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Teacher Certification

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR TEACHER CANDIDATES

After completing a teaching program at Illinois State University, you may apply for your teaching certificate online. Once your final semester’s grades are recorded, your record audited, and the degree posted, you will receive a letter from Evaluation Services verifying completion of your approved program and providing instructions on how to apply for your certificate directly through the ISBE web site using your MasterCard or VISA credit card.

All candidates for teacher certification in Illinois must pass tests in “the basic skills of reading, writing, grammar and mathematics” and “content knowledge in the specific major field.” You are also required to take the Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) test before a teaching certificate is issued. The Certifications Testing System’s applications and study guides are available in the Office of Clinical Experiences and Certification Processes and at any Regional Office of Education. You may also register online.

During your final semester, request a copy of your official transcript ($6 per copy) at the Student Service & Referral Center (Moulton 107) or Cashier’s Office to be sent to you after posting of your degree. Your transcript will be required by the Regional Office of Education when you register your teaching certificate. Once your certificate has been received, you will need to register it at the Regional Office of Education in the county in which you are planning to teach. If you do not know the location of the Regional Office of Education you wish to contact, you may call Evaluation Services at (309) 438-2282 for the address and telephone number.

NOTE: All majors who complete programs leading to a Special (K-12) certificate may choose to split the Special certificate into an Elementary (K-9) and a High School (6-12) certificate.

Students who are unable to apply for a teaching certificate using the online format will need to fill out the Application for Teaching Certificate form and file it with Evaluation Services, Room 106 Moulton Hall during the last semester before graduation. Forms are available, click here or pick-up at the Student Service & Referral Center, Moulton Hall room 107.

Instructions for Completing the Application for Certificate (Teacher Education)

1. Fill out the "Application for Certificate" using ink. Be sure to complete all sections and indicate your complete mailing address.
2. Present your completed application to Illinois State University, Campus Box 2202, Normal, IL 61790-2202, by the 12th week of your final semester. NOTE: Do not purchase a money order, draft or certified check at this time.
3. During your final semester, request a copy of your official transcript ($6 per copy) at the Student Accounts Office to be sent to you after posting of your degree.
4. You will be required to take the Illinois Teaching Certificate examination before your teaching certificate is issued. If you have not taken the examination, you can obtain information concerning this requirement at a Regional Office of Education or the Office of Clinical Experiences and Certification Process. After your final semester's grades are recorded, your record audited, and the degree posted, a copy of your Application for Certificate will be officially signed and sealed, and returned to you.

After we return the sealed application, take your official transcript and a $30 money order or certified check for each certificate type to your Regional Office of Education. Call the Undergraduate Evaluations Office, (309) 438-2282, for the address of the Regional office that you should contact.

NOTE: Physical Education majors who complete 13 hours of student teaching at the secondary and elementary levels are eligible for both the High School and Special Certificates and will need to complete a separate application for each certificate.

Realizing the Democratic Ideal

As with the other departments within the College of Education, the Department of Curriculum and Instruction promotes and follows "Realizing the Democratic Ideal", the conceptual framework for all teacher education programs at Illinois State University.