Teacher Certification Overview
The Michigan Provisional Certificate and the Michigan Professional Certificate
In Michigan the initial teaching credential is the Provisional Certificate, which is valid for a period of six years. At the end of that time, the certificate holder applies for the Professional Certificate if he or she has met the requirements. If the requirements have not been met, she or he may apply for a three-year renewal of the Provisional Certificate. If neither action is taken, the certificate expires. A second, and final, three-year renewal is also available.
Requirements for a first renewal are 9 recent and relevant credits earned in a planned program after initial certification. Requirements for a second renewal are 18 (9+9) recent and relevant credits earned in a planned program after initial certification. Additional requirements for the Professional Certificate include at least 3 years of successful teaching in one or more areas in which the applicant is certified and satisfaction of Michigan’s reading requirements. Please see Planned Programs for more information regarding the requirements for renewing or advancing certification. Certificate holders may also add endorsements to an existing certificate, enabling them to teach additional student populations, grade levels or subjects.
Michigan teachers earn elementary, secondary, or K-12 certification:
Michigan Elementary-Level Certification
In Michigan, elementary teachers are certified to teach all subjects in grades K-5 and all subjects in grades K-8 in self-contained classrooms. To be recommended for certification (and to progress to the internship at MSU), candidates must pass the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in Elementary Education. In addition, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) requires students pursuing elementary certification to satisfy coursework requirements for at least one approved
elementary teaching major. Passing the corresponding Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) leads to an endorsement to teach that subject in grades 6-8. Students pursuing elementary certification may also wish to complete one or more
disciplinary teaching minors; however, minors are considered extra and optional. Passing the MTTC corresponding to a teaching minor also leads to an endorsement to teach that subject in grades 6-8. At MSU, students pursuing elementary certification earn degrees in Elementary Education, Special Education or Child Development.
Michigan Secondary-Level Certification
Students pursuing certification at the secondary level (grades 6-12) earn degrees from departments and colleges across campus. Degree requirements are combined with Teacher Education courses and teaching experiences in the College of Education. The Michigan Department of Education requires that students complete coursework requirements for at least one
secondary teaching major and one
secondary teaching minor. To be recommended for certification (and to progress to the internship at MSU), candidates must pass the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification subject test for their teaching major. Passing the MTTC that corresponds to the teaching minor also leads to an endorsement to teach that subject in grades 6-12.
Michigan K-12 Certification
A small number of majors lead to K-12 certification. At MSU, a K-12 endorsement to teach students in special education is added to an elementary certificate, so students must complete the full elementary program. Students pursuing a degree in special education earn elementary certification with a K-12 endorsement in Special Education-Learning Disabilities. At MSU, the other majors leading to K-12 certification are Art Education, Music Education and Communicative Sciences and Disorders (CSD); these endorsements appear on a secondary certificate. Please note that CSD students must earn a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, pass the appropriate MTTC and complete requirements for educational certification to earn a K-12 endorsement to work with children who have speech and language impairments.
Oral Proficiency Requirement for Teachers of World Languages
Students and teachers who wish to become certified to teach a world language must the meet oral proficiency standards established by the Michigan Department of Education. Options for demonstrating oral proficiency are available on the MSU campus through the
Center for Language Teaching Advancement (CeLTA). Candidates for certification in a world language must also pass the MTTC for that language.
Certification Applications and Conviction Disclosure
Each certification option requires an
application, for which there is a $50 fee (the application fee does not apply to the initial Provisional Certificate). A
Conviction Disclosure Form is also required with every application. Candidates with convictions, ordinance violations or civil infractions are required to provide supporting documents from the court in which they were convicted or admitted responsibility.
Find People
