Alternative Teacher Certification in Missouri

Missouri alternative certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Educator Certification publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Choose an alternative certification route

   Missouri offers post-baccalaureate college alternative programs (coursework plus two-year provisional certificate), Temporary Authorization Certificate (TAC), ABCTE, Teachers of Tomorrow, and doctoral routes depending on content area and background.

   Source: dese.mo.gov

2. 2

   Post-baccalaureate college alternative route

   Return to a college of education for an alternative certification program. Teach on a two-year provisional certificate while completing approximately 30 semester hours, then receive IPC upon program completion and passing Praxis assessments.

   Source: dese.mo.gov

3. 3

   Temporary Authorization Certificate (TAC) route

   Hold a bachelor's degree in a content area, complete prescribed coursework (minimum 24 credits, varies by area), teach at least two years with district mentoring, and pass exit examinations. TAC is a one-year renewable certificate requiring nine semester hours annually. Not available for elementary, early childhood, or sensory impairment areas.

   Source: dese.mo.gov

4. 4

   Pass Praxis content assessments

   Pass the designated ETS Praxis content assessments for your certification area before receiving IPC or career certification, regardless of alternative route selected.

   Source: dese.mo.gov

5. 5

   Upgrade to CCPC after four years

   After four years of approved teaching, mentoring, PD, BTAP, and evaluation requirements, upgrade from IPC to the 99-year Career Continuous Professional Certificate.

   Source: dese.mo.gov

Missouri maintains multiple alternate pathways rather than consolidating career changers into a single program type. Post-baccalaureate college routes pair approximately 30 semester hours with a two-year provisional certificate; Temporary Authorization Certificate candidates accumulate at least 24 credits while teaching under a one-year renewable credential requiring nine semester hours each renewal year. ABCTE and Teachers of Tomorrow serve limited content areas under statutory authorization.

TAC exclusions matter for career changers targeting early childhood or elementary classrooms. DESE does not issue TAC in elementary (1–6), early childhood (B–3), early childhood special education, blind/partially sighted, or deaf/hearing impaired areas—those candidates must use college post-baccalaureate or university traditional routes instead.

Praxis content assessments gate every route uniformly after July 2024. Whether a candidate enters via TAC, post-baccalaureate alternative, or doctoral shortcut (PhD in secondary content plus PLT Grades 7–12), designated ETS Praxis tests must be passed before IPC issuance. MoCA scores from the prior vendor are no longer accepted for new applications.

All routes converge on the same IPC-to-CCPC upgrade architecture. Four years of approved teaching, two years of mentoring, 30 PD contact hours, Beginning Teacher Assistance Program, and evaluation participation transform the four-year IPC into a 99-year career certificate—a long horizon that rewards persistence but demands early planning for alternate-route teachers balancing coursework and classroom duties.

Required exams and fees

Missouri uses ETS Praxis content assessments (required as of July 1, 2024; Pearson MoCA discontinued June 23, 2024). Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of August 2026).

Moving a license to Missouri

Alternative routes are for candidates entering Missouri's pipeline. Out-of-state certified educators may receive comparable Missouri certificates through verification without entering provisional or TAC routes in most aligned cases.

Official Missouri reciprocity guidance