Penn State Harrisburg’s certification programs are designed for an individual who holds a baccalaureate degree and seeks to become certified to teach in Pennsylvania elementary or secondary schools. Students who successfully complete the requirements will be recommended for the a PA Instructional I teaching certificate in their selected certification program area. These programs are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. 

Learn More and/or Apply

Here are the recommended steps for learning more and/or enrolling in a certification preparatory program:

1. Complete this short online form. 

Find out More / Schedule an Appointment

Your inquiry and information will be forwarded to the appropriate program coordinator, who will reach out to you via email to schedule an appointment to meet via Zoom.

2. During the Zoom meeting, we can talk about your interest in becoming an educator, your knowledge and experiences with the subject matter, and your professional and life experiences.

You will also need to share your unofficial transcripts to determine any prior coursework relevant to your intended certification area. (Do not send your unofficial transcripts to the program coordinator in advance.) All of this information will be taken into consideration when determining your program of study. The conversation and information shared will help to determine whether our program would be a good fit for you.

3. After the Zoom meeting, if you wish to apply, visit the Graduate Admissions webpage.
Note: You have one full year from the time of your initial meeting with the program coordinator to apply and be admitted into the certification program. Should you choose to apply after one year has passed, you will need to re-initiate the above process.

4. Review the information on the Graduate Admissions page and follow the steps to "Apply to the Graduate School."
After starting a new application, you will need to select the following:

  1. Enrollment Type: Degree Admission
  2. Campus: Harrisburg
  3. Major: Teaching and Curriculum
  4. Degree: Pennsylvania Educators Level 1 Certification
  5. Options: (select the specific certification area you want to pursue)
  6. Semester: (select the semester you wish to begin the program)

4. Upon receipt and review of your completed Graduate School application, you will receive notification via email indicating whether or not you have been accepted and outlining your next steps in the process.

5. If you’re accepted into the program, you must acknowledge your acceptance per University instructions and then schedule another Zoom meeting with the program coordinator to schedule your classes for your first semester.

Master’s Degree Track

All baccalaureate-holding certification candidates have the option of placing themselves on track to earn a Master of Education degree in Teaching and Curriculum while concurrently working toward Pennsylvania certification. If this path interests you, you may seek more information during your initial meeting with the program coordinator.