MONTANA
STATE RESOURCES

• Have an awarded bachelor's or master's degree from an institutionally accredited college or university; foreign transcripts must have a complete foreign credential evaluation and demonstrate U.S. equivalency to a minimum of a bachelor's degree. Foreign credential evaluations must be submitted through a member agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). 

• Have completed an educator preparation program (EPP), including supervised teaching experience. The EPP must have one of the following accreditations: 

  • AAQEP 

  • CAEP 

  • MACTE 

  • State Board of Education or state education agency-approved accreditation 

• Completion and verification of the free course available through the Teacher Learning Hub: An Introduction to Indian Education for All in Montana. (The link to the course is available in the application.) 

More information at Educator Licenses (mt.gov) 

• A minimum qualifying score on the Montana-required PRAXIS subject assessment 

• A passing score on a student teaching portfolio verified by the appropriate college/university official from the EPP 

• A 3.00 or higher coursework GPA, as verified by the appropriate college/university official from the EPP. 

Montana's Office of Public Instruction outlines the licensure requirements for teachers, specialists, administrators, and more. 

In addition to meeting the education requirements, ONE of the following pathways must be met prior to licensure (you cannot mix and match the pathways, you may use one or the other): 

• Hold a current standard, unrestricted, out-of-state educator license AND two years of teaching experience, OR 

• A minimum qualifying score on the Montana required PRAXIS subject assessment, Click here for PRAXIS information, OR 

• A passing score on a student teaching portfolio verified by the appropriate college/university official from the EPP, OR 

• A 3.00 or higher coursework GPA, as verified by the appropriate college/university official from the EPP. 

Click the link for information regarding license in Montana: https://opi.mt.gov/Educators/Licensure/Educator-Licensure   

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. 

• Montana State University - B.S. in Elementary Education K-8, Special Education Emphasis 

• University of Montana - Teaching and Learning M.Ed. - Special Education 

• Carroll College - B.A. in Elementary Education (K-8) and Special Education (P-12) Combined Major

• Montana Council for Exceptional Children  

• Scholarship Opportunity with SIMS Scholars 

• The OPI Special Education Endorsement Project began in 1987 to address rural Montana's special education teacher shortage.  Please see the links for more information regarding the requirements, eligibility, and application. 

• SIMS Scholars Program 

• This program provides two years of full funding for future special education and speech-language pathology students. In exchange, students must work for Montana schools for four years, with most of their caseload consisting of children with specialized needs. 

• More information: SIMS Scholars | University of Montana (umt.edu) 

• Montana Teacher Residency Program 

• This program provides a year-long student teaching opportunity for Montana's higher education students. It includes a monthly stipend, a last-dollar tuition grant, and guaranteed housing assistance. 

• More information: Montana Teacher Residency Program (mt.gov) 

• OPI Special Education Endorsement Project 

• This program provides stipends to offset the cost of tuition and fees. Stipend requests are processed after the OPI Special Education Endorsement Project office receives an unofficial transcript. 

• More information: Special Education Endorsement Project (mt.gov) 

• Quality Educator Loan Assistance Program 

• This program provides state-paid loan assistance for up to three years to newly hired quality educators who teach at an “impacted school.” 

• More information: Quality Educator Loan Assistance FAQ's (mt.gov)