Alternative Certification Programs

(found programs from 868 schools)

Below is a list (broken down by state) of all the "Alternative Certification" and pre-licensure "Post-Baccalaureate" programs we could find. These are, basically, programs intended to take people with Bachelors degrees in non-teaching fields, and turn them into teachers, through a short, intensive program of study that typically includes getting them into the classroom as quickly as possible. A number are offered by universities, but many others are offered by local school districts / school boards.

If you don’t have a Bachelors degree yet, then the best way for you to get certified as a teacher is by completing a Bachelors in Education program.

Are There Any Online Alternative Certification Programs?

There are a handful of alternative certification programs around the country that are offered in a primarily online format. You’ll still be working in a real school, of course, but you’ll be able to take most (if not all) of the required classes online, which may be a better fit for your schedule if you need to keep working in another job while you study, or schedule around childcare, etc. When you contact the schools, make sure to confirm that you’ll receive a teaching certification that’s valid in your state. A few schools to check out include Grand Canyon University, Walden University, Kaplan University, and University of Maryland University College (UMUC).

Featured Online Alternative Certification Program

Grand Canyon University Offers Online Alternative Teacher Certification Programs	Request More Information
Campus Location(s): Phoenix, AZ Featured Alt Cert Programs: Master of Education in Elementary Education (pre-licensure) MED in Secondary Education (With IR and Cert) (pre-licensure) MED in Special Education (With IR and Cert) (pre-licensure)

Show me all the Alternative Certification Programs in:

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / District Of Columbia / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming

What About Teach for America?

Teach for America is one of the best known programs that focuses on introducing people to the teaching profession. However, in most locations, it’s not actually an alternative certification program in and of itself. In most parts of the country where it operates, Teach for America partners with local colleges and universities so that its Corps members can take the classes required to get their teacher certification in that state. We’ve researched all the locations in which they place Corps members, and in the list below, we’ve included a handful of locations where you can get certified through participation in Teach for America without having to enroll in an alternative certification program from a third party.

Tell Me More About Alternative Certification Programs

There’s actually a long and really interesting history to these programs. If you have time to do some reading, this is a great backgrounder: Alternative Certification Isn’t Alternative.

The short story is that they were first created some 25 years ago to help address the shortage of teachers, by providing a way for people who had NOT been through a teaching-focused degree program to enter the teaching workforce.

In theory, these programs get you into the classroom faster than a traditional Bachelors in Education program, and they focus more on practical knowledge than the education theory courses you’d be required to take in a more traditional program. Students enrolled in these programs frequently receive mentoring from more experienced teachers - another element of the program that is geared towards teaching practice rather than teaching theory.

For many people, it’s important to be able to work while they go back to school - they can’t just quit their job for a couple of years. In this scenario, alternative certification programs can be a very good choice.

Although people often mix and match "post-baccalaureate" and "alternative teaching certification," the traditional definition of a "post-baccalaureate" program is a little different. What it traditionally referred to was a Masters Degree program in Teaching/Education for non-teachers. These programs combine some of the teaching theory coursework from an undergraduate Education program with some additional coursework and prepared students to become teachers. So in a sense, it was a way for people who never got a Bachelors in Education to go back to school, study the same sorts of things they would have studied in a Bachelors of Education program, get a Masters degree instead, and become teachers. This is in contrast to true "alternative certification" programs, which are supposedly lighter on "theory" and heavier on actual classroom time.

The bottom line is that there’s so much overlap today between "post-baccalaureate" and "alternative certification" programs that we decided to combine them into one section and let you choose for yourself by talking to the schools that offer them.

Another excellent resource concerning Alternative Certification programs is the website of the National Center for Alternative Certification. Their directory may include some programs that ours doesn’t, and vice versa, so to get the most complete picture possible, you should look through both their site and ours. Plus, they’ve got some great background reading on the different types of Alternative Certification programs available, and things to consider when evaluating those programs.

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Grand Canyon University Offers Online Alternative Teacher Certification Programs	Request More Information
Campus Location(s): Phoenix, AZ Featured Alt Cert Programs: Master of Education in Elementary Education (pre-licensure) MED in Secondary Education (With IR and Cert) (pre-licensure) MED in Special Education (With IR and Cert) (pre-licensure)

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District Of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Kaplan University Offers Online Alternative Teacher Certification Programs	Request More Information
Campus Location(s): Chicago, IL Featured Alt Cert Programs: Master of Arts in Teaching (Iowa) (pre-licensure) Master of Arts in Teaching (Outside Iowa) (pre-licensure)

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Offers Online Alternative Teacher Certification Programs	Request More Information
Campus Location(s): Adelphi, MD Featured Alt Cert Programs: Master of Arts in Teaching (pre-licensure)

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Walden University Offers Online Alternative Teacher Certification Programs	Request More Information
Campus Location(s): Minneapolis, MN Featured Alt Cert Programs: Post-Baccalaureate with M.A. in Teaching - Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 3) (pre-licensure) Post-Baccalaureate with M.A. in Teaching - Special Education (pre-licensure) Post-Baccalaureate with M.A. in Teaching - Special Education (pre-licensure)

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Are we missing any schools or programs? If so, please let us know! We appreciate your help in making this the best directory of Education Degree Programs on the web. You can send us an email at schools@educationdegree.com.