Pre-Calculus
Self-paced online Pre-Calculus course (MATH 115). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →New YorkTeachers
Why NYSED needs the credit on a college transcript (and how that works with NCCRS recommendations)
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
NYSED college coursework means study taken for college credit at, or transferred to, a degree-granting institution, offered for degree credit. OTI reads official college transcripts, not certificates. A course with an NCCRS or ACE credit recommendation reaches NYSED only after a college posts it, and NYSED still decides at evaluation whether it fits.
What NYSED reads
OTI evaluates official transcripts sent by colleges. Its definition is precise: college coursework is study taken for college credit, completed at or transferred to a degree-granting institution approved by the Commissioner or by an institutional accrediting agency recognised by the U.S. Department of Education. The course must be offered for degree credit, whether or not you finish a degree.
For the content core, the college must hold that institutional accreditation. NYSED points candidates to the U.S. Department of Education's database of accredited institutions to check.
What a credit recommendation is
ACE and NCCRS review courses offered outside colleges and recommend how many college credits they are worth. A recommendation is advice to colleges. It is not a transcript, and NYSED does not evaluate it directly. UPI Study's courses carry ACE or NCCRS recommendations; the next step is a college deciding whether to post that credit.
| Document | Who issues it | Does OTI read it? |
|---|---|---|
| Course certificate | The course provider | No |
| ACE or NCCRS record | ACE or NCCRS | No |
| Official college transcript | A degree-granting college | Yes |
How the credit reaches a transcript
TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. When such a college posts the credit, it appears on that college's official transcript, and you then have the transcript sent to OTI. NYSED's individual evaluation page asks for official transcripts from all colleges attended, including transfer credit shown on original transcripts.
Before you start, ask the posting college in writing how the course will appear: the title, the subject area and the number of credits. NYSED looks for courses a subject department would list as core to a degree in that subject, so the way the course is labelled matters.
- Ask how the course will be titled on the transcript.
- Ask which subject or department it will sit under.
- Ask how many semester hours will be posted.
The limits to plan around
Even on a college transcript, NYSED decides at evaluation whether a course meets your requirement, and it does not approve courses in advance. Methods courses, CEU and professional development courses never count. Pedagogical core coursework is stricter still: it must come from a college with an approved teacher education programme, so content courses are the only part UPI Study can help with.
A sensible order
Start with your TEACH requirement description and count the hours you need. Choose subject courses that match it. Confirm in writing with the posting college how they will appear. Take the courses, have the credit posted, and send every transcript to OTI together, inside your application's 3-year window.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the college that will post your credit, in writing, how the course will appear on its transcript and under which department, and keep the reply; NYSED itself reviews only at evaluation.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Will NYSED read my NCCRS or ACE record?
No. NYSED evaluates official college transcripts. An ACE or NCCRS record is a credit recommendation to colleges. A college decides whether to post the credit on its transcript, and NYSED then decides at evaluation whether the course on that transcript meets your requirement.
Does the posting college need to be in New York?
Not for content core courses. NYSED asks that the college be degree-granting and accredited by an institutional accreditor recognised by the U.S. Department of Education, and that the course be offered for degree credit. Pedagogical courses are different: they need a college with an approved teacher education programme.
Can UPI Study help with pedagogy courses?
No. NYSED wants pedagogical core coursework from a college with an approved teacher education programme that leads to certification in its state. UPI Study's courses can only serve the content side, and only once a college has posted the credit and NYSED has evaluated it.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Intro to Biology 1
Self-paced online Intro to Biology 1 course (Biology 100). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
US History 1
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Check your TEACH requirement description first, ask the posting college in writing, then take the subject courses at your own pace.
Sources
- NYSED: Colleges and College Coursework (official)College coursework is study taken for college credit at, or transferred to, a degree-granting institution approved by the Commissioner or an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and offered for degree credit. Content core must come from an institution accredited by a USDE-recognised institutional accreditor; undergraduate grade C or better, graduate B-. Professional development, CEU, audited and waived courses do not count. OTI, BOCES and colleges cannot approve coursework before it is completed. Pedagogical coursework must come from a college with an approved teacher education programme. Statistics from a math or statistics department counts up to 6 credits for mathematics; environmental science and engineering are not acceptable science courses. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- NYSED: Individual Evaluation of U.S. Credentials (official)Official transcripts from all colleges attended, including transfer credit on original transcripts; applications valid 3 years or two manual evaluations; a Notice of Incomplete Requirements lists unmet items. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.