Traditional Certification

These individuals complete a Bachelor’s degree and Teacher Education requirements by attending an Institution of Higher Education. The students at Missouri Western follow a 4 year plan (or transfer into Missouri Western and follow transfer policy & advisement) to complete their degree and are recommended for licensure by the Certification Officer in the Education Department.

Alternative Certification through a Master’s of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

These individuals have completed a Bachelor’s degree in a 9-12 or K-12 content area and are interested in adding Teacher Certification to their degree. The degree must be in a field related to the certification area. You would be required to pass the Missouri Content Assessment (Praxis) in that certification area. You would need to apply and be accepted into the MWSU Graduate School. Once you have completed all the requirements the MWSU Certification Officer will recommend you for licensure for the State of Missouri.

Applying for Certification in Other States

Once you have completed all the Missouri certification requirements and earned your degree at Missouri Western, you may apply for certification in another state. Some states will accept Missouri certification without any other requirements. Some states may require additional assessments (such as the MoCA) or additional coursework to meet their state requirements.

Certification varies among states. The chart below has links to the teacher certification departments in each state. The links will allow you to search for additional requirements. The MWSU Certification Officer will be asked by most states to complete verification of your program and meeting certification requirements for Missouri. Please direct those state officials and/or the necessary forms to the MWSU Certification Officer. Remember to fill out the required personal information before forwarding the document to the Certification Officer.

Contact Us

STATE CERTIFICATION RESOURCES

Alabama State Department of Education
Alaska Dept. of Education and Early Development
Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
Arkansas Department of Education
California Department of Education
Colorado Department of Education
Connecticut State Department of Education
Delaware Department of Education
District of Columbia Public Schools
Florida Department of Education
Georgia Professional Standards Commission
Hawaii Teacher Standards Board
Idaho State Department of Education
Illinois State Board of Education
Indiana Department of Education Office of Educator Licensing
Iowa Department of Education
Kansas State Department of Education
Kentucky Department of Education
Louisiana Department of Education
Certification Office, Maine Department of Education
Maryland State Department of Education
Massachusetts DESE Office of Educator Licensure
Michigan Department of Education
Minnesota Department of Education
Mississippi Department of Education
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Montana Office of Public Instruction
Nebraska Department of Education
State of Nevada Board of Education, Office of Educator Licensure
Division of Educator Support and Higher Education, Bureau of Credentialing
New Jersey Department of Higher Education
New Mexico Public Education Department
Office of Teaching Initiatives
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board
Ohio Department of Education
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Teacher Standards and Practices Commission
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Puerto Rico State Department of Education
Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
South Carolina Department of Education
South Dakota Department of Education
Tennessee Department of Education
Texas State Board of Education
Utah State Board of Education
Vermont Agency of Education-Licensing Office
Virgin Islands Department of Education
Virginia Department of Education
Professional Educator Standards Board
vWest Virginia Department of Education
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board