Completed an undergraduate bachelor’s degree and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 calculated from all prior college coursework
Pass the current educator exam for the area that you will teach and are seeking certification.
Apply for and be admitted to the UMSL Graduate School for the UMSL Teach in Residency program.
Be able to obtain a position of teacher of record upon entrance to the program.
Be able to obtain a provisional certification from DESE after being hired.
Please submit for eligibility screening as soon as possible. The sooner, the better.
The upcoming semester may seem like a long way away; however, several steps and requirements must be completed between now and then to be fully eligible. We must get going with this process as soon as possible.
Absolutely! The courses for the Teach in Residency are ALL online and asynchronous, offering you the flexibility to manage your coursework around your teaching schedule. This means that there are no live classes.
The professors are dedicated to your success. They will post the course content online, and you can work on the coursework whenever it works for your schedule as long as you meet the assignment deadlines. The professors review student work and provide feedback on assignments. They are also available to schedule a meeting via Zoom if you need additional assistance, clarification on the coursework, or have questions about the content.
We know you will be teaching all day, and everyone has different school schedules.
This program is designed for the working teacher.
You will apply and be hired by the school district as a full-time “teacher of record” in your certification area.
You will receive teacher pay and benefits from the school district that hires you.
The current tuition rate for graduate students in the College of Education is $729 per credit hour. Tuition information.
Your chosen certification area and the number of required hours determine the total cost per program.
Graduate students can apply for Graduate Financial Aid by completing the FAFSA.
Some school districts also offer teachers tuition reimbursement. Each district can provide you with information on if they offer tuition reimbursement and how much.
Depending on your district and certification area, you may be eligible for the Teach Grant, which offers up to 1,500 per semester. To be considered, you must fill out the FAFSA.
Early Childhood: 43 credit hours (18 classes)
Elementary: 32 credit hours (15 classes)
Middle School: 27 credit hours (12 classes)
Secondary: 27 credit hours (12 classes)
Special Education: 42 credit hours (18 classes)
World Languages: 27 credit hours (12 classes)
Physical Education: 27 credit hours (12 classes)
Art Education: 27 credit hours (12 classes)
Each certification area has a predetermined course schedule that meets the State of Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requirements for Missouri teacher certification.
Your advisor will provide you with a complete program course plan for your certification area after you submit for eligibility screening.
In this program, you are working on earning your teaching certification.
The certification coursework you take is graduate-level and can count towards the hours required for a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree.
To add on a Master of Education degree, you would take an additional 4 classes (9 credit hours).
The M.Ed. will have an emphasis in Interdisciplinary Studies.
Yes, if you have already taken a course that is required for certification at another university, it is possible that it could count towards UMSL certification requirements.
We will review your transcripts during the screening process to determine if any prior coursework meets our program requirements.
There are a few courses, such as practicum, that must be taken with our program so that we can later recommend candidates for initial certification.
The UMSL graduate school requires that all students maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA during the program.
DESE requires that all candidates maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA during the program and earn a ‘C’ or better in each certification course. If a candidate earns below a ‘C’ in a certification course, they must retake it.
Candidates must complete all requirements within the 2-year time frame of the provisional certification to be recommended for their initial professional certification after completing the program.
Since courses are only offered once per year in this program, it is imperative that candidates complete their courses as scheduled and remain in good standing.
The Teach in Residency program can work with any DESE-accredited school district in Missouri that accepts provisional certifications.
There are several districts that we work with frequently that we consider to be “district partners.” These districts are familiar with the Teach in Residency program and provisional certification process. They are eager to have candidates from our program apply for teaching positions after they pass the MOCA. Some of our district partners are:
Louis Public Schools
Hazelwood
KIPP
Confluence
The School District of University City
Ritenour
Ferguson-Florissant
Jefferson City
Normandy
Jennings
Riverview Gardens
Northside Community School
Warren County R-III
Charles School District
Fort Zumwalt
No. You will teach on a provisional certification during the Teach in Residency program. This provisional certification is a temporary certification that permits you to teach for 2 years while taking the required certification coursework at UMSL.
You will be required to sign an academic contract that outlines the specific requirements and expectations for the program. This contract must be adhered to, and failure to do so could result in the termination of your provisional certification.
If you do not enroll, you will be in breach of contract, and your provisional certification will end with DESE. This could impact your employment with the district.
Participants in this program will be on a provisional certification that permits them to teach for 2 years while in the program. The provisional certification is only valid at the school district that approved it.
During the 2-year provisional certification, you MUST stay with that school district.
Once you have completed the program and earned your initial professional certification, you can move to any school district in Missouri.
Go ahead and submit for screening. After reviewing your transcripts, your advisor will let you know if you are eligible. If not, we will advise you on what options are available and how to move forward best.
Start dates for this program coincide with the start of the fall semester (August) and spring semester (January).
Application deadline for Fall is July 1.
Application deadline for Spring is December 1.
Important Note: Candidates should contact their advisor as soon as possible to complete the required steps to be fully eligible to start their desired semester.
Becoming fully eligible for the UMSL Teach in Residency is a PROCESS that requires several steps for full eligibility. You must submit for screening ASAP and maintain frequent communication with your advisor to become (and remain) fully eligible.
