Welcome to the Alternate Route to Certification (ARC), an accelerated hybrid program for highly-motivated adults who wish to enter the teaching profession. In existence for 35 years, ARC is operated through the Office of Higher Education and is approved by the Connecticut State Board of Education.

The ARC hybrid program includes subject-based methods and foundations of teaching coursework including, but not limited to the Common Core State Standards, classroom management, differentiated instruction, lesson planning, assessment of student learning, special education and Section 504, English Language learners, and integrating technology in the classroom. ARC faculty members have extensive experience working in the field as public school teachers, administrators, and professors. Candidates are also required to complete a 40 day practicum placement within the program year and the edTPA assessment. Upon completion of all program requirements, teacher candidates are eligible for a Temporary 90-Day Teaching Certificate from Connecticut’s State Department of Education. After successfully completing the 90-days teachers apply for their Initial Educator Certification with the recommendation of the employing district.   

For the 2022-2023 academic year, ARC will run* the following cohorts:

Secondary Education, Grades 7-12

·  Business Education, 7-12       

·  English, 7-12

·  Math, 7-12

·  Sciences, 7-12 (Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, General Science & Physics)

Grades K-12

· World Languages, K-12 (French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese,

   Russian, Spanish & Other World Languages)

Grades PreK-12

·  Family Consumer Science, PreK-12

·  Music, PreK-12

·  Technology Education, PreK-12

*ARC reserves the right to cancel or reschedule training to a later program cycle in any subject area depending on hiring patterns, the number of qualified applicants, and availability of candidate practicum placements. If a subject area cannot be offered, application fees will be refunded to applicants for that subject area. 

Applications for the 2022-23 program will be available when enrollment opens on April 11, 2022.  All application documents, including passing Praxis Core Scores, must be received by the application deadline. Applications will not be reviewed until complete.

The ARC 2022 hybrid program will be held from September 17, 2022 - May 25, 2023.  The hybrid class schedule will be as follows: 

Online classes will be held Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

In person classes will be held in Hartford on two Saturdays a month from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM 

A full-time practicum is required to be completed during the program year. Practicum is for 40-consecutive school days and is individually scheduled to start in late winter or early spring.  

 Tuition and other costs average $6,500

Admission Requirements

Degree Requirement

Bachelor's Degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and a passing score on the respective PII test or ACTFL OPI and WPT tests.  Applicants with a bachelor's degree earned outside of the U.S. must have their credentials evaluated by agencies approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education.

GPA Requirement

A minimum grade point average (GPA) of “B” (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) in either an undergraduate degree program or at least 24 semester hours of graduate study is required.  If applicants do not meet these requirements, they must apply for a GPA waiver for consideration as part of the online application.

Testing Requirements

Praxis Core Academic Skills Test:  Official passing scores on Praxis Core (reading 156, writing 162, math 150) are required.  Praxis Core waivers are available based on obtaining minimum scores on the SAT, ACT, GRE, or PAA.

Praxis II Subject Area Test/ACTFL:  Official passing scores on Praxis II for all certification areas except World Language are required. World Language applicants, official passing scores on the ACTFL OPI and WPT tests.

Additional testing information and deadlines can be found in the online ARC catalog.

Please note that there are no waivers for Praxis II or ACTFL.

Contact ARC

ARC Office

If you have questions or need support in applying to ARC, our partners at TEACH Connecticut are hosting information sessions on Tuesday evenings from March 1 through July 5, 2022.
Register to attend an event: https://ontch.org/ctarc22