Secondary K-12 Certificate online

Gain teaching expertise on an accelerated timeline and prepare to instruct any secondary-level classroom. Utilize what you study immediately during your clinical internship.

Apply by: 4/27/25
Start class: 5/19/25

Program Overview

Fill the demand for skilled educators with the online secondary education certificate

$16,862.85 Total Tuition
12 months Duration
27* Credit Hours

Earn the Secondary K-12 Certificate from William Paterson University and be prepared to guide young generations to success. This online path, which does not require a degree in education, readies you to teach the same subject you specialized in during your undergraduate studies. Learn to design and deliver effective lessons for students with various developmental and social backgrounds while gaining hands-on classroom experience during in-person, student-teaching roles. Take part in 50 hours of classroom observation while our faculty of industry veterans partner with you to provide feedback to help strengthen your skills.

Complete this reputable, CAEP-accredited program and graduate holding a New Jersey teaching certification and access to our renowned job placement assistance. Plus, WP requires the completion of only two additional courses if you choose to earn a master’s degree following this program.

Enroll in this reputable program and prepare to graduate with new knowledge in these learning outcome areas.

Career Opportunities:

  • Secondary School Teacher
  • Coach
  • Curriculum Developer
  • Instructional Coordinator
  • Secondary School Teacher
  • Coach
  • Curriculum Developer
  • Instructional Coordinator

Also available:

WP Online offers a diverse range of teacher preparation and education programs. Explore all our online education programs.

$16,862.85 Total Tuition
12 months Duration
27 Credit Hours
CAEP logo

The College of Education at William Paterson University is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Apply Now

Need More Information?

Call 833-960-0139

Call 833-960-0139

Tuition

Plan a budget for your online Secondary K-12 Certificate program

The William Paterson University College of Education offers the same affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition to all of our online students, wherever they reside. All fees are included in the total tuition.

Tuition breakdown:

$16,862.85 Total Tuition
$624.55 Per Credit Hour

Tuition breakdown:

$16,862.85 Total Tuition
$624.55 Per Credit Hour

Calendar

Keep up with these essential program dates and deadlines

William Paterson University online education programs are delivered in an accelerated format ideal for working professionals, with 7-week courses and six start dates each year.

Now enrolling:

4/27/25 Apply Date
5/19/25 Class Starts
TermStart DateApp DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlineTuition DeadlineClass End DateTerm Length
Summer I5/19/254/27/254/30/255/9/255/14/257/6/257 weeks
Summer II7/14/256/22/256/24/257/3/257/9/258/31/257 weeks
Fall I9/8/258/17/258/20/258/29/259/3/2510/26/257 weeks
Fall II11/3/2510/12/2510/15/2510/24/2510/29/2512/21/257 weeks

Now enrolling:

4/27/25 Apply Date
5/19/25 Class Starts

Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?

Admissions

Take the following steps toward earning your Secondary K-12 Certificate

At William Paterson University, we’ve streamlined the admission process to help you get started quickly and easily. Please read the requirements for the Secondary K-12 Certificate online program, including what additional materials you need and where you should send them. Review the Program Map to determine eligibility of this program in your state. Already working as a teacher? Individuals who have a CE or Limited CE and are the teacher of record in a classroom should consider our alternate route MAT in Secondary Education program or alternate route Secondary K-12 Certificate program.

The requirements include:

  • Undergraduate degree in the content area you want to teach
  • GPA 3.0 or higher
  • Passing score on the Praxis Test

  • Submit online application and $50 application fee
  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited university
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
  • Every candidate should have an undergraduate degree in the content area in which they wish to teach

o Content area options supported by WP include Art, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, English, French, Japanese, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Physical Science, Social Studies, and Spanish

o This content area of focus must include at least 30 credit hours in the defined subject area

  • Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Passing score on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (basic skills requirements) test – Limited CEAS candidates only
  • Passing score on the Praxis Subject Assessment aligned with the student’s desired area of teaching
  • Resume with names and contact information of two references

Note: Admission is open to NJ residents as well as individuals who plan to become NJ-certified teachers and work in NJ schools.

Official transcripts and other documents should be sent from the granting institutions to:

Email address: [email protected]

Mail address:

Office of Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Services
William Paterson University
Morrison Hall 102
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, NJ 07470

Courses

Details about the accelerated online Secondary K-12 Certificate courses

For the Secondary K-12 Certificate online program, you must complete a total of 27 credit hours of core courses.

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course presents teacher candidates with the historical, philosophical, theoretical, and practical background for a successful induction into teaching.  It is designed to help bridge the perceived gap between theory and practice. In this course teaching is understood according to the latest Professional Teaching Standards and recommendations of the New Jersey Student Learning and College and Career Readiness Standards. The course will introduce planning, conducting, and assessing learning experiences. It will also cover Autism, Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB), and Child Abuse Recognition.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces teacher candidates to the developmental and cultural attributes of adolescents and how those factors interact with classroom environments, broader socio-cultural environments, pedagogy, and instruction. Candidates will demonstrate knowledge of students—including students with disabilities—, establish a culture of learning, and design lessons that celebrate and engage all learners.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will consist of a combination of reflection on online teaching videos and a minimum of 50 hours in a face-to-face clinical experience in a school setting for students with disabilities.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will introduce candidates to designing school curricula (goals, method, materials, and assessments) that are flexible enough to accommodate the individual learning needs of all learners within general education classrooms.  Using the model of Universal Design for Learning, candidates will learn to develop curriculum, instruction, assessments, and classroom  environments that are accessible and applicable to students, teachers, and parents with differing abilities, and cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to run concurrently with Methods of Lesson and Unit Planning courses. This year-long residency in a classroom setting under the supervision of a highly effective and experienced classroom teacher and a university mentor is designed to support teacher candidates as they apply professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in support of student learning. Teacher candidates work in classrooms with students of varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds and exceptionalities. Teacher candidates will be observed a minimum of four times during the semester. Teacher candidates will receive both pre and post lesson feedback from the university supervisor and classroom teacher. A weekly seminar accompanies the residency experience where teacher candidates reflect on their teaching practice, themselves as lifelong learners, and the current landscape of education in the United States and the world.
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to run concurrently with the Clinical Practice Teaching Internship or Alternate Route Teaching position. Candidates will learn strategies for teaching literacy across the content areas and the theory and elements of lesson planning through different curriculum orientations, such as cultural transmission, disciplined inquiry, and critical inquiry. Candidates will develop learning objectives that align with learning standards, engage students to inquiry-based learning, support academic language, and design assessments to support student learning.
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to run concurrently with Methods of Lesson and Unit Planning courses. This year-long residency in a classroom setting under the supervision of a highly effective and experienced classroom teacher and a university mentor is designed to support teacher candidates as they apply professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in support of student learning. Teacher candidates work in classrooms with students of varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds and exceptionalities. Teacher candidates will be observed a minimum of ten times during the semester. Teacher candidates will receive both pre and post lesson feedback from the university supervisor and classroom teacher. A weekly seminar accompanies the residency experience where teacher candidates reflect on their teaching practice, themselves as lifelong learners, and the current landscape of education in the United States and the world.
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to run concurrently with the Clinical Practice Teaching Internship or Alternate Route Teaching position. Candidates will learn strategies for teaching literacy across the content areas, how to write unit goals, engage in advanced methods of unit planning, instructional differentiation, and assessment to teach the NJ Student Learning Standards to diverse learners in the middle and high school. Candidates will develop success-criteria based on learning standards, use assessments to inform instructional practices, facilitate learning activities, and analyze teacher effectiveness to reflect on their teaching.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces candidates to research and standards of professional ethics and collaborative practices. Candidates will reflect on their participation in professional communities and demonstrate their commitment to professional ethics and dispositions. Candidates will reflect on the ethical and political implications of their teaching and demonstrate skills and commitment to affording all learners access to a rigorous College and Career Readiness skills.
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