Mississippi Teaching Certification
Traditional-route candidates in Mississippi complete an approved educator-preparation program and satisfy the state’s basic-skills requirement through Praxis Core, an approved ACT or SAT score, or a qualifying GPA option. Alternate-route candidates may hold a non-education bachelor’s degree instead. The Mississippi Department of Education’s Office of Educator Licensure issues standard licenses across four classes, generally valid for five years.
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Mississippi certifies teachers through the Department of Education’s Office of Educator Licensure, which issues standard licenses across four classes (A, AA, AAA, AAAA) generally valid for five years and renewable through CEUs, college coursework, or other MDE-approved options. Traditional-route candidates complete an approved educator-preparation program with student teaching. In contrast, alternate-route candidates may hold a bachelor’s degree outside of education and complete an approved alternate-route program instead. This guide walks through the education, testing, and application requirements for an initial Mississippi teaching license.
Choose the description of certification you are most interested in or the situation that best describes you:
- Initial Teaching Certification…
- I’m a teacher from another state…
- Teacher Certification Renewal…
- Admin./Principal Certification…
- Alternative Teaching Certification…
- Substitute Teaching Permit…
Initial Mississippi Teaching Certification
Find schools offering teaching certification programs in Mississippi that the state Board of Education approves.
Education Requirements
The Office of Educator Licensure of the Mississippi Department of Education (601-359-3483) will license qualified candidates who hold at least a bachelor’s degree and who have graduated from a state-approved teacher preparation program.
If you completed your teacher preparation program in another state, you’ll need to meet Mississippi’s current reciprocity and document requirements. Eligibility depends on your preparation program, license, experience, assessments, and the applicable MDE pathway. See our Mississippi teacher reciprocity page for details.
If you attended college in another country, you must have your academic credentials evaluated by a member agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. This evaluation must be turned in when you apply for teacher licensure in Mississippi.
Licensure Options
Various types of teaching licenses and classes are offered in Mississippi, depending upon your qualifications and intentions. They include:
- Five-Year Educator License, Traditional Teacher Education Route, Class A- if you have a bachelor’s degree and meet examination requirements
- Five-Year Educator License, Traditional Teacher Education Route, Class AA- if you have a master’s degree in education, or have a master’s degree in your endorsement area, and meet all requirements for a Class A license
- Five-Year Educator License, Traditional Teacher Education Route, Class AAA – if you have a specialist degree in education, or have a specialist degree in your endorsement area, plus meet all requirements for a Class A license
- Five-Year Educator License, Traditional Teacher Education Route, Class AAAA – if you have a doctoral degree in education, or have a doctoral degree in your endorsement area, plus meet all requirements for a Class A license
There are also alternative routes to educator, special, and administrative licensure, which are covered on separate pages linked above.
Advanced-degree license classes (AA, AAA, AAAA) generally require the degree to be in education, your endorsement area, or otherwise satisfy the Department’s upgrade rules — a master’s, specialist, or doctoral degree in an unrelated field doesn’t automatically qualify. See the current MDE licensure guidelines for the specific requirements tied to each class.
Examinations
Go to the Praxis website for a full breakdown of educator examination requirements in Mississippi.
Basic skills testing:
Traditional-route candidates must satisfy Mississippi’s basic-skills requirement through the Praxis Core, an approved ACT or SAT score, or a qualifying GPA, as established by the state Board of Education. Mississippi’s current Praxis Core qualifying scores are Reading 156, Writing 162, and Mathematics 130 — these are Mississippi-established qualifying scores, not universal Praxis cutoffs, since ETS notes that passing scores vary by state or licensing agency. The alternative options are an ACT composite score of at least 21, the SAT equivalent recognized by MDE, or a minimum GPA of 3.0 on at least 60 credit hours, as calculated by your educator-preparation provider. Confirm current requirements on the Praxis Mississippi requirements page, since ETS and the state Board of Education periodically update them. Candidates must also pass the Praxis Subject Assessment for their endorsement and, when required for their endorsement or pathway, the applicable Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) assessment.
Content area assessment testing:
Mississippi requires the Praxis Subject Assessment (or equivalent) corresponding to your intended licensure area. Because required tests and codes vary by endorsement and change periodically, check the current MDE licensure guidelines and ETS’s Mississippi test-requirements page for the exact assessment tied to your subject area and grade band.
Experience Requirements
In the practicum course common to all Mississippi teacher preparation programs, you will observe and lead lessons, interview teachers, and evaluate their lessons. This practicum, taken during the course of regular teacher preparation coursework, usually begins in your sophomore or junior year. You will learn effective teaching practices, how to act professionally, and how to work with not only students of varying ages but also with professionals of different levels.
The student teaching portion of your field experience is the culmination of all the practical experience you have received during your teacher preparation program. Diverse placements are not only available for teacher candidates, but also mandatory in most schools. You will likely be placed into a classroom corresponding to the grade level/subject area you wish to teach. During your student teaching experience, you may be asked to take over the classroom independently under the observation of a mentor teacher. The experience you gain during this time carries directly into your first year as a Mississippi teacher.
Document and Application Requirements
Once you have met all of the prerequisites for Mississippi teaching licensure, you are ready to apply. Mississippi requires all educators to apply online through the Mississippi Educator Career Continuum Archive (MECCA) and upload supporting documents there; there is no paper application option. Apply through MECCA and submit the documents listed on MDE’s current licensure checklist: transcript, assessment, institutional verification, and fee requirements depend on the license you’re requesting.
For questions about your application, contact the Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Educator Licensure, P.O. Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771.
Criminal History Background Check
A criminal history check is generally an employment requirement under Mississippi Code § 37-9-17, rather than a standard prerequisite for MDE’s initial license application. Public school districts require fingerprint-based state and FBI criminal-history checks before hiring.
Your fingerprints are checked at the state level by the Department of Public Safety and then forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for a federal check. Public school employment typically isn’t finalized until these results are returned and cleared.
Contact Information
For information on teacher preparation programs in Mississippi, visit this webpage and click on the “Approved Programs” link for contact information for each college/university in the state offering approved programs.
Do you need more information on educator licensure in Mississippi? If so, contact the Office of Educator Licensure of the Mississippi Department of Education at 601-359-3483.
Mississippi Teacher Salary and Job Outlook
According to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) state data, Mississippi elementary school teachers (except special education) earned a median annual salary of $49,790 as of May 2025, while secondary school teachers (except special and career/technical education) earned $50,980. See the BLS OEWS state wage data for the full dataset.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | $48,880 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,790 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $50,790 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $50,980 |
BLS projects employment in these teaching occupations to decline by about 2% nationally from 2024 to 2034, according to separate BLS Employment Projections data. Openings are expected primarily as workers transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force, including through retirement, rather than from a shrinking need for certified teachers. Mississippi-specific job growth projections aren’t published in the BLS state dataset used for this page, so these national figures are the closest available benchmark. Even with a national decline, tens of thousands of openings are still projected each year. For a closer look at take-home pay and retirement benefits, see our Mississippi teaching salaries and benefits page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What degree do I need to become a certified teacher in Mississippi?
Traditional-route candidates need at least a bachelor’s degree from an approved educator-preparation program for a Class A license. Higher license classes (AA, AAA, AAAA) generally require a master’s, specialist, or doctoral degree in education or your endorsement area, subject to MDE’s specific upgrade rules. Alternate-route candidates may hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than education.
What test do I need to pass for Mississippi teacher certification?
Traditional-route candidates typically satisfy Mississippi’s basic-skills requirement through Praxis Core, an approved ACT or SAT score, or a qualifying GPA option before entering a preparation program. After completing the program, you’ll pass the Praxis Subject Assessment for your subject area and, when required for your endorsement or pathway, the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) assessment.
How long does a Mississippi teaching license last?
Standard Mississippi educator licenses are generally valid for five years and may be renewed through qualifying CEUs, college coursework, or other MDE-approved renewal options; requirements vary by license class and type. We cover the specifics on our Mississippi certification renewal page.
Can I teach in Mississippi if I’m certified in another state?
Yes, though eligibility depends on your preparation program, license, experience, assessments, and the applicable MDE pathway rather than a single accreditation standard. See our Mississippi teacher reciprocity page for the specific requirements.
Do substitute teachers in Mississippi need a state license?
No. The Mississippi Department of Education does not require a state license for substitute teaching, though individual school districts set their own requirements, which can include a minimum degree level. See our Mississippi substitute license page for district-specific details.
- Bachelor’s degree required for traditional route: Class A licensure requires a bachelor’s degree from an approved educator-preparation program; alternate-route candidates may qualify with a non-education degree instead.
- Praxis Core is one of three options: Mississippi’s basic-skills requirement can be met through Praxis Core, an approved ACT or SAT score, or a qualifying GPA option.
- Five-year license, multiple renewal paths: standard licenses are generally valid for five years and may be renewed through CEUs, coursework, or other MDE-approved options, depending on license class and type.
- Median pay above $49,000: Mississippi elementary and secondary teachers earned median salaries between $49,790 and $50,980 as of May 2025, according to BLS OEWS state data.
- Multiple paths to certification: traditional, alternative route, and reciprocity options are all available depending on your background.
Find accredited teacher certification programs in Mississippi, including application requirements and licensing timelines for your certification path.
May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job growth figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, and High School Teachers reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed July 2026.
