Educator Certification

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.