Education Programs Licensure and Certification
Completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program is a requirement for teacher certification. All Cairn University teacher preparation programs have been approved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The School of Education currently offers the following degree programs and certifications:
Degree programs: BS in Education; BS in Special Education; BS in Bible/BS in Education; Dual-Level BS in Bible/MS in Education; Dual-Level BS in Education/MS in Education; Dual-Level BS in Education/MS in Special Education (Instruction); Dual-Level BS in Education/MA (Applied Behavior Analysis)
PA Instructional I Certification: PK–4 Elementary/Early Childhood; 7–12 Secondary English, Math, Social Studies; PK–12 Health and Physical Education; PK–8 and 7–12 Special Education (to change to PK–12 in 2022); PK–12 ESL Program Specialist
We encourage all students to contact the Pennsylvania Department of Education to not only confirm certification requirements in Pennsylvania, but also the requirements of any other state in which they may plan to teach in the future. State certification requirements can vary by state and territory and are also subject to change. Additional state requirements can include professional examinations, further coursework and/or seminars, state background checks and fingerprinting requirements, and/or years of work experience.
PLEASE NOTE: Because state certification requirements vary and change, we cannot confirm whether our teacher preparation programs meet the requirements for certification in states other than Pennsylvania. Out-of-state students may contact the Department of Education in their state to inquire about their requirements. To assist you in this task, we have provided a link to the Teacher Certification page of each state Department of Education below, as well as included additional information for a few bordering states.
Certification Requirements by State
Updated: 4/1/2020
Alabama (AL)
Alaska (AK)
Arizona (AZ)
Arkansas (AR)
California (CA)
Colorado (CO)
Connecticut (CT)
Delaware (DE)
District of Columbia (DC)
Florida (FL)
Georgia (GA)
Hawaii (HI)
Idaho (ID)
Illinois (IL)
Indiana (IN)
Iowa (IA)
Kansas (KS)
Kentucky (KY)
Louisiana (LA)
Maine (ME)
Maryland (MD)
Massachusetts (MA)
Michigan (MI)
Minnesota (MN)
Mississippi (MS)
Missouri (MO)
Montana (MT)
Nebraska (NE)
Nevada (NV)
New Hampshire (NH)
New Jersey (NJ)
- Additional information: NJ requires a performance assessment entitled edTPA. The Commonwealth of PA does not require edTPA at this time. Students who complete a Cairn certification program may be eligible to obtain a NJ Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS) until the edTPA and other requirements are met.
New Mexico (NM)
New York (NY)
- Additional information: NY requires additional coursework and completion of workshops (on school violence and prevention, child abuse identification, and dignity for all students), as well as additional tests. Students who complete a Cairn certification program may be eligible to obtain a Conditional Initial Certificate in a comparable area as an out-of-state applicant.
North Carolina (NC)
North Dakota (ND)
Ohio (OH)
Oklahoma (OK)
Oregon (OR)
Pennsylvania (PA)
Rhode Island (RI)
South Carolina (SC)
South Dakota (SD)
Tennessee (TN)
Texas (TX)
Utah (UT)
Vermont (VT)
Virginia (VA)
Washington (WA)
West Virginia (WV)
Wisconsin (WI)
Wyoming (WY)
Territories
American Samoa (AS)
Guam (GU)
Northern Mariana Islands (MP)
Puerto Rico (PR)
Virgin Islands (VI)
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