Missouri Teacher Licensure Guide for Online Master's Students

Who Licenses Teachers in Missouri, and Which Exams Does It Use?

Missouri licenses teachers through Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Educator Quality, and the exams it requires are the Praxis tests from ETS.

For the programs themselves, the online master's in education programs at universities in Missouri are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.

How Do I Get a Missouri Teaching License With an Online Master's?

Getting a Missouri teaching license with an online master's usually starts with the certificate of the state where the program is located, because the department can grant a Missouri certificate in the most closely aligned area to anyone holding a valid professional certificate from another state. Without one, it evaluates your transcripts against current Missouri requirements.

Missouri's first certificate is the Initial Professional Certificate. The department's page for Missouri graduates asks for a bachelor's degree, a 2.5 grade point average in content courses and a 3.0 in professional education, so a master's is not required. Some alternative programs are offered by distance learning and some pair a master's with certification. Our secondary education and special education rankings say nothing about that approval.

Which Exams Does Missouri Require for Teacher Certification?

Missouri requires a passing score on its designated assessments, which are Praxis exams, and the department's routes page links ETS's Missouri required-tests page for the specific test. Its example is the doctoral route, where a PhD holder in a secondary content area needs Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 (5624).

An out-of-state teacher rarely meets the exams at all. The department says that for most applicants with a valid professional certificate a Missouri certificate is issued without further coursework or tests. A Missouri program completer who cannot pass the final assessment has a separate fallback, a superintendent's recommendation signed into law in June 2022, and it requires a program completed through a Missouri college or university.

Can I Transfer a Teaching License to Missouri From Another State?

A teaching license from another state can be transferred to Missouri as a comparable certificate, and the department says the number of years you taught can decide whether you receive an initial or a career certificate. The application packet is specific: original transcripts from every school you attended, mailed rather than faxed or scanned, a criminal background check and, if you taught, a verification of contracted experience of at least half time.

A temporary, emergency or substitute certificate does not count, according to the non-Missouri graduate checklist. The 2020 comparison by the Education Commission of the States recorded full reciprocity, no extra coursework or assessments and no tiering by experience, and the department's experience rule adds a nuance to that last point.

Does NC-SARA Membership Cover Teacher Certification for Missouri Online Master's Students?

Missouri's membership in NC-SARA, approved in November 2014, does not cover teacher certification for its online master's students. NC-SARA says SARA does not address licensing board approval for teacher education, so a participating school's authorization to enroll you does not decide what the Missouri department certifies.

SARA does require such schools to notify you whether a program meets professional licensure requirements in the state where you are located.

What Should I Ask an Online Program Before Enrolling From Missouri?

Ask an online program for its written position on Missouri requirements before you enroll from Missouri. A school that markets licensure preparation must, under 34 CFR 668.43, disclose the states where the program does and does not qualify, and notify prospective students beforehand if it falls short or has not been determined.

The Missouri questions follow. Will the program lead to a professional certificate in its own state, since temporary and emergency ones do not count? If you hold no certificate, will the school's certification officer complete the institutional recommendation? Does the program include student teaching, and which Praxis tests does it prepare you for?

Which Certificate Do Missouri Principals and School Counselors Need?

A Missouri principal needs an Initial Administrator Certificate, which requires a master's degree or higher in educational administration from a program the department approves, plus passing assessment scores. A graduate of an out-of-state program may apply with a valid professional certificate from that state, and every administrator applicant must also apply for a Missouri teaching certificate.

A school counselor needs a master's degree from an approved student services program and a passing score on the counselor assessment. Weigh an online master's in educational leadership or school counseling against those two pages.