MISSOURI
STATE RESOURCES

• Special Educators in Missouri must hold a bachelor's degree in education and must have passed the Missouri Special Education Praxis assessment.  

More information at https://dese.mo.gov/educator-quality/certification/become-certified-teacher

• Special Educators in Missouri must now pass the Missouri Special Education Praxis Exam to become certified to teach K-12 Special Education in the state. 

More information at https://praxis.ets.org/state-requirements/missouri-tests.html. 

An Initial Professional Certificate (IPC) is the first certificate a new educator receives. A minimum of a baccalaureate degree from a college or university with a teacher education program approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is required. The applicant must have a recommendation for certification from the designated official for teacher education at the college or university where the program was completed. The applicant must possess a minimum 3.00 GPA in both content area coursework and professional education coursework. The applicant must obtain Missouri's passing score on the appropriate assessments.  

Complete one (1) online Initial Professional application and submit it to the Missouri institution where you completed your teacher education program. The institution will complete its portion and then forward the application to DESE for processing. If you have not received a background clearance within the past 12 months, you must do so.  

The application processing time is dependent on receipt of background clearance, institution recommendation, official transcripts, and current DESE workload.  Your application status can be monitored online at the bottom of your profile screen, and it is beneficial to the expediency of processing that you utilize this mode of checking the status of your certification. 

More information is available at https://dese.mo.gov/educator-quality/certification.

In Missouri, all Special Education teachers must have at least a bachelor's degree in Education (in addition to passing the certification exam) to be certified by DESE. Alternative master's programs that include teacher certification in K-12 Special Education are available for individuals who do not have a bachelor's in Education.  

More information can be found at https://dese.mo.gov/educator-quality/educator-preparation/alternative-teacher-cert-programs. 

• Avila University - Masters of Arts in Education - Special Reading 

• Columbia College - Certification Addition - Special Reading 

• Culver-Stockton College - Bachelor of Science w/a Special Education add-on -Special Reading 

• Drury University - Masters in Special Education - Mild/Moderate: Cross Categorical; Special Reading 

• The Educator Academy - Mild/Moderate: Cross Categorical 

• Evangel University - Mild/Moderate: Cross Categorical; Special Education Director 

• Missouri State University (MSU) - Undergraduate and Graduate: K-12 Mild/Moderate: Cross Categorical; Graduate: Special Education Director Certificate; BLV; O&M; ECSE; Autism Spectrum Disorders, Special Education and Assessment (EdS) 

• Northwest Missouri State University (NWMSU) - BSED Special Education; MSED Special Education; EDS Diagnostician 

• Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) - Graduate: Special Reading K-12, Exceptional Child Education, Autism Spectrum Disorders Certificate; Undergraduate: ECSE, Mild/Mod Cross-Categorical 

• University of Central Missouri (UCM) - Undergraduate: Special Education BSE Cross-Categorical Disabilities Area 

• University of Missouri (Mizzou) - Undergraduate: Cross-Categorical Special Education 

• Central Methodist University - Undergraduate: Special Education Cross-Categorical Mild/Moderate  

• Missouri Baptist University - ECSE, Special Education Mild/Mod Cross Categorical  

• Missouri Council for Exceptional Children: https://missouri.exceptionalchildren.org/   

While there are no special education-specific scholarships and grants, scholarships and grants are available to education majors from T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood, Missouri’s Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, Missouri NEA, and more.  

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood offers grants and scholarships that can help reduce or pay the entire cost of attending college for education majors.