Become a Teacher
in New Jersey
Certification Roadmap
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New Jersey Prerequisite Coursework
New Jersey Teacher Preparation
New Jersey Certification Reciprocity
New Jersey Teacher Salary
New Jersey Required Tests
Teacher Certification Information & Links
New Jersey Highlights
$62990
Avg. Elementary Teacher Salary
$67010
Avg. Secondary Teacher Salary
122%
Teacher Salary vs. State Average
15
Vacation Weeks Per Year:
To become a certified teacher in New Jersey, you will need to fulfill all prerequisite coursework, teacher preparation, and testing requirements.
Our goal is to make this process as easy as possible, and we are dedicated to updating the site with new information on a regular basis. To stay up-to-date with the latest in teacher certification, please complete the form in the right sidebar.
New Jersey Prerequisite Coursework
All states require that certified teachers at a minimum have a Bachelor’s degree. Additionally, some states have undergraduate credit hour requirements for certification in specialty areas. Here are New Jersey's undergraduate prerequisites for some of the most popular specialty areas:
- Elementary Education: For certification as an elementary school teacher, completion of a major in the liberal arts, sciences, or a minimum of 60 liberal arts credits is required. A “Liberal arts major” means any college major such as philosophy, history, literature, sociology, science, mathematics, or world language that is intended primarily to provide general knowledge and to develop an individual’s general intellectual capacities to reason and evaluate, as opposed to professional or vocational skills. The New Jersey Department of Education will make the final determination as to which courses will be counted towards liberal arts study. All credits must appear on a regionally accredited 4-year college/university transcript. If courses are taken at a community college, those credits must be transferred to a regionally accredited 4-year college transcript. Elementary Ed Subject Specialty requires the above EE Cert. PLUS 15 credits in the subject specialty.
- Secondary English/Language Arts:Current regulations for certification require that applicants complete a minimum of 30 credits in a coherent sequence in English. A coherent sequence requires that at least 12 credits are completed at the advanced level of study (junior, senior or graduate level). All credits must appear on a regionally accredited 4-year college/university transcript. If courses are taken at a community college, those credits must be transferred to a regionally accredited 4-year college transcript.
- Secondary Mathematics:Current regulations for certification require that applicants complete a minimum of 30 credits in a coherent sequence in Math. A coherent sequence requires that at least 12 credits are completed at the advanced level of study (junior, senior or graduate level). All credits must appear on a regionally accredited 4-year college/university transcript. If courses are taken at a community college, those credits must be transferred to a regionally accredited 4-year college transcript.
- Secondary History/Social Science:Current regulations for certification require that applicants complete a minimum of 30 credits in a coherent sequence in Social Studies. Social studies includes American history, European history, world history, government, political science, sociology, geography, anthropology and economics. A coherent sequence requires that at least 12 credits are completed at the advanced level of study (junior, senior or graduate level). Within the 30 credits, the candidate must complete a minimum of 15 semester hour credits in history to include a minimum of one course in American History and one course in World History. All credits must appear on a regionally accredited 4-year college/university transcript. If courses are taken at a community college, those credits must be transferred to a regionally accredited 4-year college transcript.
- Secondary Science:Current regulations for certification require that applicants complete a minimum of 30 credits in a coherent sequence in Science. A coherent sequence requires that at least 12 credits are completed at the advanced level of study (junior, senior or graduate level). All credits must appear on a regionally accredited 4-year college/university transcript. If courses are taken at a community college, those credits must be transferred to a regionally accredited 4-year college transcript.
Certification Map has partnered with MAT@USC, a Master of Arts in Teaching program delivered online at the USC Rossier School of Education. Learn more about how the program’s unique blend of online learning and field-based teaching will prepare you for a career working in New Jersey classrooms.
New Jersey Teacher Preparation
Teacher preparation includes the completion of an accredited teacher education program.
Typically teacher education programs consist of a combination of curricula and fieldwork. The curricula often includes instruction on foundational knowledge and skills, pedagogy (or the art and science of teaching), and preparing students to research, design and implement learning experiences in their field of study. The fieldwork component can include field observations, student teaching, and an internship.
Alternative Certification
Graduates of accredited colleges or universities whose bachelor’s degree was not in education, and who have not yet earned a traditional teaching certificate, can still receive an alternative teaching certificate by satisfying certain requirements. Information about alternative New Jersey teacher certification can be found here
New Jersey Certification Reciprocity
New Jersey will accept some teaching credentials from the following states. Contact the New Jersey Department of Education to inquire about your specific situation. Please see our interstate reciprocity disclaimer for more information.
| Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | California |
| Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida |
| Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois |
| Indiana | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana |
| Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan |
| Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska |
| Nevada | New Hampshire | New Mexico | New York |
| North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma |
| Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina |
| South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah |
| Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia |
| Wisconsin | Wyoming |
New Jersey Teacher Salary
- Incentives to teach in high-needs schools or shortage subject areas: New Jersey provides no support for teachers teaching in high needs schools or teachers teaching in shortage subject areas
- Policies in place that articulate elements of effective induction: New Jersey has strong induction policies in place
- Average Elementary Teacher Salary: The average elementary school teacher in New Jersey makes $62,990
- Average Secondary Teacher Salary: The average secondary teacher in New Jersey makes $67,010
- Teacher Salary vs. State Average Salary: The average teacher in New Jersey makes 122% of the salary of the average worker in New Jersey
- Number of Vacation Weeks Per Year: The average teacher in New Jersey receives 15 weeks of vacation per year
New Jersey Required Tests
In order to become a certified teacher, you must satisfactorily complete the Basic Skill Test requirement and any Subject Area Competence assessments needed for your desired area of instruction.
Basic Skills Test
- New Jersey does not require a basic skills test for student teaching or for certification.
Subject Area Competence
New Jersey Teacher Certification Information & Links
Certification Map has partnered with MAT@USC, a Master of Arts in Teaching program delivered online at the USC Rossier School of Education. Learn more about how the program’s unique blend of online learning and field-based teaching will prepare you for a career working in New Jersey classrooms.
