{"id":1824,"date":"2022-12-16T09:20:27","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T14:20:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/?p=1824"},"modified":"2023-04-06T10:35:46","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T14:35:46","slug":"designing-your-career-path-licensure-vs-certification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/designing-your-career-path-licensure-vs-certification\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing Your Career Path: Licensure vs. Certification"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re new to college or looking to transfer schools, you\u2019ve probably already thought about your future career. Understanding what\u2019s required of you to reach those goals is an important part of the process. When it comes to professional requirements, government licensure and private certification are often confused with one another. It can be difficult to understand the difference because the requirements can be unclear and can vary from state to state.<\/p>\n

Choosing a college<\/a> means looking at schools that offer a clear pathway to the job you want. Understanding the difference between licensure and certification will give you a head start in your college and career search.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at licenses and credentials and how they might fit into your future job plans.<\/p>\n

Licensing<\/h2>\n

A license is a legal document from a governmental agency confirming that a person has satisfied all the requirements to be allowed to perform their job duties in a specific area. In other words, you can\u2019t begin working until you\u2019re licensed. Licenses are issued by the federal government, state government, or local government. Where the license is issued determines the place or organizations in which a person is allowed to work.<\/p>\n

For example…<\/em><\/p>\n

Teaching is one of the many professions that require a state license. Teachers earn teaching licenses through required coursework, classroom experience, and state testing. Teaching licenses require renewal after a certain period of time. In many states, to renew a teaching license, a teacher has to complete professional development and may even be required to obtain a master\u2019s degree in education.<\/a><\/p>\n

If a teacher wants to move to another state, they must obtain a teaching license in their new state. This process can be as simple as transferring their license to the new state or as complicated as taking additional coursework to satisfy the licensing requirements in their new state. The same is true for many other types of professional licenses.<\/p>\n

A license is necessary to work in the following fields:<\/p>\n