In order to become certified by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE), students must be recommended by the Certification Officer in the Dean’s Office. The Certification Officer’s recommendation ensures the CSDE you have completed an approved program in order to be eligible for certification.
Candidates must maintain good standing throughout the teacher education program in order to qualify for our recommendation for certification. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with Connecticut’s teacher certification regulations and keeping abreast of changes to those regulations. If state regulations change before completion of a certification program, students will be required to meet these new regulations in order to receive the University’s recommendation for certification to the CSDE.
Eligibility for certification is based on successful completion of the program as indicated on your transcript, experiential requirements, and assessments. Current assessments, passing scores, and test registration information can be found here.
The College of Education and CSDE are currently accepting applications for certification electronically. Please do not fax, mail, or drop off certification paperwork to the Dean’s Office as the process has been modified to be completed online.
Depending on which type of certification you seek, please follow the appropriate directions below:
- Undergraduate, MAT, Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Candidates, & School Library
- Advanced Candidates: Educational Leadership, Reading, School Counseling, School Psychology, School Library, Speech & Language Pathology
For general inquiries, questions, or to schedule a call, please email certification@southernct.edu or call (203)-392-5902.
Those seeking certification in another state may be required to submit verification that they completed the College of Education’s “approved program.”
Please do not fax, mail, or drop off verification paperwork to the Dean’s Office as campus access is limited at this time.
Requests for out-of-state verification should be directed in an email to certification@southernct.edu.
If possible, please attach the form needing completion. For your security, DO NOT include your Social Security Number or other sensitive information on any forms. In the email, include the following information: Name (including former names), SCSU ID number, Program completed, and date of completion. If the state requesting verification will not accept a PDF version of the form, please send an email to make other arrangements.