Missouri Educator Certification Classifications
Updated - August 2005
The general qualifications for certification are identical for all teaching certificates, except for some areas of Career Education. They are:
- A baccalaureate degree from a college/university having a teacher education program approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or from a college/university having a teacher education program approved by the state education agency in states other than Missouri;
- The applicant must have a recommendation for certification from the designated official for teacher education in the college/university where the program was completed;
- The applicant must have a grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; both overall and in the content area;
- The applicant must complete the required Praxis test(s). (If you completed your teacher education program and were certificated before September 1, 1990, you are exempt from this requirement.) A list of the Missouri Specialty Area Tests with the qualifying scores can be found on the DESE website; and
- The applicant meets the educational, professional, and subject area requirements.
Missouri does not have formal reciprocity for certification with other states; however, individuals who have a valid educator's license may obtain a certificate in Missouri based on meeting certain requirements.
All Individuals licensed in Missouri must be cleared through a fingerprint/background check from the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Missouri Highway Patrol.
Classifications: There are nine types/classifications of certificates of license to teach. Each classification offers an Initial certificate that is valid for four years and requires the individual to meet various requirements on mentoring, evaluation and professional development. Each classification also offers a Career Continuous certificate that is valid for 99 years to individuals who successfully complete the Initial requirements and various requirements on evaluation, professional development, years of experience, and/or advancement to a higher college degree. The classifications are as follows:
- Lifetime – Prior to September 1988, applicants who met all requirements were issued a lifetime certificate and that certificate is still valid without completing any further requirements.
- Administration – principals, superintendents, career education directors and special education directors. This classification requires two-years of teaching experience and a master’s degree in administration/leadership. Administrators (except superintendents) must obtain the next higher college degree prior to their tenth year of experience.
- Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) (pdf) – teach persons 16 years of age or older to read/write English. Requires a bachelor’s degree and completion of courses in methods/testing/etc.
- Career (Vocational) Education – teach in various fields such as nursing, automotive, occupational family and consumer science, and trade/industrial fields. Individuals must have a bachelor’s degree in their content field and meet other requirements.
- Professional – teach in areas like elementary, middle- and high-school. They may be grade or subject area specific. Special education and librarians are also in this classification area. Requires a bachelor’s degree in education and other specific requirements. Prior to 2003, professional certificates were called PCI, PCII and CPC – these types of certificates should be upgraded to the Initial or Career Continuous types of licenses.
- Student Services – counselors, psychologists, speech/language pathologists, or career education evaluators. Generally requires a master’s degree or higher in an education-related profession.
- Provisional – two-year, nonrenewable certificate for educators who lack a few hours of meeting all the requirements for full certification. The largest numbers of provisional certificates are issued to individuals who are enrolled in a college-based alternative/innovative program, have not yet passed their required Praxis test, or are adding areas to an existing certificate. A provisional certificate is issued at the request of an employing district and may require an academic contract.
- Temporary – one-year, renewable certificate issued to individuals who have a bachelor’s degree in a content or closely-related field and who agree to meet a variety of requirements – including taking a number of college courses in pedagogy. A temporary certificate is issued at the request of an employing district.
- Substitute – one-year certificate that requires a minimum of 60 hours of college credit and is issued at the request of an employing district.
If you have specific questions, please feel free to contact Educator Certification at 573/751-0051.
Missouri has several methods for an individual to enter the education profession with a “certificate of license to teach.” In a nutshell, they are:
- Traditional route: An individual completes a four-year, college-recommended course of study, does student teaching, passes an exit exam, and graduates with a bachelor’s degree in a field of education and an Initial certificate. (The Initial certificate is a four-year certificate requiring two-years of mentoring, annual evaluation, one year of beginning teacher assistance, and professional development for a total of 30 contact hours during the four years).
- Alternative or Innovative route: An individual with a bachelor’s degree in a content area (such as math or English) returns to a college of education for a two-year program of study that enables him to take courses and teach simultaneously. The teacher works under a two-year, provisional certificate and usually completes about 30-35 college credits. When the college program is completed, exit test passed, the college recommends and the individual receives an Initial certificate.
- Temporary Authorization route: An individual with a bachelor’s degree in a content area takes self-directed courses – a maximum of 24 college credits (varies for different areas) to meet specified competencies, teaches for three years, is mentored by the school district and passes two exit examinations. The individual works under a one-year, renewable certificate that requires 9 college credits each year in order to be renewed. When requirements are completed, the individual receives an Initial certificate.
- Out-of-State Certified route (pdf): An individual with a valid teaching certificate from another state can be granted a comparable certificate in Missouri. He must provide verification of certification from the other state. Depending on the number of previous years of teaching experience, the individual may qualify for an Initial or Career level of certificate.
- Doctoral route (pdf): Individuals with a doctorate degree in a content area (such as math or English) may be issued an Initial certificate by passing a pedagogy test.