Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates

Become a Teacher in Less Than a Year

The UConn Neag School of Education's Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) leads to Connecticut Teacher Certification and a Master of Arts degree in just 10 months. Through three consecutive semesters of full-time coursework — Summer Semester, Fall Semester, and Spring Semester — TCPCG students become teachers who transform their classrooms and their schools to promote a more just and equitable society. They disrupt historic patterns of inequity and help schools become inclusive, engaging, and inspiring spaces where all learners flourish.

Two Pathways, Four Campuses

TCPCG is built to fit students' busy lives and schedules, no matter where they work or live. Students can choose either:

  • A hybrid in-person/online cohort, based at the UConn Stamford campus. The sample 2024-2025 course schedule is as follows:
    • Summer semester: in-person classes 3 days a week, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; clinical observations throughout the summer
    • Fall semester: online classes 3 evenings a week; in-person class 4-5 Saturdays a semester; internship, 14 hours a week in a school district
    • Spring semester: Online class 1 evening a week; in-person class 4-5 Saturdays a semester; 1 online course (special education students only); full-time student teaching
  • An in-person cohort, based at either the UConn Hartford, UConn Waterbury, or UConn Avery Point campuses.

Why TCPCG?

  • Earn Connecticut Teacher Certification and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction or Educational Psychology (Special Education students).
  • Complete the program in 10 months, through 3 consecutive semesters of full-time coursework: Summer Semester, Fall Semester, and Spring Semester.
  • Paid internships are available in several school districts. The residency is comprised of 5 days a week in either Bridgeport, Bristol, CES, Groton, Hartford, LEARN, New Canaan, Ridgefield, South Windsor, Stamford, Vernon, Waterbury, or Wilton, with a minimum of 14 hours per week in your specified content area. The residency program includes half-year (late August to mid-January) and full-year (late August to mid-June) options, based on availability.
  • Starting in Summer 2024, TCPCG switched to a 3-semester format with a later start date (mid-June). This change reduced tuition by approximately $10,000 per student.
  • Choose between hybrid in-person/online or in-person cohorts at one of four campuses throughout Connecticut.

    Attend an Information Session

    We offer virtual information sessions on WebEx as well as in-person sessions at UConn Avery Point, UConn Hartford, UConn Stamford, UConn Storrs, and UConn Waterbury.

    Sueños Scholars Grant Program

    UConn Stamford and TCPCG are collaborating to host the Sueños Scholars: Supporting Latiné Teacher Dreams program. Through funding provided by the United States Department of Education, the program prepares underrepresented students for careers as educators. It provides community-based internship experiences in partner Alliance districts, specifically those with teacher shortages in the key areas of special education and other secondary content areas, to undergraduate and graduate students.

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