Obtaining Your Illinois Teaching Certificate
Candidates who (1) have completed an approved teacher preparation program, (2) are recommended for that program, (3) have successfully completed the Initial Teaching Certification examinations required by the ISBE, and (4) have met all other criteria established by IWU and the ISBE, will be issued an Initial Teaching Certificate valid for four years. Standard Certificates will be issued after that period, providing applicants have met all requirements established by the ISBE, including proof of continuing education or professional development.
Graduates of the Teacher Education Program at Illinois Wesleyan University become eligible for Initial Teaching Certificates. Note, however, that candidates do not automatically receive a certificate upon graduation. The Educational Studies Department completes a notification of entitlement which is submitted to the state after verifying all requirements have been met.
Graduates must complete the steps below to complete the certification process. You cannot complete this process until the Educational Studies Department and Registrar’s Office have certified all requirements have been completed, so wait for notification from our office. This will take 2-4 weeks.
After receiving email notification from the Educational Studies office, go to the ECS website to complete the application for certification. Be prepared to use a Master Card or Visa to pay the fees (30.00). Once linked to the ECS site:
- Set up an ECS account if you do not have one.
- Log into ECS.
- Select the "Applications" menu item.
- Select the "Entitlement Certificate Application" menu item.
- Click on the "Apply Online" link to the right of your entitlement certificate.
- Follow the 11 step wizard through the application process.
Your certificate will be mailed to the address you provide on the ECS system , so it is imperative that you double check the address you provide on your application.
Register your certificate when you receive it. Go into ECS , select the Register/Renew menu item and follow the eleven step wizard. In step three, select the region of the state where you will be teaching, or if that is unknown, the region in which you live. If you are assigned a position in another region you can log into ECS later and register for the other region at no charge.
At the end of each process use your Internet browser's print button to print the last screen. Print the Current Credential screen for proof of certification and registration.
Graduates pursuing certification in other states should complete the Illinois process to facilitate the procedure. You will then need to apply for certification in the state you wish to teach. Specific requirements vary by state.