Institutional Recommendation

---

Obtaining Teacher Certification in Wyoming and Other States

As you complete your residency/student teaching semester, you should start thinking about obtaining teacher certification.

For licensure in Wyoming (through the Professional Teaching Standards Board) for B.A., B.S., and Post-baccalaureate certification students:

1. Complete a brief UW College of Education application for an Institutional Recommendation:
2. Download the Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) application form
3. Fill out Section I (name and current mailing address) of the page labeled “Institutional Recommendation” and send it to the COESSC by email, mail, or hand. The COESSC is located in Room 100, McWhinnie Hall. The address is COESSC, Dept 3374, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071, and the email address is edquest@uwyo.edu.
4. The completed IR will be emailed to you and the PTSB once your degree and date of graduation have been posted to your UW transcript.
5. Send your completed application and any other required documentation, fee(s), etc. as specified in the instructions to the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board.

For Licensure in other states:

1. Complete a brief UW College of Education application for an Institutional Recommendation:
2. Download the application for teacher licensure from the target state’s Board of Education or Certification/Licensure website.
3. Complete the form as requested and email a copy of the Standard Certification/Institutional Recommendation form to COESSC at edquest@uwyo.edu.
4. If required for certification in other states, your official UW transcript can be requested from the Registrar’s Office in Knight Hall, Room 167. The phone number for the Registrar’s Office is (307) 766-5272. Transcripts can also be ordered online from the Registrar’s office.
5. If any questions arise regarding the document for out-of-state licensure, you should contact that state’s Certification/Licensure Office to clarify details.
6. Official transcripts from other colleges or universities you may have attended should be ordered directly from those institutions.

---

Frequently Asked Questions About Certification

Should I send the Institutional Recommendation to the COESSC now or should I wait until after graduation?
Applicants can send the form in at any time; we complete them on a first-come first served basis.

On the Institutional Recommendation form in the second box it states please do not write below the line. How do I list what area(s) I am requesting certification in?
There are two options that can be used to provide this information to the COESSC:

• Option 1: Provide this information in the online application form, so that we can complete your IR appropriately.
• Option 2: Go ahead and write down the area you are eligible to receive certification in, including additional endorsements, on the document. Once the document is submitted to COESSC it will be retyped before being mailed back to you for submission to the PTSB.

Is there a fee for completing the Institutional Recommendation?
The COESSC does not charge a fee for completing the Institutional Recommendation. There is a fee for licensure; that should be sent directly to the PTSB or the state agency for your target state.

Who should I contact with my question?

• If you have questions regarding the Institutional Recommendation please call the COESSC at (307) 766-2230.
• If you have questions about the document as a whole please call the Professional Teaching Standards Board at 1-800-675-6893.
• If you have question about obtaining transcripts or graduation posting, please call the Office of the Registrar at (307) 766-5272.