45 minutes
Kansas City Eligibility Requirements
Application requirements, from academic history to coursework and exams
Application requirements, from academic history to coursework and exams
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If you have any questions about your exam or this process, reach out to a TEACH Kansas City Coach or teacher preparation program staff for support. We’re here for you.
Getting certified in Kansas City, Missouri, or Kansas City, Kansas, requires passing a content-based exam, completing a background check, and enrolling in and maintaining good standing in a university program.
To prove your eligibility for a teacher preparation program, you may need to meet coursework requirements.
By providing proof of this coursework, admissions staff can rest assured you have the right background to pursue a teaching certification at their program.
When applying for your program, be prepared to provide your:
For some programs, you will have to submit test scores as part of your application. (See the Guide to Testing in Missouri to learn more.) Others allow you to apply without exam scores, if you’ve completed certain coursework.
Even if you don’t think you have the right coursework under your belt, reach out to program staff. You may be a qualified candidate, even if you don’t think you are.
Typically, programs that allow you to use just coursework in your application require:
Which courses count towards minimum humanities/STEM hours?
Program staff at teacher preparation programs are incredibly skilled at assessing which courses can count toward the minimum content area coursework requirement. In many cases, they’ll be able to identify courses from your transcript that will help you satisfy the minimum requirement that you might not have thought would count.
Once you’ve chosen the teacher preparation program(s) you want to apply to, reach out to program staff if you have questions about the coursework eligibility requirements (even if you don’t think you’re eligible based on your past academic history). They’ll be able to help!
Which programs in MO allow you to use coursework to start your application?
Generally speaking, undergraduate programs will review your transcript to see how many content area coursework hours you have completed.
Based on that review, your advisor will create a personalized degree plan that allows you to finish any remaining content area coursework and complete all education coursework as quickly as possible.
Exception: Northwest Missouri offers two programs.
If you are in the North Kansas City school district you may begin taking classes at the Metro Community College then transfer to Northwest to complete, it requires pedagogy training and classroom hours but all are facilitated through the “grow your own” program.
If you are in the Independence School District you may begin teaching coursework in High school and start the masters program the June before teaching.
If you have your bachelor’s degree (nice work), you may or may not be required to have a minimum number of prior content area coursework hours to apply to a program, based on each program’s specific eligibility requirements.
Some programs even offer multiple eligibility pathways based on your prior coursework. See below for the programs that require a minimum number of content area credit hours in order to apply:
| Program(s) in Missouri | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Northwest Missouri State University |
Successful completion of nationally normed educational performance assessment (MoPTA, EdTPA. OR Successful completion of another master's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with at least a 2.75 GPA. |
| University of Central Missouri | Graduating UCM seniors may arrange, in their final semester of undergraduate study, to take courses for graduate credit as long as their total course load does not exceed 16 credit hours. To be considered, the student must have a 2.5 undergraduate cumulative GPA. |
| WGU Missouri | Pass state-specific basic skills test. |
For some programs, you will have to submit test scores as part of your application. (See Praxis Guide to learn more.) Others allow you to apply without Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exam scores, if you’ve completed certain coursework.
Even if you don’t think you have the right coursework under your belt, reach out to programs staff. You may be a qualified candidate, even if you don’t think you are.
Typically, programs that allow you to use just coursework in your application require:
Which courses count towards minimum humanities/STEM hours?
Program staff at teacher preparation programs are incredibly skilled at assessing which courses can count toward the minimum content area coursework requirement. In many cases, they’ll be able to identify courses from your transcript that will help you satisfy the minimum requirement that you might not have thought would count.
Once you’ve chosen the teacher preparation program(s) you want to apply to, reach out to program staff if you have questions about the coursework eligibility requirements (even if you don’t think you’re eligible based on your past academic history). They’ll be able to help!
Which programs in KS allow you to use coursework to start your application?
Generally speaking, undergraduate programs will review your transcript to see how many content area coursework hours you have completed.
Based on that review, your advisor will create a personalized degree plan that allows you to finish any remaining content area coursework and complete all education coursework as quickly as possible.
If you have your bachelor’s degree (nice work), you may or may not be required to have a minimum number of prior content area coursework hours to apply to a program, based on each program’s specific eligibility requirements.
Some programs even offer multiple eligibility pathways based on your prior coursework. See below for the programs that require a minimum number of content area credit hours in order to apply:
| Program(s) in Kansas | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Emporia University | At least two years since the completion of the bachelor’s degree (effective 2009-2010); Verification of passing score for Praxis content exam: official passing Praxis score on file prior to August 1 for Fall consideration; December 1 for Spring consideration. |
| MidAmerica Nazarene University |
|