Applying for a Provisional Teaching Certificate

The Provisional Certification allows a teacher candidate to accept a full-time teaching position while completing a teacher certification program.  The candidate will enter into an academic contract between the candidate, educator preparation institution, employing school district, and DESE. Applicants must meet the current state content GPA requirement of 3.00 and/or have passed the State-required certification assessment (Praxis) for their certification area.

Once the candidate is logged into their DESE profile, they will be required to update their profile information and complete four Professional Conduct Questions. The Purpose of Application will be: Provisional Certificate with an Academic Contract between District, Institution, and Educator. 

Once the candidate submits the application, it is first routed to the hiring District’s DESE work log and then to the teacher preparation Institution's Teacher Certification Officer’s DESE work log.  

Requirements to obtain a Provisional Certificate:

  • Undergraduate teacher education candidates must be enrolled in a state-approved teacher certification program and be within 12 credit hours of completing the program (student teaching semester)
  • Graduate teacher education candidates must be enrolled in a state-approved teacher certification program and have passed the State-required certification assessment (Praxis) for the content and grade level for which certification is being sought or be enrolled in a state-approved alternative teacher certification program
  • Must be offered a full-time teaching position in a Missouri public school or accredited private school in the content/grade level for which the candidate is seeking certification
  • Must complete the following.  
    • Online Provisional (academic contract) Certificate application.  After logging in to your DESE profile, the Provisional Cert application can be found on the left menu under 3) Applications (select Provisional Certificate with an Academic Contract between District, Institution, and Educator).
    • Current Missouri fingerprint background clearance

Once the application has been approved, the provisional certificate is valid for 2 years and is non-renewable. However, in extenuating circumstances, an extension can be requested through DESE.

To request an extension:

1. Submit an Extension Application through DESE profile.

2. Email your advisor requesting a letter of support from your program which includes the estimated time of program completion.

3. Advisor and Program coordinator will complete the letter and send it to the Teacher Certification office at tco@missouristate.edu.  

When this letter is received, the MSU Certification office will send DESE an updated transcript showing coursework the student has completed since the time of their original Provisional application, along with a letter acknowledging support for the extension.