How do I get certified?

Missouri has several ways that individuals can join the education profession. The most prominent methods to earning an initial certificate are below.

Traditional Route: A person completes a bachelor’s degree in education, does student teaching, and passes an exit exam.

Alternative or Innovative Route: A person with a bachelor’s degree in a content area, such as mathematics, enrolls in a college of education. The teacher works under a two-year provisional certificate while completing about 30 semester hours. To receive certification, the person must also pass an exit exam.

Temporary Authorization Route: A person with a bachelor’s degree in a content area takes self-directed courses to meet specified competencies (with a maximum of 24 college credits), teaches for two years while being mentored by the school district and passes at least two exit exams. This person works under a one-year renewable certificate that requires nine semester hours of college credit each year to be renewed.

American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence Route:

In 2008, this method was approved for people seeking certification in middle or high school math, U.S. and world history, English/language arts, biology, chemistry, general science, physics and elementary education.  Recipients must hold a bachelor’s degree, pass a background check, pass the ABCTE Professional Teaching Knowledge Exam and pass an ABCTE exam in the candidate’s subject area.

Doctoral Route

Individuals with a doctorate degree in a content area (such as mathematics or English) may be issued an initial certificate by passing the 063 professional knowlege: Secondary assessment. For more information please visit the Missouri Educator Gateway. Individuals entering via the doctoral route are not eligible to advance to the career certificate but may renew the initial certificate as often as needed.

What is an initial certificate?

This is a four-year license issued to new college graduates and others with fewer than four years
of teaching experience. To maintain this certificate, and apply for a career continuous certificate, you must:

  • Complete four years of teaching as defined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
  • Develop and implement a professional-development plan.
  • Undergo two years of mentoring.
  • Complete 30 contact hours of professional development in four years.
  • Participate in a Beginning Teacher Assistance program, (BTAP), such as those offered by MSTA. This does not count toward professional development hours.
  • Receive a yearly performance evaluation.

What happens after that?

Your district will verify that you have completed the requirements for upgrading your initial certificate to a career continuous certificate. You and the district will jointly complete the application. Applications must be completed within 30 days of the expiration date of classification.

What is a career continuous certificate?

This is a 99-year teaching license that requires an individual to maintain a professional-growth plan, have successful performance-based evaluations, and annually report professional development to DESE. Those who complete two of the three following requirements will be exempt from the professional-growth requirement:

  • Complete 10 years of teaching.
  • Complete a master’s degree.
  • Obtain national certification from an agency recognized by DESE.

What if I’m from out-of-state?

If you have a valid teaching certificate from another state, you may be eligibile to receive a comparable certificate in Missouri from the State Board of Education.