Professional Teaching Certificate
The Professional Teaching Certificate is valid for teaching in all Nebraska schools unless someone applies for a nonpublic certificate only. Someone is eligible for a Professional Teaching Certificate if they have held or qualify for a Nebraska Standard Teaching Certificate (or comparable and equivalent certificate) or taught half-time or more for two consecutive years during the validity of a regular certificate.
In addition, if someone is advancing a certificate from Initial or Standard to Professional, an official transcript must be submitted showing a qualifying Master’s degree from an approved standard institution of higher education in Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Technology, Special Education, or in the applicant’s content area, earned no more than ten years prior to the date of application. Someone may also advance having earned a six year Specialist’s or Doctorate degree in an area related to the applicant’s content area completed at the Master’s degree level.
A Professional Teaching Certificate expires August 31 in the tenth year following the year of issuance.
The requirements for a Professional Teaching Certificate include the following:
- An application and fee in the TEACH system (Please note that registration for TEACH is required first; then an application can be submitted.)
- Qualify for or hold a Standard Teaching Certificate
- Fingerprints (required only if someone has lived outside of Nebraska in the past five years)
- Official Transcript(s) showing a qualifying advanced degree
- Institutional Verification – This form is used to show that a program was completed and is needed only if adding an endorsement. The form is sent electronically to Nebraska colleges and universities.
- Educator Certificate – A certificate is required only for those who have not been certified in Nebraska.
- Employment Verification – This form is required for those who have employment experience in a school district/system outside of Nebraska. Teaching experience from Nebraska is submitted by the district or system each year through Adviser and does not need to be submitted again.
- Basic Skills Test – In Nebraska, this requirement is met by taking the Praxis Core test before being admitted to a teacher preparation program. It can be waived with two years of teaching experience from outside of the state, along with a valid teaching certificate from that state. Other basic skills tests used by other states can also be accepted, as long as they assess reading, writing and math. For the most up-to-date list of tests accepted by Nebraska and for information on registration, visit the ETS website.
- Content Test – Nebraska accepts only the Praxis Content test which is required for each new endorsement added to a certificate after September 1, 2015. For the most up-to-date list of tests accepted by Nebraska and for information on how to register for a test, visit the ETS website.
- Human Relations Training
- Special Education Training
More information on how to send supporting documents can be found in the FAQ section of this website.
Create an account in TEACH.
You will need to use your personal email address. This will be the address that your certificate gets emailed to as a PDF.
Start a new application
- What type of Certificate or Permit are you applying for today? = Select Teaching
- Ever held a Nebraska Teaching Certificate? = Yes/No
- Ever held an educator license in another state? = Yes/No
- Then select “First Time Applicant” and “Professional” from the dropdown box and complete the online application.
In the application
A checklist will appear on the left side of the application. As you complete each section, the red X will change to a green check mark. Each tab has instructions to complete each section.
Certificate Type Tab
Select “All School Certificate or Permit” or “Nonpublic School Certificate”. Districts you add to the employment section will be able to monitor your application and status.
Personal Information Tab
Enter your information. On this tab you can select the option “I hereby give my consent to the Nebraska Department of Education to use SMS messaging to send me notifications via text message and email.”
Academic Record Tab
Follow the instructions on this tab with information about any college or university you attended as a student. Official transcripts must be sent directly from the college. Most colleges have a portal that will identify the service they use to send transcripts. A transcript from Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse can be sent directly to nde.tcertweb@nebraska.gov.
You can also mail a transcript to the following address: Nebraska Department of Education, Educator Certification, PO Box 94987, Lincoln, Nebraska 68509. Please note that if you mail a transcript yourself, it must be in a sealed envelope from the college.
Personal & Professional Fitness Tab
Answer the questions listed. Any answer of “yes” will require explanation and documentation.
Testing Tab
Basic skills (Praxis Core) and a content test are required. If you did not send your scores to the Nebraska Department of Education, you may upload a PDF of your score report by selecting “Yes” to “Do you have any state testing which you have not previously submitted?” Applicants with out of state experience will work with their analyst to determine if they are eligible for a testing waiver.
Upload any out of state teaching licenses on this tab.
Experience Tab
In state teaching experience will appear on this tab.
Fingerprint Tab
Select the option that accurately describes your residency for the last 5 years. Please note, that attending an out of state college would require you to select option “C”, as this means you were not continuously living in the state of Nebraska.
Declaration, Authorization and Signature Tab
Your electronic signature will need to match the name on the application. If you previously had started the application, be sure to update your signature to reflect today’s date.
Fee and Payment Tab
To move to the fee and payment, all of the tabs must be saved and have a green check mark next to them.
Login to TEACH
If you have not registered, you will need to do so using your personal email address.
To renew only
- What type of Certificate or Permit are you applying for today? = Teaching
- Ever held a Nebraska Teaching Certificate? = Yes
- Are you making changes to your certificate? = No
- Select “Renewal or Short Form Renewal” and “Professional” from the dropdown menu
To renew your certificate and add an endorsement
- What type of Certificate or Permit are you applying for today? = Teaching
- Ever held a Nebraska Teaching Certificate? = Yes
- Are you making changes to your certificate? = Yes
- “Added Endorsement” does not change the expiration date of your current certificate.
- “Added Endorsement plus Renewal” will add the endorsement and issue a new certificate that will expire on August 31 in the tenth year following the year of issuance.
To advance to a Professional certificate and renew
- What type of Certificate or Permit are you applying for today? = Teaching
- Ever held a Nebraska Teaching Certificate? = Yes
- Are you making changes to your certificate? = Yes
- Select “Changing Certificate Type/Level” and the choose Professional from the dropdown menu
Renewal Requirements – Prior to expiration or within five years of expiration
- One year of experience as a teacher (half-time or more) within five years prior to the date of application, or
- Six semester credit hours from a standard institution of higher education in education-related coursework earned within five years prior to the date of application.
Renewal Requirements – Five or more years after expiration
applicants must have received fifteen semester hours. The hours must be recommended for issuance of the teaching certificate by the certification officer of your approved teacher education institution. The courses shall include:
- a course in instructional techniques;
- a practicum consisting of one hundred or more clock hours of contact with students in the classroom setting, fifty percent of which shall consist of performing instructional duties under the supervision of a cooperating teacher,
- a course or courses which address current issues in education, including but not limited to, special education, gifted education, reading and writing in the content area, and school law; AND
- The remaining course work is directly related to the applicant’s area of endorsement on his or her expired certificate.