Adding Certification - Educator Certification

General Information

Once you have your initial certificate in Missouri, you are eligible to add certificates in additional areas based upon completion of the content assessment or through coursework. For the certifications that can be added through the content assessment, read Assessments for Teacher Education & Certification in MO. (Note: If adding middle school to a related area of Secondary Education, you must take the test entitled Professional Education 5‑9 (Test Code 062) – Not the middle school content area assessment. See the note on the DESE website listed above.)These added certificates through the content assessment may NOT be transferable to other states since you did not earn them through coursework. If you plan to move to another state and want to transfer all of your certificates, you should contact that state for additional information.

You may complete your profile and application by choosing "DESE Web Applications" at the DESE Homepage or at DESE Educator Certification. As you complete your on‑line profile and application, you will take the following steps:

Create your Username and Password - If you have previously created your profile, you may "Login." If you have not created your profile, you need to "Register."
Enter your Profile by clicking on “Educator Certification System” link under “DESE Web Applications” located under the “User Information” heading.
- After your "User ID" is set up, you can routinely enter the Licensure system and apply for an additional license or change your contact information.
Select "Education" in the menu to the left and click "Add"
- Enter your Educational data.
- If you are adding a certificate utilizing coursework, you need to send DESE an official transcript. Information on obtaining your Northwest transcript is on our website at Requesting an Official Northwest Transcript.
Select "Application-Additional" by clicking in the menu to the left.
- Your profile information should appear attached to the form. Review your profile information and edit, if needed.
- Click the appropriate bubble for additional Missouri certificate utilizing content assessment results OR coursework. When you choose the appropriate bubble, a drop‑down box will appear to you to choose the certificate that you want to add.
  - If you are adding the certificate utilizing content assessment results, you do not need to submit a score report if your content assessment score you are using to add certification appears on your DESE profile. If your score does not appear, you will be required to submit a score report to DESE via US mail.
  - If you are adding the certificate utilizing coursework, you will need to send DESE original transcripts from institutions that do not appear in your DESE Education profile.
Conduct and Investigations
- Answer the conduct questions truthfully.
You will need to pay the $35 fee online before you can continue this application.
Sign & Submit
- Read this carefully before electronically signing. This is your "signature." This provides DESE with information and gives them permission to investigate.
Information you can see
- When you are in your Profile, click on the gray bars to view the status on your fingerprints, content assessment scores, and application information.
- DESE does not receive the content assessment score reports for several weeks.
- School districts will also be able to view the content assessments that you have taken and passed.
Viewing/Printing Your Missouri Teaching Certificate
- Select "Certificate Status" to the left in the menu.
- You will receive an email notification when your teaching certificate is issued. When your teaching certificate is issued, you will click to the left of your profile page on the "Certificate Status" link. This link will be where you can view/print your Missouri Teaching Certificate.

Requesting Analysis of Your Transcript by DESE for Added Certification

If you want an analysis of your transcript by DESE for an added certification, this is done by submitting an Application for Additional Certificate of License to Teach. By submitting this application, if you do not meet the requirements for the additional certificate, you will actually be requesting that DESE review your transcripts to determine your deficiencies. If you have completed any coursework that does not appear in your DESE Education profile, you need to send them original transcripts from the institution where you completed this coursework. DESE will send you a list of deficiencies for the certificate in about 8‑12 weeks. Once you have completed your deficiencies, you will need to resubmit an Application for Additional Certificate of License to Teach and DESE will issue the certificate.

Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education Certificates

If you are adding either of these certificates, an institution must review your transcripts for the deficiencies. DESE does not do this analysis. Please contact the Northwest Certification Office if you would like us to do this analysis.

Elementary Mathematics Specialist

Once you have your initial certificate in Missouri, you may add the Elementary Mathematics Specialist certificate by submitting an application for an Initial Teaching Certificate. It is understood that you already hold your initial certificate, but it is still necessary to submit this application to add the Elementary Mathematics Specialist certificate. You may complete your profile and application by choosing "DESE Web Applications" at the DESE Homepage or at DESE Educator Certification. As you complete your on‑line profile and application, you will take the following steps:

Create your Username and Password – If you have previously created your profile, you may "Login." If you have not created your profile, you need to "Register."

Enter your Profile by clicking on "Educator Certification System" link under "DESE Web Applications" located under the "User Information" heading.
- After your “User ID” is set up, you can routinely enter the Licensure system and apply for an additional license or change your contact information.

Select "Education" in the menu to the left and click "Add"
- Enter Missouri (state) and Northwest MO State University (institution).
- If you are completing this prior to your graduation, enter the current date for your date of graduation. The system will not allow you to enter a date in the future. If you are completing this application after you have graduated, you may then enter your graduation date. The date has to match your transcript.
- Your GPA and transcript status will be completed by Northwest and verified by DESE.

Select "New Applications—Initial Professional"
- Select "Professional" for the Purpose of Application
- You do not need to send them your transcript(s). Northwest will recommend that your teaching certificate be issued to you and will send DESE your Northwest transcript.

Conduct and Investigations
- Answer the conduct questions truthfully.

Sign & Submit
- Read this carefully before electronically signing. This is your "signature." This provides DESE with information and gives them permission to investigate.
- Once you have submitted your application, it will appear in Northwest’s work log on the DESE website.
- When we receive your application in the Northwest work log, it does not indicate that the purpose of your application is to add the Elementary Mathematics Specialist certificate. Please send an email to Zach Ragan, Northwest Certification Officer, at edcert@nwmissouri.edu to notify him that you have submitted this application for the purpose of adding the Elementary Mathematics Specialist Certificate.

Viewing/Printing Your Missouri Teaching Certificate
- Select "Certificate Status" to the left in the menu.
- You will receive an email notification when your teaching certificate is issued. When your teaching certificate is issued, you will click to the left of your profile page on the "Certificate Status" link. This link will be where you can view/print your Missouri Teaching Certificate.

Reading

Once you have your initial certificate in Missouri, you may add the Special Reading K‑12 certificate by submitting an application for an Initial Teaching Certificate. It is understood that you already hold your initial certificate, but it is still necessary to submit this application to add the Reading certificate. You may complete your profile and application by choosing “DESE Web Applications” at the DESE Homepage or at DESE Educator Certification. As you complete your on‑line profile and application, you will take the following steps:

Create your Username and Password – If you have previously created your profile, you may “Login.” If you have not created your profile, you need to “Register.”
Enter your Profile by clicking on “Educator Certification System” link under “DESE Web Applications” located under the “User Information” heading.
- After your “User ID” is set up, you can routinely enter the Licensure system and apply for an additional license or change your contact information.
Select “Education” in the menu to the left and click “Add”
- Enter Missouri (state) and Northwest MO State University (institution).
- If you are completing this prior to your graduation, enter the current date for your date of graduation. The system will not allow you to enter a date in the future. If you are completing this application after you have graduated, you may then enter your graduation date. The date has to match your transcript.
- Your GPA and transcript status will be completed by Northwest and verified by DESE.
Select “New Applications—Initial Professional”
- Select “Professional” for the Purpose of Application
- You do not need to send them your transcript(s). Northwest will recommend that your teaching certificate be issued to you and will send DESE your Northwest transcript.
Conduct and Investigations
- Answer the conduct questions truthfully.
Sign & Submit
- Read this carefully before electronically signing. This is your “signature.” This provides DESE with information and gives them permission to investigate.
- Once you have submitted your application, it will appear in Northwest’s work log on the DESE website.
- When we receive your application in the Northwest work log, it does not indicate that the purpose of your application is to add the Reading certificate. Please send an email to Zach Ragan, Northwest Certification Officer, at edcert@nwmissouri.edu to notify him that you have submitted this application for the purpose of adding the Special Reading K‑12 certificate.
Viewing/Printing Your Missouri Teaching Certificate
- Select “Certificate Status” to the left in the menu.
- You will receive an email notification when your teaching certificate is issued. When your teaching certificate is issued, you will click to the left of your profile page on the “Certificate Status” link. This link will be where you can view/print your Missouri Teaching Certificate.