New Jersey Teacher Licensure Guide for Online Master's Students

Who Licenses Teachers in New Jersey, and Which Exams Does It Use?

New Jersey licenses teachers through New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Certification and Induction, and the exams it requires are the Praxis tests from ETS.

For the programs themselves, the online master's in education programs at universities in New Jersey are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.

How Do I Get a New Jersey Teaching Certificate With an Online Master's?

A New Jersey teaching certificate with an online master's starts with the CEAS when the master's included a completed teacher preparation program, and with the CE when it did not. The traditional route asks for at least a bachelor's degree, a 3.00 cumulative GPA for degrees conferred since September 1, 2016, Praxis subject tests, and professional education that ends in supervised clinical practice.

A district then requests a provisional certificate, valid up to two years, and the standard certificate follows the Provisional Teacher Process. Before shortlisting from our elementary education or secondary education rankings, confirm the program ends in supervised clinical practice.

Which Exams Does New Jersey Require for Teacher Certification?

New Jersey requires Praxis subject tests for most teaching endorsements, and since January 1, 2025 it has dropped the basic skills test for every instructional certificate except the limited CE and limited CEAS. Law A1669, P.L.2024, c.26, made that change.

Where the basic skills test still applies, the department's score table sets passing marks of 156 in reading, 162 in writing and 150 in math, and a few endorsements such as agriculture are listed as exempt from subject testing. Principals take the School Leaders Licensure Assessment, passing score 151. If you test in another state or online, code R7666 on your registration form sends scores to the department.

Can I Transfer a Teaching License to New Jersey From Another State?

A teaching license can move to New Jersey only when it matches the type and subject area or grade level of a New Jersey certificate, and the route depends on which certificate you hold. A standard certificate needs two effective years of teaching within three consecutive years, or National Board certification in the equivalent area. The equivalent of a CEAS needs a program with student teaching plus a subject-matter test, taken out of state or in New Jersey.

Out-of-state alternate route educators can enroll in a five-year pilot at two participating universities to earn a CE. Candidates from elsewhere also meet a physiology and hygiene requirement, by military training, a course or an online test. The Education Commission of the States' 2020 comparison lists no full reciprocity by statute for New Jersey and different rules by experience, which the two-year rule echoes.

Does NC-SARA Membership Cover Teacher Certification for New Jersey Online Master's Students?

New Jersey joined NC-SARA in December 2016, but membership does not cover teacher certification for online master's students. NC-SARA says SARA does not address licensing board approval of teacher education programs, so a school's participation tells you nothing about a CEAS.

Approved New Jersey programs nominate their own graduates for the CEAS, while someone who studied elsewhere is evaluated through the reciprocity rules. SARA adds only a disclosure duty about licensure in your state.

What Should I Ask an Online Program Before Enrolling From New Jersey?

An online program you join from New Jersey should say in writing what it determined under 34 CFR 668.43, the federal rule that has a school promoting licensure preparation name the states where its curriculum does and does not meet requirements and notify you before enrollment when yours is missing from the first list.

The department's own rules suggest four checks. Would the program count as the equivalent of a CEAS program in its own state, with clinical practice? Which Praxis subject test does it prepare you for? For leadership, does the internship reach 300 hours? For counseling, is the program CACREP accredited?

Which Certificate Do New Jersey Principals and School Counselors Need?

A New Jersey principal needs a master's degree, a 300-hour leadership internship, the Praxis School Leaders test and five years of experience under a valid certificate. A school counselor has three routes: a master's from a program meeting CACREP standards, a department-approved graduate program in school counseling, or a master's plus 48 semester hours that include a six-credit supervised practicum in a preschool to grade 12 school.

Those routes decide whether an online master's in educational leadership or school counseling fits a New Jersey job.