- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Teaching Certificates
The Alaska Teacher Certification office issues seven types of teacher certificates:
Coursework & Endorsements Information
All applicants who have less than two-years of teaching experience must apply for an Initial teacher certification. Applicants who have at least two years of teaching experience and a valid, regular out-of-state teaching certificate may qualify for a Professional Out-of-State Teaching Certificate.
Below are the minimum requirements for each teaching certificate type.
Alternative Pathways to Teacher Certification
If an applicant does not meet the requirements of one of the listed teaching certificates, the applicant may want to explore the district-sponsored certificates for alternative pathways to certification.
INITIAL TWO- OR THREE-YEAR TEACHER CERTIFICATE
The Initial Two-Year certificate is for all applicants who have completed a teacher preparation program and are new to the teaching profession. If you have taught for less than two years, you are considered new to the profession in Alaska.
To qualify for an Initial Two-Year teacher certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited university;
- Passing scores on an approved basic competency exam
- Passing scores on an approved content area exam
- Completion of an approved teacher preparation program
- Completion of the four Mandatory Trainings
- Submission of a fingerprint card
- Complete application and fees
An Initial Two-Year teacher certificate will be valid for two years and may be extended once at no charge for one-year so long as the extension requirements have been met before the expiration date of the Initial Two-Year teacher certificate.
For the one-year extension, the certificate holder must submit:
- Official transcripts showing completion of:
- 3 semester hours of approved Alaska studies coursework
- 3 semester hours of approved Alaska multicultural coursework
An applicant who has satisfied the requirements for Initial Two-Year teacher certification as well as the Alaska studies and Alaska multicultural coursework requirements at the time of application, will be issued an Initial Three-Year teacher certificate.
An Initial Three-Year teacher certificate is not renewable.
Next step: Apply for a Professional or Initial Five-Year certificate.
INITIAL PROGRAM ENROLLMENT TEACHER CERTIFICATE
The Initial Program Enrollment certificate is for applicants with a bachelor’s degree who are enrolled in a state-approved teacher preparation program and sponsored by an Alaska school district.
To qualify for a Program Enrollment teacher certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited university
- Current enrollment in an approved teacher preparation program as verified by a Program Enrollment form (docx) and official transcripts (Program must be completed within two (2) years of the issuance of the Initial certificate).
- Passing scores on an approved basic competency exam
- Has passing scores on an approved content area exam (Not required for Special Education enrollees)
- Five years of experience in the subject matter that you will be teaching;
- Special Education enrollees only: 9.0 semester hours of Special Education coursework
- Offered a certified teaching position by an Alaska public school district.
- Completion of the four Mandatory Trainings
- Submission of a fingerprint card
- Complete application and fees
An Initial Program Enrollment teacher certificate will be valid for one year but may be extended twice for a total of two (2) one-year extensions.
For the first one-year extension, the certificate holder must submit the following items to the Teacher Certification office before the expiration date of the Initial Program Enrollment certificate:
- Updated official transcripts showing progress in the program;
- Updated Program Enrollment form (docx);
- or State Approved Program Verification form (docx) if program has been completed;
For the second one-year extension, the certificate holder must submit all the following items to the Teacher Certification office prior to expiration of the certificate:
- Completion of an approved teacher preparation program as verified by a State Approved Program Verification form (docx)
- Official transcripts showing completion of:
- A state-approved teacher preparation program
- 3 semester hours of approved Alaska studies coursework
- 3 semester hours of approved Alaska multicultural coursework
Endorsements placed on an Initial/Program Enrollment teacher certificate will reflect the teacher preparation program described on the Proof of Program Enrollment form.
An Initial/Program Enrollment teacher certificate is not renewable.
Next step: Apply for a Professional, Master or Initial Five-year Certificate
REEMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATE
For teachers whose professional or master certificate expired more than one year ago.
To qualify for an Reemployment Teacher certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Held never held a Reemployment teacher certificate in Alaska
- Held an Alaska teacher certificate that was valid for at least two years
- The most recent Alaska teacher certificate must have expired more than a year prior to the date of application
- Is unable to satisfy the requirements for the Professional Certificate
- Completion of the four Mandatory Trainings
- Submission of a fingerprint card
- Complete application and fees
Endorsements placed on a Reemployment certificate will reflect the endorsements on the applicant’s previous Alaska teacher certificate.
A Reemployment teacher certificate will be valid for one year and is not renewable. The Reemployment teacher certificate cannot be reissued and is not eligible for an extension.
Special Notes about the Reemployment Certificate
- A Reemployment Certificate is non-renewable. After holding a Reemployment certificate, applicants must apply for either a Professional Teacher Certificate or a Second Initial Certificate if they do not meet the Professional Teacher Certificate Requirements. It is the responsibility of the applicant to know what all current certification requirements are.
- The endorsements on the Reemployment certificate will be the same as those the expired teacher certificate.
- During the life of the Reemployment certificate no endorsements may be added or removed.
Next Step: An applicant who has held a Reemployment teacher certificate must apply for either a Professional Teacher Certificate or an Initial Five-Year Certificate.
INITIAL FIVE-YEAR TEACHER CERTIFICATE
A Five-Year Initial teaching certificate is for applicants who have previously held an Initial teaching certificate but who have not satisfied the two years of teaching experience requirement for the Professional teaching certificate.
To qualify for an Initial Five-Year teacher certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Has held an Initial teacher certificate.
- Passing scores on an approved basic competency exam (BCE)
- Passing scores on an approved content area exam
- Completion of a teacher preparation program as verified by a State Approved Program Verification Form for Teachers
- Completion of the four Mandatory Trainings
- Official transcripts showing:
- Three (3) semester hours of approved Alaska studies coursework
- Three (3) semester hours of approved Alaska multicultural coursework
- Six (6) semester hours of coursework completed in the five years prior to application (recency credit)
- Complete application and fees
- Submission of a fingerprint card
An Initial Five-Year teacher certificate will be valid for five (5) years and is renewable.
Next step: Renew the five-year Initial certificate or apply for a Professional or Master Certificate
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE
A Professional teaching certificate is for applicants who have met all Alaska certification requirements under AS 14.20.020 and 4 AAC 12.305 (b). The Professional certificate is Alaska’s regular certificate previously called a Type A.
To qualify for a Professional teacher certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Two years of teaching experience while holding a valid teacher certificate**
- Passing scores on an approved basic competency exam (BCE)
- Passing scores on a content area exam
- Completion of a teacher preparation program as verified by on the Teacher Program Verification Form (docx)
- Official transcripts showing:
- Three (3) semester hours of approved Alaska studies coursework
- Three (3) semester hours of approved Alaska multicultural coursework
- Six (6) semester hours of coursework completed in the five years prior to application (recency credit)
- Verification of current employment in an Alaska public school district in a position requiring a certificate or a fingerprint card submitted with application
- Completion of the four Mandatory Trainings.
- Complete application and fees
The Professional certificate is valid for five (5) years and is renewable.
Next step: Certificate Renewal
**If all the requirements for a Professional certificate except for the two year of teaching experience and the content area exam have been met, an applicant may apply for a Second Initial certificate.
OUT-OF-STATE PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE
The Out-of-State Professional teacher certificate is for educators who are currently certified in another state to teach, has two years of teaching experience, and would like to begin teaching in Alaska.
To qualify for an Out-of-State Professional teacher certificate an applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Holds a current, valid regular out-of-state teacher certificate (out-of-country certificate will not be accepted)
- Provide Official transcripts showing the completion of a bachelor’s degree
- Have two years of teaching experience while holding a valid, regular or standard teacher certificate issued by another state or jurisdiction
- Completion of the four Mandatory Trainings
- Submission of a fingerprint card
- Complete application and fees
An Out-of-State Professional teacher certificate will be valid for two year but may be extend for three additional years.
For the three-year extension, official transcripts must be received by the Teacher Certification office before the expiration date of the Out-of-State Professional certificate:
- Official transcripts showing completion of:
- 3 semester hours of approved Alaska studies coursework
- 3 semester hours of approved Alaska multicultural coursework
Endorsements placed on an Out-of-State Professional teacher certificate will reflect the endorsements on the applicant’s out-of-state certificate. If an applicant holds more than one valid, out-of-state certificate, the applicant must choose which out-of-state certificate to submit with the Professional application.
An Out-of-State Professional teacher certificate can be valid for up to five (5) years and is renewable.
Next step: Certificate Renewal
MASTER TEACHING CERTIFICATE
The Master Teacher Certificate is for teachers who hold national board certification.
To qualify for a Master certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Holds a current Initial or Professional certificate
- Meets all requirements for the Professional certificate
- Holds current National Board certification issued by NBPTS
- Completion of the four Mandatory Trainings
- Submission of a fingerprint card
- Complete application and fees
The Master certificate is valid for five (5) years and is renewable.
Next step: Certificate Renewal
If the requirements to renew a Master certificate have not been met, an applicant must meet all current renewal requirements for the Professional certificate.
COURSEWORK & Endorsements
Coursework completed outside of the United States
If any college-level coursework has been completed outside of the United States, a completed, original foreign evaluation must be submitted with the application. More information concerning foreign evaluations can be found at our foreign evaluations page.
Special Education Endorsement
If you wish to teach special education to children with disabilities, you must, in addition to meeting other requirements for teacher certification, secure an endorsement based upon completion of an approved teacher training program in special education.
Vocational Education Endorsement
If you wish to teach vocational trades, you must have an endorsement in vocational education or a Type M Limited Certificate.