first believed in them? The teacher who taught them how to read or learn an important skill?

But beyond anecdotal evidence, plenty of research demonstrates that teachers impact not only their students’ academic prowess but their interpersonal skills, behavior, and motivation as well. Of course, educators are only as good as their training.

At University of Bridgeport, educators have many options for the teaching certification programs they can pursue. These teaching certificates are designed to prepare educators for a high level of professional practice, responsibility, and expertise. Here are six types of teaching certificates that you can pursue after earning your master’s degree or as an addition to your master’s studies.

Types of Teaching Certificates in CT

One of the first Connecticut teacher requirements is the Connecticut (CT) teacher certification, as state certification is required to teach in all public schools and even some private schools. Candidates should research to understand what will be expected of them at the institution they wish to teach.

Thankfully, for many Connecticut-based teachers, there are many additional types of educational certificates to choose from.

1. Elementary Education

Students who wish to become certified to teach Elementary Education can pursue a master’s in Elementary Education or, if they have already earned their master’s degree, can earn their elementary CT teaching certification as part of a Sixth-Year program. Courses include nine credit hours in foundations of education. These courses train students in educational psychology, special education, and differentiated instruction. Additionally, students must take 24 hours of professional education credits, which can also include field experience.

2. 092 Certificate

The Educational Administration and Supervision Program prepares students for certification as an intermediate administrator (092) in Connecticut. This certification provides practical preparation for educators who wish to fill school administrative positions, up to and including the assistant superintendent position. Courses in this teaching certificate program include:

• Introduction to Education Leadership
• Evaluation of School Effectiveness
• Curriculum Development
• Public School Finance
• School Law
• Administrative Internship
• Supervision/Evaluation of Personnel

Students can also take leadership electives that prepare them for specialized roles. These electives include topics in management, research, and urban leadership.

3. Secondary Academic Subjects

If teaching students in grades 7-12 sounds interesting, students should consider enrolling in the initial CT teacher certification program for Master’s in Secondary Education. However, if you already have a master’s degree, University of Bridgeport offers students the opportunity to pursue specialization in a number of areas in the form of a Sixth Year Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS):

• Math: The program for Mathematics Education offers courses as well as classroom experiences that prepare secondary teachers to teach mathematics to a variety of students. Students may take classes in Modern Analysis, Differential Equations, Mathematical Modeling, and Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. In order to take this certification, students must earn a bachelor’s degree in mathematics or have taken 30 undergraduate credits in mathematics.
• English: The Secondary English program prepares teachers to teach English in grades 7-12. Applicants for this certification must either major in English or show they have at least 30 credits of English coursework. They must have completed at least 9 credits in American and British literature. In the course of earning this certification, students must take 9 credits in foundations (including Special Education), 3 credits in English methods, 3 credits in Adolescent Literature, and 3 credits in Reading and Writing in the content areas.
• History: The Secondary History and Social Studies program prepares participants to become certified History and Social Studies teachers in Connecticut. As a prerequisite, participants must have been a History or Social Sciences major or an interdisciplinary major with at least 18 credits in History and at least 21 credits in other Social Sciences.
• Science: The science program enables future science teachers to understand theories, best science practices, and assessments. Students are expected to have majored in a science area such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Earth Science. Students in the Science program will take 9 credits in foundations, 3 credits in Science methods, 3 credits in Reading and Writing, and 6 credits in field experience.
• Business: Business education teachers educate their students on investing, saving, and becoming successful working professionals. Secondary Business Certification requires that applicants have completed 30 undergraduate credits in business, plus 9 in a related area.

Graduates of the Sixth Year Certificate and Master’s programs are prepared to plan lessons according to state and national guidelines. They’re trained to pass Praxis II content knowledge for secondary subject areas. They’re also prepared to pass the edTPA performance assessment.

4. K-12 Music

The Music Teaching Certification helps musicians develop their teaching skills while becoming state-certified educators. Upon earning certification, music teachers can work in elementary and secondary schools, teaching small classes, large groups, and individual students.

5. Remedial Reading & Language Arts

This thirty-credit Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) program includes coursework in developmental reading, diagnosis and intervention of reading difficulties, assessment, and methods and materials. Students in this program are also given literacy field experiences, including field experience in Reading and Language Arts. Additionally, students must take coursework in Educational Technology. This teaching certificate program leads to the Connecticut Initial Educator Certificate in Remedial Reading and Remedial Language Arts (102), grades 1-12.

6. Computer Science

University of Bridgeport is one of the first universities in Connecticut to offer a cross-endorsement in Computer Science. Students can earn the Computer Science endorsement in two ways. Students can take and pass the Praxis II Computer Science exam or take courses in Computer Science content. This sixth-year certification can be taken by educators wishing to earn a master’s degree in either Elementary or Secondary education.

Sixth-year certificates give teachers and prospective administrators the tools they need to be skilled educators and leaders. In Connecticut, those who wish to work as Reading and Language Arts Consultants, School Business Administrators, or Superintendents must, in fact, earn certification. If a career in teaching is your passion, it’s the perfect time to consider earning your teaching certificate.

Prerequisites for Teaching Certificates in CT

Enrolling and becoming a certified teacher through a teaching certification program also comes with its own prerequisites, which depend on the kind of certification and the school you are being certified through.

First and foremost, all teachers in Connecticut must complete, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree. Aspiring elementary school teachers will typically pursue degrees with an extensive knowledge base in many subject areas. In contrast, those wishing to teach at the secondary level will pursue a degree in a specific subject area.

Then, Connecticut teachers are expected to earn a master’s degree, such as a Master’s degree in Education, including the Elementary Education Master of Science or Sixth-Year degree in Education, to further their skills, training, and career goals.

These teaching degree programs offer students field experience and training as part of their degree, another prerequisite for their teaching certificate in CT. For example, at University of Bridgeport, our Master’s in Education students complete a fourteen-week teaching residency under the direction of a trained and experienced teacher, ensuring they are prepared and equipped for their future career as a teacher.

At University of Bridgeport, our teaching certification programs require an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.67, and our Elementary Education and Secondary Education certification have general education coursework requirements of thirty credits in the subject area plus nine credits in a related field.

Once they have completed their degrees and prerequisites, candidates are ready to enroll in their desired teaching certificate program.

Benefits of Pursuing CT Teaching Certifications

While it is a requirement to be a teacher in Connecticut, pursuing CT teaching certifications means you will acquire, develop, and further strengthen the skills, knowledge, and qualities you need to be a successful teacher and impact your students’ lives.

Enhanced Career Opportunities

Teachers are life-long learners, making CT teaching certification programs a great way to further one’s learning, gain satisfaction from obtaining new knowledge, and consistently seek new opportunities to grow.

They also provide new tools and techniques that can help teachers stay flexible in any scenario or instance, like a global pandemic, and equally as prepared as possible with plans for:

• Organization
• Classroom maintenance
• Grading student work
• Documenting grades
• Submitting scores effectively and efficiently

Lastly, teaching certification programs enable candidates to pursue higher-level career opportunities beyond the classroom, such as administrative positions, like assistant superintendent positions, through a Hybrid Educational Administration and 092 Certification program.

Higher Salary Potential

Earning a CT teaching certification can boost one’s salary as it proves to employers that you are more trained, skilled, and qualified.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the highest ten percent of kindergarten and elementary school teachers earn a median annual wage of more than $101,310, and the highest ten percent of high school teachers earn a median yearly salary of more than $101,710.

Increased Job Security

Teachers will always be needed as they are directly responsible for shaping the minds of young students from childhood to adulthood, and students will always need to be taught.

Thus, by earning and further expanding their skills through various teaching certificates, teachers solidify and secure their place in the educational system.

Furthermore, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), kindergarten and elementary school teachers are expected to see about 109,000 job openings each year to 2032, while high school teachers will see about 67,100 job openings each year to 2032.

How to Choose a CT Teacher Certification

Whether you want to teach elementary or high school, aspiring teachers in Connecticut will need to choose a CT teacher certification program that aligns with their goals and will prepare them with the tools and techniques for a long, fulfilling, and rewarding career.

For example, a Master’s in Elementary Education will successfully prepare students to teach in an elementary school classroom. On the other hand, an Educational, Administration, and Supervision Certification program trains students to become leaders in their school and school district.

Additionally, candidates should ensure that their program is accredited by the state they wish to teach in and by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, as both provide students in these programs with a deeper understanding of the critical concepts and principles in their field.

Students should also look into the program’s student success rate, opportunities for experiential learning, and post-graduation skill levels when choosing a CT teacher certification program. Ultimately, the best teacher certification program is the one that most aligns with the student’s goals.

Maintaining and Renewing Your Teacher Certificate in CT

In general, Connecticut has three levels of teacher certification that they are required to maintain and renew. They are initial, provisional, and professional.

Continuous Learning and Professional Development

New teachers will earn their initial certification after they complete their bachelor’s degree program and before they begin teaching. It is valid for the first three years of their teaching career.

Those three years prepare them with experience and knowledge to then earn their provisional educator certification, which can be completed after as few as ten months of experience and completion of the TEAM mentoring program in Connecticut. The provisional educator certification is valid for eight years.

The final certification, the professional educator certificate, can be earned after completing a graduate degree, advanced coursework, and after at least thirty months of teaching in a Connecticut school while holding the provisional level of certification. The professional educator certification is also the only level of certification that is renewable.

6th Year Certificates in Education

Sixth-year certificates give teachers and prospective administrators the tools they need to be skilled educators and leaders. In Connecticut, those who wish to work as Reading and Language Arts Consultants, School Business Administrators, or Superintendents must, in fact, earn certification. If a career in teaching is your passion, it’s the perfect time to consider earning your teaching certificate.

Contact the UB Grad Admissions team at gradadmissions@bridgeport.edu to learn more about University of Bridgeport’s sixth-year certification options, or contact us online to request more information.