- Teacher Certification Map
- Become a Teacher in Missouri
Certification Roadmap
Click buttons to jump to section Missouri Prerequisite Coursework Missouri Teacher Preparation Missouri Required Tests Missouri Certification Reciprocity Missouri Teacher Salary Teacher Certification Information & Links
Missouri Highlights
This page is sponsored by Rossier Online, a master level teaching degree program delivered online that enables you to earn a Master’s degree and teaching credential. Learn more about how the University of Southern California can help you become a transformative teacher in Missouri .
To become a certified teacher in Missouri, you will need to fulfill all prerequisite coursework, teacher preparation, and testing requirements.
Our goal is to make this process as easy as possible, and we are dedicated to updating the site with new information on a regular basis. To stay up-to-date with the latest in teacher certification, please complete the form in the right sidebar.
Master’s Requirements
Did you know that 33 states require teachers to have a master’s degree to stay certified in teaching?
Many schools of education now offer online MAT programs that provide increased flexibility by allowing aspiring or working teachers to attend class and complete coursework from any location that has an Internet connection. Online MAT programs are a practical option for students who have professional and personal commitments that make it difficult to obtain teaching certification through a full-time program.
The best online programs offer the same curriculum as the school’s on-campus program and apply the same admission requirements. Providing students with the ability to communicate with instructors and classmates in a face-to-face online environment is another hallmark of a good online program. In addition, candidates in online MAT programs should be provided with the opportunity to complete student teaching fieldwork in the local community.
Click to learn more about getting your MAT online with USC Rossier School of Education.
Missouri Teacher Prerequisite Coursework
Important Note: Education licensure requirements and salary statistics (for teachers and administrators) are subject to change. CertificationMap.com makes its best effort to keep content accurate; however, the official sources are the state education departments. Please confirm licensing requirements with your state before applying for licensure or renewal. Last updated: 1/06/2015
All states require that certified teachers at a minimum have a Bachelor’s degree. Additionally, some states have undergraduate credit hour requirements for certification in specialty areas. Here are Missouri’s undergraduate prerequisites for some of the most popular specialty areas:
Elementary Education:
- Courses appropriate for Elementary grades: a. Mathematics (two (2) courses, minimum total of five (5) semester hours), b. Economics; c. Geography; d. Health; and e. Art or Music
- Area of Concentration: The student must have a total of at least twenty-one (21) semester hours in an area of concentration. the specific coursework required to make the total. For grades 5-9 teachers are required to earn 21 credit hours in at least one subject as part of the middle school concentration portion of their professional education. Subject Area Requirements (Minimum requirement of twenty-one (21) semester hours):Subject area certification in grades 5-9 will be granted upon the basis of a minimum of twenty-one (21) semester hours with appropriate distribution as determined by the teacher preparation institution and/or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in one (1) of the following areas: d. Language Arts 5-9; e. Mathematics 5-9; f. Science 5-9; g. Social Science 5-9.
Secondary English/Language Arts:
- Composition and Rhetoric: 12 credits (Must include a course in the teaching of writing)
- Study of the English Language: 5 credits (Must include modern grammar, history of the language, and/or dialects)
- American Literature: 5 credits (must include at least one (1) major unit or module in literature for adolescents and one (1) in literature of ethnic groups)
- English and/or World Literature: 5 credits
- Elective English Credit: 3 credits
- Minimum Total Semester Hours: 30
Secondary Mathematics:
- Calculus and Analytical Geometry: 8 credits
- Algebraic Structures: 3 credits
- Geometry: 3 credits
- Computer Science: 2 credits
- Elective from: Calculus and Analytical Geometry, Algebraic Structures, Geometry, Computer Science: 4 credits
- A minimum of ten (10) semester hours from at least 3 (three) areas of Mathematics such as the following: History of Mathematics (2-3 credits), Structure of the Real Number System (2-3 credits), Number Theory (2-3 credits), Completion Calculus Sequence (2-5 credits), Probability and Statistics (2-3 credits), Computer Science (2-5 credits), Math for Exceptional Children (2-3 credits), Linear Algebra (2-3 credits)
- Minimum grand total semester hours: 30
Secondary History/Social Science:
- U.S. History: 12 credits
- World History: 8 credits
- Political Science (State and U.S. Government): 6 credits
- Economics: 3 credits
- Geography: 3 credits
- Behavioral Science (Sociology, Anthropology, or Psychology): 6 credits
- Elective Social Studies: 0-2 credits
- Minimum total semester hours: 40 credits
Biology
- History/Philosophy of Science and Technology—two (2) semester hours
- Twenty (20) hours in Biology which includes: 1) Cell Biology; 2) Plant Form and Function; 3) Animal Form and Function; 4) Genetics; 5) Evolution; 6) Biology Electives
- Ten (10) additional hours in Science which includes: 1) Chemistry; 2) Physics; 3) Earth Science; 4) Environmental Science;
- Minimum total semester hours: 32 credits
Chemistry
- History/Philosophy of Science and Technology—two (2) semester hours
- Twenty (20) hours in Chemistry which includes: 1) Inorganic Chemistry; 2) Analytical Chemistry; 3) Organic Chemistry (Lect-Lab); 4) Physical Chemistry; 5) Biochemistry; 6) Chemistry Electives
- Ten (10) additional hours in Science which includes: 1) Physics; 2) Biology; 3) Earth Science; 4) Environmental Science
- Minimum total semester hours: 40 credits
Earth Science
- History/Philosophy of Science and Technology—two (2) semester hours
- Twenty (20) hours in Earth Science which includes: 1) Astronomy; 2) Meteorology; 3) Geology/Physical Geography; 4) Earth Science Electives
- Ten (10) additional hours in Science which includes: 1) Chemistry; 2) Biology; 3) Physics; 4) Environmental Science
- Minimum total semester hours: 40 credits
General Science
- History/Philosophy of Science and Technology—two (2) semester hours
- Thirty (30) hours in Science course work which includes: 1) Chemistry (Lect-Lab); 2) Biology (Lect-Lab); 3) Physics (Lect-Lab); 4) Earth Science; 5) Astronomy; 6) Environmental Science
- Minimum total semester hours: 40 credits
Physics
- History/Philosophy of Science and Technology—two (2) semester hours
- Twenty (20) hours in Physics course work which includes: 1) Mechanics; 2) Electricity and Magnetism; 3) Heat, Sound, and Light; 4) Atomic or Modern Physics; 5) Physics Electives
- Ten (10) additional hours in Science which includes: 1) Chemistry; 2) Biology; 3) Earth Science; 4) Environmental Science
- Minimum total semester hours: 40 credits
Missouri Teacher Preparation
Teacher preparation includes the completion of an accredited teacher education program.
Alternative Certification
Graduates of accredited colleges or universities whose bachelor’s degree was not in education, and who have not yet earned a traditional teaching certificate, can still receive an alternative teaching certificate by satisfying certain requirements.Information about alternative Missouri teacher certification can be found here.
Typically teacher education programs consist of a combination of curricula and fieldwork. The curricula often includes instruction on foundational knowledge and skills, pedagogy (or the art and science of teaching), and preparing students to research, design and implement learning experiences in their field of study. The fieldwork component can include field observations, student teaching, and an internship.
While the involvement in an education program may seem financially daunting, a number of financial resources specifically for teachers exist around the country. For more information on this, visit our page on scholarships for teachers. For more scholarships for teachers exclusive to the State of Missouri, visit our Missouri Teacher Scholarships page.
Missouri Required Tests
Basic Skills Assessment
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does not require teaching candidates to complete basic skills assestments for student teaching and/or initial licensure.
Principles of Learning and Testing
All teaching candidates obtaining certification in grades 5-9, 9-12 and/or K-12 are required to complete and pass the Principles of Teaching and Learning (PLT) test in their area of certification
| Certification | Required Test | Qualifying Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Middle School (5-9) |
PLT: Grades 5-9 |
167 |
|
Secondary (K-12; 9-12) |
PLT: Grades 7-12 |
164 |
Content Area Assessments
All teaching candidates obtaining their Missouri teacher license must complete and pass the content test(s) required for their specific licensure area.
| Certification | Required Test | Qualifying Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Early Childhood Education (Birth-3) |
Special Education: Preschool/Early Childhood |
166 |
|
Early Childhood Special Education (Birth-3) |
PLT: Grades 7-12 |
164 |
|
Elementary Education (1-6) |
Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment |
164 |
|
Middle School Education English Language Arts |
– Middle School English Language Arts |
163 |
|
Secondary (9-12) Biology |
– Biology: Content Knowledge |
150 |
|
Special Education (B-12) Blind/Partially Sighted |
– Teaching Students with Visual Impairments |
– 170 158 |
Missouri Certification Reciprocity
Missouri will accept some teaching credentials from all but the following states: Alaska, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Contact the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education to inquire about your specific situation. Please see our interstate reciprocity disclaimer for more information.
Missouri Teacher Salary
- Incentives to teach in high-needs schools or shortage subject areas: Missouri provides no support for teachers teaching in high needs schools or teachers teaching in shortage subject areas
- Policies in place that articulate elements of effective induction: All new teachers must participate in a two-year mentoring program
- Average Elementary Teacher Salary: $44,070
- Average Secondary Teacher Salary: $43,280
- Teacher Salary vs. State Average Salary: The average teacher in Missouri makes 125% of the salary of the average worker in Missouri
- Number of Vacation Weeks Per Year: 15
Applying for Certification
Requirements
The Compendium of Missouri Certification Requirements Index provides teaching candidates with the certification requirements for each subject area and license type in the state of Missouri.
Background Check
Please visit the Missouri DESE Fingerprint Information Checklist and background checkFAQs for resources regarding how to obtain background clearance to become a teacher in the state of Missouri.
Missouri Substitute Teacher Requirements
Please click here to learn more about how to become a substitute teacher in Missouri.
Contact Information
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
205 Jefferson Street
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
573-751-0051 – Contact
Additional Links
- Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
- Missouri Teacher Tenure
- Missouri Teacher Certification Requirements
- Troops to Teachers Missouri: In Missouri, Troops to Teachers is managed by the Missouri Region Office
- Teachers Test Prep: Free online Praxis Study Guides and Praxis Practice Tests, and a variety of preparation options to meet your individual needs, including prep classes, private tutoring, and online prep.
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