NYC Public Schools has two alternative certification programs designed to prepare individuals who do not have a background in education for entering the classroom through an expedited route. These programs are the NYC Teaching Fellows and the NYC Teaching Collaborative.
To be eligible to apply to the NYC Teaching Fellows & NYC Teaching Collaborative one must:
- possess a bachelor's degree before the start of training
- be eligible to work in the United States or have renewable work authorization for 2 years after the completion of training
- be fluent in written and spoken English
- Never have been certified to teach or completed a program that would lead to certification in the U.S. or Puerto Rico
- Never have started pre-service training in any of the following alternative certification programs: NYC Teaching Fellows, NYC Teaching Collaborative, Pathways to PE or Teach for America (TFA)
- have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least a 3.0*
*GPA minimum is required by our university partners, as per NY state regulations. If you have an undergraduate final cumulative GPA of 2.5 to 2.99, you are eligible to apply but will be required to write a GPA statement.
If your undergraduate GPA falls below a 2.5 GPA, you are eligible to apply only if you also completed a master's degree program and earned at least a 3.0 upon degree conferral.