How to Obtain a New York State Music Teacher Certification

In order to obtain your New York State music teacher certification, you must first choose which preparation path is correct for you. Here are the path options that are available. You will want to follow the requirements under the chosen path that best applies to your situation in order to receive your teaching certificate.

This path is for NY State residents that have completed an approved teacher preparation program (BA in Music Education):

• You must have completed an approved teacher preparation program for Music.
• An online recommendation from the accredited institution must be given to the NYS certification department in regards to your completion of the approved Music program.
• You must pass the New York State teacher certification exams including the Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST), the Elementary Assessment of Teaching Skills (ATS-W) and the Content Specialty Test (CST) for Music.
• You must get fingerprint clearance from your local police station.

This path is for a person that has not completed an approved teacher preparation program for Music, or where their teaching certificate from another state is non-reciprocal:

• You must possess a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution.
• You must have a minimum of 2.5 GPA.
• You must have 30 credit hours of general core coursework in Liberal Arts and Sciences.
• You must complete 30 credit hours of content core coursework in Music.
• You must complete 18 credit hours of coursework in pedagogical studies (For a more detailed list of these courses, visit The New York State Department of Education: Office of Teaching Initiatives).
• You must have completed 40 hours of student teaching.
• You must have passed the New york State teacher certification exams which include; he Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST), the Elementary Assessment of Teaching Skills (ATS-W) and the Content Specialty Test (CST) for Music.
• You must register for and complete the Child Abuse Identification and Schools Violence Intervention and Prevention workshops (which are offered from an array of service providers associated with the NYS Department of Education).
• You must obtain fingerprint clearance from your local police department.

This path is for someone who is moving to NY but has a teacher certification from another state:

• Must possess a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution.
• You must hold a valid level 2 or higher from a state that has a reciprocity agreement with NY as well as 3 years teaching experience under that certificate OR a completed teacher preparation program in Music.
• You must have passed the New york State teacher certification exams which include; he Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST), the Elementary Assessment of Teaching Skills (ATS-W) and the Content Specialty Test (CST) for Music.
• You must obtain fingerprint clearance from your local police department.

This path is designed for the person who wants an additional classroom teaching certificate:

• You must hold a valid NYS teaching certificate.
• You must have completed 30 credit hours of content core in Music.
• You must pass the Content Specialty Test (CST) in Music.
• You must register for and complete the Child Abuse Identification and Schools Violence Intervention and Prevention workshops.
• You must obtain fingerprint clearance from your local police department.

Once you have chosen your path and fulfilled the requirements, all you have to do is complete an online application for your initial New York State music teacher certificate and pay a fee of $50-$100 depending on your pathway. You can find these applications, other necessary forms, and any additional information on the NYS Department of Education: Office of Teaching Initiatives website: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/index.html

Good luck in your future endeavors!