School Psychology, Counseling, and Leadership Certifications

School counseling only

School Counselor Content Specialty Test

If you will finish your School Counseling certification requirements, including finishing your graduate program, fingerprint records, and workshops before February 26, 2024, you can apply and pay the fee for the Initial School Counselor certificate before that date and you will NOT be required to take and pass the School Counselor Content Specialty Test (CST). Furthermore, if you already have or get initial school counseling certification before the deadline above, you should not need to take the School Counselor CST for Professional School Counseling certification.

The School Counselor Content Specialty Test (CST) is currently under development and is anticipated to become operational on February 26, 2024. Learn more about when candidates must pass the School Counselor CST.

The test framework is available on the NYSTCE website for candidates and teacher preparation programs to assist in preparing for the test.

The study guide for the School Counselor CST will be posted on the NYSTCE website when it becomes available in 2023.

New York State School Counselor Certification

The Brooklyn College school counseling program fulfills the education requirements for initial and professional certification. The current program is 60 credits; it is 66 credits for those in the Bilingual Specialization.

Candidates who completed the old Brooklyn College 48-credit school counselor education program (NYSED program code 01846), which ended in 2020, can apply for the provisional school counselor certificate, pay the application fee, and meet all requirements for the certificate prior to February 2, 2024. The application will no longer be available in the TEACH system on February 2, 2024.

Bilingual school psychologist and counseling certification

When you apply for bilingual certification, you may only see an option to apply using the individual evaluation option. You can start the application process but should not pay for the application until the application is saved. After your application is recorded, you can send an email to the New York State Education Department Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI) and ask for the  application pathway to be changed to approved teacher preparation program with the subject pathway change/certificate change. The email should include the full name you use in your TEACH account, your date of birth or the last four digits of your Social Security number, the application  that you would like changed, and the change you are requesting. After your application has been manually changed you can go to your  TEACH account, select the payment link, and pay the $50 application fee.

School District Leader candidates only

When you apply, be sure to use the Approved Teacher Preparation Program application pathway. Apply for professional certification, not Transitional D certification.

School Building and School District Leader candidates

You will need to order official transcripts to be sent to the New York State Department of Education OTI unless you ordered them to be sent in 2017 or afterward. OTI will need not need Brooklyn College transcripts to confirm your Educational Leader program but will need transcripts to confirm your other master’s degree, including transfer credits. This is standard procedure. Follow these Instructions.

• • For School Building Leader, Initial Certification, Paid, Full-Time Admin/PPS/Classroom Teaching, you will need three years of experience. If you already have a valid Permanent or Professional certificate, you should be credited the three years of experience. If not, your employer needs to send in a Paid Experience verification form.
  • For School Building Leader, Professional Certification, you will need three years of acceptable administrative experience, with at least one year of building-level administrative experience. Verification of experience must be submitted directly by the employer(s).
  • Information on experience requirements.
  • Employers located in New York have the option of entering an electronic Superintendent Statement on your TEACH account. This is the preferred method of verifying experience. However, if the employer cannot verify experience using this method, they can submit this form (PDF) instead.
  • For School District Leader, Professional certification: Paid, Full-Time Admin/PPS/Classroom Teaching, you will need three years of experience. If you already have a valid Permanent or Professional certificate, you should be credited the three years of experience. If not, your employer needs to send in a Paid Experience verification form.