Traditional Pathway

1. Complete a bachelor's degree or higher with an Oklahoma accredited institution of higher education as part of an approved educator preparation program (EPP) for the certification area sought.
2. Successfully pass the required certification assessments.

If you completed an education degree from an Oklahoma state-approved educator preparation program (EPP) then complete the following:

1. Complete a certification or dual background check if you are not already certified.  Instructions are available here.
2. Create a Single Sign-On (SSO) account to access the Oklahoma Educator Credential System (OECS). If you have never submitted an application to Teacher Certification before, Step 3 will ask Would you like to access your Oklahoma certification records? You must select the third option and enter your full social security number to create an SSO log in AND an OECS file. If you receive a red banner stating that a record already exists, then you will select the second option to link your new SSO log in with your existing OECS file.
3. After your college education department submits a recommendation a new application will open on your OECS Home page. Submit the online application for your college recommendation.
4. Order official college transcripts to be sent directly from the college/university to TeacherCertification@sde.ok.gov.

• Oklahoma law requires applicants for initial teacher certification to have on file with the Oklahoma State Board of Education a current Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprint-based criminal history record search (70 O.S. 6-190). It does not apply to renewals. For additional information refer to Background and Fingerprint Information.

• Certification assessment information is available here.
• To register or get more information about the test itself, visit the testing company website and contact the company directly.

• A Standard Certificate (valid for five years) costs $50.

• No. Electronic transcripts will only be accepted if sent directly from the university to the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
• After you have an OECS account, place a new official transcript order with TeacherCertification@sde.ok.gov as the direct recipient.
• Most colleges use Parchment or Student Clearinghouse to send digital transcripts.

• No. All applications for traditional Oklahoma graduates are online.
• Apply online in OECS through the College Recommendation application on your OECS Home page. If this does not appear, your college education department has submitted the recommendation yet.

1. Create a Single Sign-On (SSO) account to access the Oklahoma Educator Credential System (OECS).
2. If you have never submitted an application to Teacher Certification before, Step 3 will ask, “Would you like to access your Oklahoma certification records?” You must select the third option and enter your full social security number to create an SSO log in AND an OECS file. If you receive a red banner stating that a record already exists, then you will select the second option to link your new SSO log in with your existing OECS file.
3. Once you are in your SSO account, click EDU-Educator under Oklahoma Educator Credentialing System.
4. A College Recommendation will appear on the Home page once your college submits the recommendation.

• Out-of-State Reciprocity information can be found here.

• Out-of-State Reciprocity information can be found here.

• Out-of-Country Reciprocity information can be found here.

RN License / School Nurse

• If you have an RN license (for Oklahoma or multi-state) and a bachelor’s degree in any area, you may be issued a five-year standard certificate for School Nurse.
• If you don't have a bachelor's degree yet, but have an associate’s degree or diploma from a school of nursing (3 years), you may be issued a five-year provisional certificate for School Nurse. You will have 10 years from the initial issuance to complete a bachelor’s degree.

OBESPA License / Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA)

• If you have an OBESPA license, a bachelor’s degree, and pass the SLPA OSAT, you may be issued a five-year standard certificate for SLPA.
• If you do not have a bachelor's degree or haven't passed the OSAT, you may be issued a one-year credential for SLPA (not a teaching certificate).

ASHA (CCC) / Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)

• If you have an ASHA (CCC) license and a master’s degree, you may be issued a five-year standard certificate for SLP.

To apply for any of the above:

• Complete a certification or dual background check if you are not already certified.  Instructions are available here.
• Create a Single Sign-On (SSO) account to access the Oklahoma Educator Credential System (OECS). If you have never submitted an application to Teacher Certification before, Step 3 will ask Would you like to access your Oklahoma certification records? You must select the third option and enter your full social security number to create an SSO log in AND an OECS file. If you receive a red banner stating that a record already exists, then you will select the second option to link your new SSO log in with your existing OECS file.
• Click on the Educator Application Wizard. Submit the online application for the proper area. Upload a copy of your current license during the application process.
• Order official college transcripts to be sent directly from the college/university to TeacherCertification@sde.ok.gov.