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