How to Become a Teacher in Missouri: Tests, Fees and Routes

By the Transforming Education editorial team. Every fact on this page was checked against the source linked beside it on November 7, 2026.

No degree yet: the traditional route

For high school students, college students and anyone without a bachelor's degree. You earn the degree and the teacher preparation in one program.

Traditional route

Candidates complete a college-recommended teacher education program approved by DESE, including student teaching, and earn at least a bachelor's degree. The Initial Professional Certificate (IPC) requires a recommendation from the institution, a minimum 2.5 GPA in content coursework and 3.0 GPA in professional education coursework, and Missouri's passing score on the designated assessments. The application is started online and routed through the institution to DESE.

1. Complete a DESE-approved teacher education program, including student teaching
2. Earn at least a 2.5 GPA in content coursework and a 3.0 GPA in professional education coursework
3. Pass the Missouri-designated Praxis assessment for your certification area
4. Complete a fingerprint background clearance if you have not had one in the past 12 months
5. Submit the online Initial Professional application to your institution for its recommendation

Source: dese.mo.gov

Bachelor's in another field: the alternative route

For people who already hold a bachelor's degree in a subject other than education.

Alternative route

A bachelor's degree holder enrolls in a state-approved alternative or post-baccalaureate certification program at a Missouri college and may teach on a two-year provisional certificate while completing about 30 semester hours. After the program and the designated assessment are completed, the college recommends the candidate for an initial professional certificate. Missouri also offers a Temporary Authorization route and accepts certificates from ABCTE and Teachers of Tomorrow in selected subjects.

1. Hold a bachelor's degree
2. Enroll in a state-approved alternative certification program at a Missouri college or university
3. Obtain employment and apply for a provisional certificate based on an academic contract and plan of study
4. Complete the program coursework, usually about 30 semester hours
5. Pass the designated assessment and receive the college's recommendation for an initial professional certificate

Source: dese.mo.gov

Changing careers into teaching in Missouri

If you already have a bachelor's degree and some years in another job, start with the alternative route described above. It is built for people who did not study education. The 15 programs below are on the state's approved list, and 2 of them say their coursework is online.

For pay context, the median annual wage for high school teachers in Missouri was $59,240 in May 2025, according to the BLS OEWS state estimates. If your background matches a subject on the state's shortage list, that list is further down this page.

State-approved alternative certification programs

Programs shown are a selection from the state's approved list, checked November 7, 2026. "Online" reflects what the program or the state says about its coursework; teaching practice is always in a real school. The full, current list is on the agency's approved-program page.

Licensed in another state

For teachers who hold a license from another state and want to teach in Missouri.

Out-of-State Certified route

An applicant who completed a teacher education program in another state and holds a valid professional certificate there may be granted a Missouri certificate in the most closely aligned area. In most cases the certificate is issued with no further coursework or tests. Depending on prior teaching experience, the applicant may qualify for an initial or career certificate.

1. Complete the online Non-Missouri Graduate application and pay the $100 processing fee
2. Send original transcripts from all institutions attended
3. Include a copy of your valid out-of-state certificate
4. Verify any out-of-state teaching experience with the Verification of Teaching Experience form
5. Complete the Missouri fingerprint background check

Source: dese.mo.gov

Required tests, codes and qualifying scores

Missouri uses Praxis for teacher licensure. The table lists the core tests by license area, with the qualifying score and fee exactly as the source publishes them. Which tests you take depends on the license area you are seeking, so check the full list for your subject before you register.

Scores and fees change. Confirm both on the testing company's page before you register.

Fees, background check and license validity

Background check

All applicants pre-register online through the Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS) for a fingerprint-based check run by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI, using a four-digit registration code. Missouri-based applicants are printed at an IdentoGo location, and results are sent directly to DESE. DESE lists the fee as $47.00 effective October 1, 2026. Fee: $47.00. Source

Your first license

License: Initial Professional Certificate (IPC). It is valid for 4 years. After meeting the upgrade requirements during the four years, teachers move to the Career Continuous Professional Certificate (CCPC), which is valid for 99 years. Source

Renewal

Instead of a standard renewal, IPC holders upgrade to the Career Continuous Professional Certificate. During the four-year IPC they complete four years of approved teaching, two years of district mentoring, 30 contact hours of professional development, a two-year Beginning Teacher Assistance Program, annual performance evaluations and a professional development plan. Teachers who will not finish in time can apply for an extension or reactivation. Requirement: 30 contact hours of professional development plus mentoring, BTAP and evaluations during the 4-year IPC. Source

Teacher pay in Missouri

Elementary teachers in Missouri earned a median of $50,910 a year in May 2025, $13,060 below the national median of $63,970. Half of teachers in each occupation earn more than the median and half earn less. What you earn in a given district depends on its salary schedule, your experience and any graduate credits.

Annual wages, cross-industry estimates, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 state tables, retrieved through the BLS Public Data API on November 7, 2026. Special education teachers are shown separately; our guide to the online master's in special education covers the add-on and initial-license options.

Teacher shortage areas, 2026-27

Missouri reported these subject areas to the US Department of Education as teacher shortage areas for the 2026-27 school year.

• Art and Music Education: Art, Choral Music, Dance, Instrumental Music (statewide)
• Career and Technical Education: Agricultural Science and Technology, Business Education, Family and Consumer Science, Marketing (statewide)
• Early Childhood: Early Childhood and Elementary Education (statewide)
• Health and Physical Fitness: Health Science, Physical Education (statewide)
• Language Arts: Journalism, Speech (statewide)
• Social Studies (statewide)
• Support Staff: Library/Media Specialist (statewide)

Source: US Department of Education, Teacher Shortage Areas report, retrieved November 7, 2026.