How to Become a Teacher in Missouri: Certification Requirements 2026
If you're wondering how to become a teacher in Missouri, you need a bachelor's degree from an approved educator preparation program, passing scores on Missouri's required certification exams, and a clean background check. Most candidates finish in four years through a traditional program, though career-changers with an unrelated degree can use one of several alternative routes the state also recognizes.
If you're researching how to become a teacher in Missouri, the process runs through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE): a degree, an approved program, exams tied to your specific pathway, and a background check. That's the same general shape teacher certification follows in most states, and Missouri gets specific mainly in the alternative routes it opens up for people who already have a degree in something else.
Choose What You Want to Teach
Start by deciding the age group. Missouri certifies teachers across early childhood, elementary, middle, secondary, and special education, and your coursework and student teaching placement will follow whichever band you pick. If you're not sure yet, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education publishes school and district data that can help you get a feel for where the need is. If you're also weighing options nearby, it's worth comparing how the process runs in Kansas or Oklahoma before you commit to a state.
Earn a Bachelor's Degree and Complete an Educator Preparation Program
Missouri requires a bachelor's degree plus a state-approved educator preparation program, and there's more than one way to sequence that. If you're starting from scratch, a blended program lets you earn the degree and finish your certification requirements at the same time. If you already have a bachelor's degree in another field, you'll complete the program through an alternative or post-baccalaureate route instead.
Traditional Teacher Preparation Programs
A traditional program has two parts: coursework and fieldwork. Coursework covers subject-specific teaching methods, differentiated instruction, and assessment. Fieldwork means classroom observations and student teaching, usually under a mentor teacher who hands you the reins for a stretch of real lesson planning and instruction. The state requirement is completion of a DESE-approved teacher education program, so check with your program directly to confirm it holds that approval before you enroll.
Alternative Certification Routes in Missouri
If you already hold a bachelor's degree in a field outside education, Missouri gives you a few ways in:
- American Board of Certification for Teacher Excellence (ABCTE): Missouri accepts ABCTE certification in a specific set of subjects: middle or high school math, U.S./World history, English/language arts, biology, chemistry, general science, physics, and elementary education. As of July 1, 2026, ABCTE applicants must also pass the designated Praxis assessment for their certification area, and elementary applicants have an additional reading-test requirement on top of that.
- Teachers of Tomorrow: Missouri authorized this route effective August 28, 2025, for a specified list of certification areas. It's newer than the other alternative routes here, so confirm with DESE whether it covers the subject and grade band you're targeting.
- Out-of-state certification: If you're already licensed in another state, DESE will verify your credential and issue an out-of-state reciprocity certificate. Whether you land an initial or career certificate depends on how many years you've already taught.
- Temporary authorization: Built for people with a bachelor's degree in a content area. DESE requires a prescribed plan of at least 24 semester hours of professional coursework (29 for the special-education version of this route), with at least nine semester hours completed each year to renew, plus mentoring and DESE's designated assessments. This route isn't available for every certification area: elementary and early childhood aren't eligible. Full details are on the Temporary Authorization page.
- Superintendent's recommendation: A narrower option for candidates who completed a traditional program but couldn't clear the final required exam. A district superintendent can recommend the candidate for certification directly to DESE.
Career and Technical Education in Missouri
Missouri has an ongoing need for Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers, and the state's CTE programs blend academics with occupational skills training in fields like agriculture, business, marketing, family and consumer sciences, and health sciences. You'll find these programs in career centers, high schools, and colleges. This is also the one area where the bachelor's requirement isn't absolute: some Career Education certification areas can be earned based on relevant occupational experience instead of a degree. Learn more about CTE certification in Missouri.
Pass Missouri's Required Assessments
Missouri groups its educator exams under the umbrella term Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments (MEGA), but which specific assessments you'll actually sit for depends on your certification route and content area. There isn't one fixed sequence every candidate follows. Your educator preparation program or DESE will direct you to the current, correct assessments for your specific pathway. That's the authoritative source, not a generic checklist. A few of the assessments you're likely to encounter along the way:
Missouri General Education Assessment (MoGEA)
A general-knowledge assessment used as an admission requirement by many undergraduate educator preparation programs, covering English Language Arts, Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science.
Missouri Content Area Exams
Subject-specific exit assessments tied to the certification area you're pursuing. The Missouri Content Assessments replaced the Praxis II for this purpose back in September 2014.
Missouri Pre-Service Teacher Assessment (MoPTA)
A performance assessment some candidates complete during clinical experience, aligned to Missouri's Teacher Standards and Quality Indicators. Where it applies, it's made up of four tasks requiring written commentary and supporting artifacts uploaded to an online submission system. There's a video version (MoPTA-V) and a non-video version (MoPTA-NV) for student teachers who aren't permitted to record in the classroom.
Requirements vary by route, subject, and grade band, and Missouri has added new ones recently (the Praxis addition for ABCTE candidates, for one). Confirm your specific list directly with DESE or your preparation program before you register for anything.
Apply for Your Missouri Teaching Certificate
Once you've cleared your program and your exams, you'll apply through DESE. The Compendium of Missouri Certification Requirements breaks down exactly what's needed for each subject area and license type, and a background check is required before any certificate is issued. Start with the DESE fingerprinting and background check checklist if you haven't done this step yet.
What You'll Need
- Completed application and non-refundable application fee
- Official transcripts showing your bachelor's degree and completed educator preparation program
- Clear status on your required background examinations
- Passing scores on all required assessments
Contact Information
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
205 Jefferson Street, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
Phone: (573) 751-0051
Find a Teaching Job in Missouri
Once your certificate comes through, you're cleared to start applying.
Public Schools
The Missouri Public School District Jobs (MOREAP) portal, linked from the DESE site, is the main hub for public-school openings statewide. Districts are currently reporting the steepest need in foreign languages, sciences, math, language arts, and special education.
Teacher Unions
Most certified teachers who join a union pick either the Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) or the state chapter of the National Education Association. The American Federation of Teachers also has a Missouri chapter. All three advocate for classroom conditions and pay on behalf of working teachers.
Private Schools
Missouri has 702 private schools, and while state law doesn't require them to hire certified teachers, most prefer to anyway. More than three-quarters carry a religious affiliation, and some follow a Montessori model.
Retirement Benefits
Teachers retiring from public positions collect a pension through the Public School & Education Employee Retirement Systems of Missouri (PSRS/PEERS).
Teacher Shortage Areas in Missouri (2021-2022)
The U.S. Department of Education's Teacher Shortage Area (TSA) list for the 2021-2022 school year flagged these areas in Missouri:
- Special Education, Cross Categorical, PreK-12
- Elementary Education, 1-6
- Early Childhood Education, PreK
- Physics, 9-12
- Biological Sciences, 9-12
- General Science, 5-9
- Spanish, PreK-12
- Social Studies, 5-9
- Basic and Advanced Mathematics, 5-9 and 9-12
- English, 5-9 and 9-12
- Earth and Space Science, 9-12
- Chemistry, 9-12
Missouri Teacher Salary and Job Growth
Here's the honest picture: most classroom teaching roles in Missouri are holding flat or shrinking slightly, not expanding. That's not unique to Missouri, and it doesn't mean there's no work. It means the openings you'll find are mostly replacing teachers who retire or leave, not new positions being created. The wage figures below come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for Missouri specifically, not a national average.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Preschool Teachers | $39,030 |
| Kindergarten Teachers | $58,740 |
| Elementary School Teachers | $56,730 |
| Middle School Teachers | $61,510 |
| Secondary (High) School Teachers | $60,310 |
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Missouri's middle school teachers earned the highest median wage among the core K-12 roles as of May 2025, with high school teachers close behind. Special education teachers in Missouri earned between roughly $54,000 and $74,000 depending on grade band, with special ed preschool teachers at the high end.
| Occupation | Job Growth (2024-2034) | Avg. Annual Openings |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool Teachers | +8.3% | 920 |
| Kindergarten Teachers | -0.4% | 180 |
| Elementary School Teachers | -0.6% | 1,960 |
| Middle School Teachers | -0.7% | 630 |
| Secondary (High) School Teachers | -0.4% | 1,580 |
Preschool teaching is the exception here, growing 8.3% in Missouri between 2024 and 2034 according to Projections Central, well ahead of the national preschool growth rate. Elementary teaching is projected to decline slightly, but that still leaves about 1,960 elementary openings every year in the state as teachers retire or move on, which is the number that actually matters if you're job hunting.
Continue Your Professional Development
Missouri ties professional development directly to your certificate renewal. Your Initial Professional Certificate (IPC) is valid for four years, and to move up to the permanent Career Continuous Professional Certificate (CCPC), you'll need to:
- Complete at least four years of teaching experience
- Participate in a district-approved mentoring program for two years
- Log at least 30 contact hours of professional development
- Take part in a beginning teacher assistance program
- Complete your school's annual Performance-Based Teacher Evaluation
A master's degree in education isn't required to teach in Missouri, but it does double as a shortcut through that 30-contact-hour requirement: one semester-hour course covers it. Once you hold the CCPC, you're on the hook for 15 professional development hours a year. DESE's current table exempts most professional-certificate holders from that annual requirement once they've met two of three conditions: 10 years of teaching experience, the next higher degree, or national certification, not any single one alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What degree do I need to become a teacher in Missouri?
For standard academic certification, you need at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, earned alongside or followed by a DESE-approved educator preparation program. The one exception is Career and Technical Education: some CTE certification areas can be earned based on relevant occupational experience instead of a degree.
Is a master's degree required to teach in Missouri?
No. A bachelor's degree and an approved preparation program are enough to earn your Initial Professional Certificate. A master's becomes useful later: it satisfies professional development requirements faster and opens doors to administrative and specialist roles down the line.
What tests do I need to pass for Missouri teacher certification?
It depends on your certification route and content area. Missouri doesn't apply one fixed testing sequence to every candidate. You're likely to encounter a general-knowledge assessment (MoGEA) at the program-admission stage, and a subject-specific Missouri Content Area Exam for your certification area, and some candidates complete a performance assessment (MoPTA) during clinical experience. DESE and your preparation program will confirm exactly which assessments apply to your specific pathway.
How long does it take to become a certified teacher in Missouri?
A traditional four-year bachelor's program with an embedded educator preparation component is the most common timeline. Career-changers using an alternative route, like temporary authorization, can start teaching sooner, often within the same year, while finishing coursework and exams on the side.
Are there alternative routes to certification in Missouri?
Yes, several. Missouri recognizes ABCTE certification in a defined list of subjects (as of July 1, 2026, ABCTE candidates also need the designated Praxis exam for their area, plus a reading test for elementary candidates), the newer Teachers of Tomorrow route authorized in August 2025, out-of-state reciprocity for already-licensed teachers, temporary authorization for career-changers with a relevant bachelor's degree, and superintendent's recommendation for candidates who completed a program but didn't clear their final exam.
- The bachelor's degree is required for standard certification. The one exception is Career and Technical Education, where some areas can be earned through relevant occupational experience instead.
- Your exam list depends on your route. Missouri doesn't use one fixed testing sequence, so confirm the current, specific assessments for your pathway directly with DESE or your prep program.
- DESE makes the final call. Certification decisions, reciprocity, and background clearance all run through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
- Career-changers have more options than they think. ABCTE, the newer Teachers of Tomorrow route, temporary authorization, and out-of-state reciprocity all let someone with an unrelated degree start teaching without repeating a four-year program, though requirements for each have gotten more specific recently, so verify the current version before you commit.
- Openings outpace the headlines. Elementary employment is projected to dip slightly, but roughly 1,960 elementary openings still come up in Missouri every year.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) figures for Missouri, covering Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, High School Teachers, Preschool Teachers, and Special Education Teachers. Job growth projections (2024-2034) for Missouri are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2026.
Certification is the legal side of becoming a teacher, but it's worth pairing your research with a look at programs that fit how you actually need to study, whether that's evenings, online, or a fast-tracked alternative route. The listings on this page cover a mix of formats for people starting from very different places.