Alabama |
Career and Technical Education |
Associate or bachelor’s degree depending on topic, though some program areas require only specific classes. |
Occupational proficiency examination, professional experience (time requirements vary by subject area). |
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Architecture & Construction; Arts, A/V Technology & Communications; Business Management & Administration; Education & Training; Finance; Government & Public Administration; Health Science; Hospitality & Tourism; Human Services; Information Technology; Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security; Manufacturing; Marketing; STEM; Transportation, Distribution & Logistics |
Alabama Career and Technical Education |
Alaska |
Initial Teacher Certificate |
Bachelor’s degree at minimum |
Basic competency exam, content area exam |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
Alaska Types of Certificates |
Arizona |
Career and Technical Education |
Bachelor's for all except Business and Industry Professionals option |
Tests and work experience requirements vary by subject |
Agriculture; Business & Marketing; Education & Training; Family & Consumer Sciences; Industrial & Emerging Technologies |
Arizona Requirements for CTE Certificates |
Arkansas |
Career and Technical Education Technical Permit |
Associate degree, though extensive work experience can be used as a substitute |
Between two and four years of professional experience in specialty area |
Agriculture Science & Technology; Business & Marketing Technology; Family & Consumer Sciences; Jobs for Arkansas Graduates; STEM; Trade & Industry |
Arkansas Division of Career & Technical Education |
California |
Preliminary Designated Subjects CTE Teaching Credential |
High school diploma/GED |
Minimum 3,000 clock hours of work experience directly related to teaching area |
Agriculture Education; Business & Marketing; Family & Consumer Sciences Education; Health Careers; Industrial & Technology Education |
California Career Technical Education Teaching Credential |
Colorado |
Initial Career and Technical Education Authorization |
Individual criteria must be met for each subject area, ranging from a high school diploma/GED to bachelor’s degree |
Content knowledge examination and occupational experience |
Agriculture & Natural Resources; Business/Marketing & Public Administration; Health Sciences & Public Safety; Hospitality; Human Services & Education; Skilled Trades & Technical Sciences; STEM; Arts, Design, & IT |
Colorado Career and Technical Education Applicant |
Connecticut |
Vocational Endorsement |
Requirements vary from high school diploma/GED to bachelor’s degree, depending on subject area |
Three to eight years related work experience, depending on subject |
Agricultural Science & Technology; Business & Finance Technology; Family & Consumer Science; Manufacturing; Marketing; Medical Careers; Personal Finance |
Becoming Certified in Connecticut |
Delaware |
Career & Technical Education Certification |
CTE educators must hold both a DE teaching license and at least one certificate in their chosen subject |
Skilled and Technical Science Certification holders must possess professional or trade experience in their expertise area |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
Delaware Career & Technical Education Certification |
Florida |
Certified Teacher |
CTE educators must possess a standard teaching license and certification in at least one content area |
Tests and work experience requirements vary by subject |
17 career clusters focused on middle school, high school, technical school, and college |
Florida Career & Technical Education |
Georgia |
Career and Technical Education Certification |
Requirements range from high school diploma to bachelor’s degree based on content area |
Professional work experience and exams are required. |
Georgia offers 24 CTE subject areas as of 2020; see website |
Georgia Career and Technical Specializations |
Hawaii |
Standard Limited CTE License |
Associate degree at minimum and pedagogical coursework |
Minimum of three years industry experience and passage of exams |
Arts & Communication; Business; Health Services; Industrial Engineering Technology; Natural Resources; Public & Human Services |
Hawaii CTE License and Permit Information |
Idaho |
Career and Technical Education Teacher Qualification |
High school diploma or equivalent at minimum |
Six years of industry-related employment |
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Business & Marketing; Engineering & Technology; Family & Consumer Sciences; Human Services; Health Professions & Public Safety; Trades & Industry |
Idaho CTE Educator Information |
Illinois |
Career and Technical Educator, Part-time Provisional Career and Technical Educator, Provisional Career and Technical Educator |
Requirements vary based on type of license |
Requirements vary based on type of license and content area |
Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources; Arts & Communication; Finance & Business Services; Health Sciences & Technology; Human & Public Services; Information Technology; Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology, & Trades |
Illinois CTE Educator Licensure Requirements |
Indiana |
Career Specialist Permit |
Bachelor’s degree unless other requirements are met |
Minimum 4,000 hours of occupational work experience or passing CORE content licensure exam |
Agriculture; Business & Information Technology; Family & Consumer Sciences; Health Science; Marketing; Trade & Industrial Areas |
Indiana Alternative Licensure Paths |
Iowa |
Career and Technical Educator Limited Teaching Authorization |
Bachelor’s degree unless other requirements are met alongside pedagogy coursework |
Between 4,000-6,000 hours of occupational experience |
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Arts, Communications, & Information Systems; Applied Sciences, Technology, Engineering, & Manufacturing; Health Sciences; Human Services; Business, Finance, Marketing, & Management |
Iowa Board of Educational Examiners |
Kansas |
Career and Technical Education Specialized Certificate |
Degree level appropriate to subject area |
Trade competency exam, any required occupational license, and professional occupation work experience |
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Architecture & Construction; Education & Training; Government & Public Administration; Health Sciences; Information Technology; Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security |
CTE Specialized Certificate Requirements |
Kentucky |
Occupation-Based Teacher Certification |
Candidates must possess any education commonly required in their industry (e.g., bachelor’s for nursing). Those without teaching credentials must complete an approved 64-credit program. |
Minimum four years of work experience, occupation-based exams. |
Agriculture; Business & Marketing; Construction Technology; Engineering Technology; Family & Consumer Sciences; Health Science; Information Technology; Manufacturing; Media Arts; Transportation |
Kentucky Occupation-Based Teacher Certification |
Louisiana |
Career and Technical Certificate |
Minimum high school diploma or GED |
At least four years of full-time work experience. Graduates of postsecondary degrees receive work experience credits based on degree level. |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
Louisiana Standards for Certification of School Personnel |
Maine |
CTE Teacher Certification/Endorsement |
CTE educators can select from five different pathways |
Exams plus endorsement in chosen area |
Nearly 50 content areas recognized; see website |
Maine CTE Teacher Certification/Endorsement |
Maryland |
Career and Technical Education License |
Bachelor’s degree in teaching/content area or completion of a CTE teacher certification course |
Exams; work experience may be required in some content areas |
Arts, Media, & Communications; Business Management & Finance; Construction & Development; Consumer Services, Hospitality, & Tourism; Environmental, Agricultural, & Natural Resources; Health & Biosciences; Human Resource Services; Information Technology; Manufacturing, Engineering, & Technology; Transportation Technologies |
Maryland Educator Certification |
Massachusetts |
Vocational Technical Education |
High school diploma/GED, associate, or bachelor's depending on area |
Work experience requirements vary by subject. Vocational Technical Literacy Skills Test; Communication and Literacy Skills Test |
52 options; see website |
Massachusetts Vocational Technical Education |
Michigan |
Standard Career and Technical Education Certificate |
Bachelor’s degree, six semester credits of professional/CTE education |
Minimum two years of work experience in CTE teaching area |
18 career cluster areas; see website for full list of options |
Michigan Standard CTE Certificate Requirements |
Minnesota |
Career and Technical Education Teacher License |
Requirements depend on CTE area of teaching but options include professional certification, associate, or bachelor’s degree |
Depending on type of license, approximately five years of verified, related work experience |
Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources; Business, Marketing, & IT; Family & Consumer Science; Health Science; Service Occupations; Trades & Industry |
Minnesota Career and Technical Education Teacher Licensing |
Mississippi |
CTE Stand Alone Educator Licenses |
Requirements vary based on CTE program area |
At least one year of full-time experience gained in previous decade, content exams |
Agricultural & Related Technology; Business & Computer Technology; Family & Consumer Sciences; Health Sciences; Marketing & Cooperative Education; Technology; Trade, Technical, & Engineering-Related Technologies |
Mississippi Guidelines and Clarification of Requirements for issuance of CTE Licenses |
Missouri |
Certified Career Education Teacher |
Three paths available, each of which sets different education requirements |
Three paths available, each of which sets different work experience requirements. |
Agricultural Education; Business, Marketing & IT; Family Consumer Sciences & Human Sciences; Health Sciences; Skilled Technical Sciences; Technology & Engineering |
Become Certified as a Career Education Teacher in Missouri |
Montana |
Class 4 Career and Technical Teaching License |
Three paths exist, each with different sets of education requirements |
10,000 hours of experience in each content area |
Agriculture Education; Business Education; Family & Consumer Sciences; Health Science; Industrial Technology |
Requirements for Montana Class 4 Educator Licensure |
Nebraska |
Career Education Teaching Permit |
Postsecondary degree or apprenticeship in chosen CTE area |
Five or more years of career practice or passage of competency exam |
Business, Marketing, & Management; Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources; Computer Science & Technology; Health Sciences; Human Sciences, Family & Consumer Sciences; Skilled & Technical Sciences |
Nebraska Career Education Teaching Permit Requirements |
Nevada |
Secondary-High School Career and Technical Education License |
Bachelor’s degree and teaching preparation coursework |
One year of verifiable work experience |
Agricultural & Natural Resources; Business & Marketing Education; Education, Hospitality, & Human Services; Health Science & Public Safety; Information & Media Technologies; Skilled & Technical Sciences |
Nevada Qualifications for CTE License |
New Hampshire |
Alternative 4 CTE Certification |
Requirements vary based on degree level attained and work experience possessed. Candidates with substantial related work experience need only a high school diploma or GED |
Candidates with little to no related work experience need a higher degree; those with at least two years of full-time work experience may not, depending on content area |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
New Hampshire Pathways to Certification |
New Jersey |
Career and Technical Education Instructional Certificate |
Traditional (e.g., teacher preparation, bachelor’s degree) and alternate (e.g., combination of education and employment experience) routes exist |
Traditional (e.g., teacher preparation, bachelor’s degree) and alternate (e.g., combination of education and employment experience) routes exist |
128 different endorsements exist; see website |
New Jersey Certification and Induction |
New Mexico |
Secondary Vocational-Technical Teaching License |
Route A) associate degree; Route B) bachelor’s degree including 32 credits of training related to content area; Route C) certificate; Route D) high school diploma/GED |
Route A) Two years of related work experience; Route C) three years of related work experience; Route D) five years of related work experience |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
New Mexico Secondary Vocational-Technical Licensure |
New York |
Career and Technical Education Certification |
Requirements vary based on subject area and type of certificate. Initial certificates require an associate degree; professional certificates require a bachelor’s degree |
Depends on subject area but can include student teaching and occupational work experience. Professional certificate requires NY State Teacher Certification Exam, and three years of full-time classroom teaching experience |
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Architecture & Construction; Arts, A/V Technology & Communications; Business Management & Administration; Education & Training; Health Sciences; Hospitality & Tourism; Human Services; IT; Law, Public Safety, Correction & Security; Manufacturing; STEM; Transportation, Distribution & Logistics |
New York State Office of Teaching Initiatives |
North Carolina |
Career and Technical Education Licensure |
Requirements range from high school diploma or GED to bachelor’s based on subject area |
Varied amounts of professional experience based on subject area |
Agricultural Education; Business, Finance, & Marketing; Computer Science & IT; Family & Consumer Sciences; Health Science; Trade, Technology, Engineering, & Industrial Education |
North Carolina Areas of Licensure |
North Dakota |
CTE Teacher License |
Requirements vary by subject area but typically include some college coursework |
Certification exams |
Agriculture; Business; Family & Consumer Sciences; Health Sciences; IT; Marketing; Technology & Engineering; Trade, Industry & Technical Education |
North Dakota Teaching Licensing CTE Standards and Requirements |
Ohio |
Career Tech Teacher License |
Minimum high school diploma or GED |
Five years of full-time, related work experience |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
Ohio Career Tech Teacher Preparation and Licenses |
Oklahoma |
Career Tech Teacher Certification |
Teaching degree or completion of Oklahoma Alternative Placement Program |
Three years of qualified work experience, written recommendation from employer |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
Oklahoma Paths to CTE Teaching Certification |
Oregon |
CTE Teacher Licensure |
Associate degree or higher preferred, but alternate paths available via preliminary CTE license |
Minimum 2,000 hours of relevant experience |
Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources Systems; Art, Information, & Communications; Business & Management; Health & Biomedical Sciences; Human Resources; Industrial & Engineering Systems |
Oregon CTE Teacher Licensure Overview |
Pennsylvania |
CTE Teacher Certification |
Candidates can opt for a credential review to receive certification. Must possess a teaching license or other higher education credential |
Candidates can opt for a Skilled Worker test consisting of written exam and hands-on demonstration of skill in lieu of degree |
43 content areas; see website |
Pennsylvania CTE Teacher Certification Options |
Rhode Island |
CTE Teacher Certification |
Educational requirements depend on content area but typically mirror industry expectations |
Subject matter test and experience are required in some content areas |
39 content areas; see website |
Rhode Island CTE Teacher Certification Requirements |
South Carolina |
CTE Teacher Certification |
Minimum high school diploma or GED, though some fields require an associate or bachelor’s degree |
Some fields allow for work-based certification and examinations |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
South Carolina CTE Work-Based Certification Program |
South Dakota |
CTE Teacher Certification |
Must complete CTE Methods Course and follow endorsement requirements based on subject area |
Must participate in CTE Mentored Internship |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
South Dakota CTE Teacher Certification Application Process |
Tennessee |
CTE Teacher Licensure |
Requirements vary by pathway but most require a high school diploma or GED |
Five years of full-time work experience in occupational area |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
Tennessee Licensure and Training Attendance Records |
Texas |
CTE Teacher Certification |
Requirements depend on specific career areas |
Three of the nine certificates awarded require between two and five years of full-time, paid experience. The remaining certificates do not |
Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources; Architecture & Construction; Arts, Audio Visual Technology, & Communications; Business, Marketing, & Finance; Education & Training; Energy; Health Science; Hospitality & Tourism; Human Services; IT; Law & Public Service; Manufacturing; STEM; Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics |
Texas Career and Technical Education Certification Information |
Utah |
CTE Educator License |
The Utah State Board of Education is currently revising Alternative Routes to Licensure requirements, with revisions taking effect July 1, 2020. |
The Utah State Board of Education is currently revising Alternative Routes to Licensure requirements, with revisions taking effect July 1, 2020. |
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Architecture & Construction; Arts, Audio/Visual Technology & Communications; Business, Finance & Marketing; Computer Science & IT; Education & Training; Engineering & Technology; Health Science; Hospitality & Tourism; Human Services; Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security; Manufacturing; Transportation, Distribution & Logistics |
Earning a Utah Educator License |
Vermont |
CTE Teacher Licensure |
High School Diploma, GED, or Associate Degree |
Between four and six years of experience, depending on education level |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
Vermont CTE Teacher Education Program |
Virginia |
CTE Teacher Credential |
Industry credential required, but initial licensees can apply to a three-year, nonrenewable license while meeting requirements |
Industry-standard examinations |
Agricultural Education; Business & IT: Family & Consumer Sciences; Health & Medical Sciences; Marketing; Technology; Trade & Industrial Education |
Virginia Industry Credentials for CTE Teachers |
Washington |
Career and Technical Educator Certificate |
CTE teachers following Plan 1 for licensure must possess a bachelor’s degree; those following Plan 2 can meet business and industry standards |
Basic Skills Exam, three years of occupational experience and/or teaching experience |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
Washington Initial Career and Technical Educator Certificate |
Washington D.C. |
Standard Teacher Credential |
All D.C. teachers must possess at minimum a bachelor’s degree, regardless of subject area |
CTE teachers must take relevant Praxis Exams |
Architecture & Construction; Arts, A/V Tech & Communications; Business Management & Administration; Education & Training; Finance; Health Science; Hospitality & Tourism; Human Services; IT; Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security; STEM; Transportation, Distribution & Logistics |
Washington D.C. Teacher Certification |
West Virginia |
CTE Endorsement |
Requirements vary based on industry standards for each content area |
Requirements vary based on industry standards for each content area |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
West Virginia CTE Endorsements and Testing |
Wisconsin |
Technology Education License |
Standard licensure pathway requires a bachelor’s degree, but a trade specialist permit pathway is also available |
Completion of a recognized apprenticeship program and three years of paid work experience |
Agriculture & Natural Resources; Business & IT; Family & Consumer Sciences; Health Science; Marketing, Management & Entrepreneurship; Technology & Engineering |
Wisconsin Technology Education Pathways to Licensure |
Wyoming |
Professional, Industry, and Career Educator Permit |
High School Diploma or GED |
Two years of work experience, valid license in occupational specialty when required |
16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education |
Wyoming Professional Industry Career Permit Requirements |