Become a Teacher in Michigan
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
608 W Allegan St.
Lansing, MI 48909
833-633-5788
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Steps to Becoming a Teacher in Michigan
Important Note: Education licensure requirements, statistics and other information are subject to change. Teach.com makes its best effort to keep content accurate; however, the official sources are the state education departments. Please confirm licensing requirements with your state before applying for licensure or renewal. (Last update: 04/26/2020)
All states require that prospective teachers have at least a bachelor’s degree and complete a state-approved teacher preparation program to receive certification. Some states also have specific course and credit-hour requirements.
Michigan does not list specific course or credit hour requirements, but every college or university teacher preparation program will have requirements of its own. Contact your teacher preparation program or Michigan Department of Education for more information.
Michigan does require a total of 6-9 credit hours in “a planned course of study” to move from a Standard to a Professional Certificate.
Teacher certification programs can be taken online or on-site. They typically include an educational theory and classroom skills seminar and a fieldwork component of student teaching in the area. A list of accredited teacher preparation programs can be found at the Michigan Department of Education.
Most states require tests to show competency in basic teaching skills as well as in the desired subject area. Michigan uses the MTTC (Michigan Test for Teacher Certification). All teaching candidates must pass a Professional Readiness Examination. In addition, there are specific requirements depending on grade level and desired content area.
You can learn more about the Praxis exams by visiting Teach.coms' Ultimate Guide to the Praxis Exams and read more about teacher certification tests on Teach.com.
Initial Teaching Certifications
To earn your Michigan teaching credential you will have to complete the required amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. Michigan offers a Provisional Education Certificate, valid for up to six years, and a Professional Education Certificate, renewable every five years. You must complete a total of 6-9 credit hours of coursework in “a planned course of study” beyond the bachelor's degree to move from a Standard to a Professional certificate. Novice teachers must also go through an induction/mentoring program for their first three years.
Learn more about earning your Michigan Teaching Credential or read more about getting your teaching credential on Teach.com.
Discover an 8-week Online Teaching Short Course from Harvard's Bok Center
Higher Education Teaching Certificate
The Higher Education Teaching Certificate online short course aims to give you the opportunity to engage deeply with and reflect on your teaching practices, portfolio, and journey in the higher education (HE) field. Loosely based on the in-person seminar program currently offered by Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and in association with HarvardX, this course gives you the opportunity to explore the focus areas of pedagogy, course and assessment design, professional communication, language and culture of the classroom, and reflections on teaching – entirely online, from anywhere in the world.
Alternative Certification in Michigan
The Michigan Alternate Route to Interim Certification (MARTIC) is used to address regional teacher shortages, and allows teachers to complete a certification program while working as a teacher full time. For more information on Michigan alternative certification, read through the Alternate Route to Interim Teaching Certification Program Application.
Michigan Teacher Certification Information & Links
Transferring Your Certification
Certification Reciprocity in Michigan
Interstate reciprocity is a program that allows teachers certified in one state to teach in another state. To find out which other state teaching licenses can be used in Michigan, visit the Teach.com reciprocity page.
For more specific information questions about your situation, go to the Michigan Online Educator Certification System or contact the Michigan Department of Education.
To find out what other state teaching licenses can be used in Michigan, check out our Teacher Certification Reciprocity page on Teach.com.
Career Advancement
Professional Development for Michigan Teachers
Michigan’s professional development is handled through a website called LearnPort. Michigan LearnPort currently offers hundreds of courses for teachers that meet continuing education requirements. A comprehensive set of courses in the Biology, Chemistry and Physics Resource Series
Michigan requires novice teachers to complete additional coursework before moving from standard to professional certification, guided by an Individual Professional Development Program (IPDP). Experienced teachers must complete Continuing Education Units during each 5-year licensing period.
For more information about professional development for teachers in Michigan, visit the Michigan Department of Education.
Benefits of a Master's Degree in Michigan
It is no longer enough to only have years of experience teaching. After No Child Left Behind and other academic quantification measures, teachers are almost solely evaluated by their success in the classroom. A master’s degree in the field of education can give you more educational theory and classroom skills, as well as more hands-on student teaching experience with a mentor. After a master’s program, you will be able to achieve better results in the classroom and have more job security and higher pay.
Learn more about the benefits of a Master of Arts in Teaching vs. Master of Education on Teach.com.
Higher Education Teaching Certificate
The Higher Education Teaching Certificate online short course aims to give you the opportunity to engage deeply with and reflect on your teaching practices, portfolio, and journey in the higher education (HE) field. Loosely based on the in-person seminar program currently offered by Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and in association with HarvardX, this course gives you the opportunity to explore the focus areas of pedagogy, course and assessment design, professional communication, language and culture of the classroom, and reflections on teaching – entirely online, from anywhere in the world.
Jobs, Benefits, and Opportunities for Teachers in Michigan
Michigan Teaching Jobs
Michigan participates in the REAP program, which helps teachers and administrators find job opportunities, as well as support services and job fairs.
Learn more about finding a teaching job on Teach.com.
Michigan Teacher Salary and Incentives
In Michigan, teachers earned an average of $63,000 to $69,000 depending on grade level,i, according to 2018 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Michigan does not provide additional pay for teachers working in high- needs schools or shortage subjects. For more specific Michigan salary data, look at the Financial Data report published yearly by the Department of Education.
Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.
Michigan Teacher Benefits and Retirement
Michigan public school teachers are eligible for retirement benefits administered by Michigan Office of Retirement Services. Eligibility varies depending on which plan the teacher is enrolled in. Reduced retirement benefits are also available for teachers who do not meet the eligibility requirements for standard benefits. Benefits are determined using final average compensation and years of creditable service.
Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com.
Michigan Teacher Shortage Areas
A teacher shortage occurs when there are not enough teachers in key subject areas, which has been partly caused by years of teacher layoffs during the Great Recession, a growing student population and fewer people entering teacher preparation programs, according to the Learning Policy Institute.
The following is a list of teacher shortage areas in Michigan for the 2017-18 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
- Art and Music Education
- Career and Technical Education
- Elementary Education
- English as a Second Language
- Language Arts
- Health
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Science
- Social Studies
- Physical Education
- Special Education
- World Languages
- Social Work
- Counseling
- Library Media
Financial Aid in Michigan
Michigan residents are eligible for the Applegate/Jackson/Parks Future Teacher Scholarship as well as the TEACH Grant, a grant which gives financial aid to students in return for an agreement to teach in a high-need school.
Learn more about how to finance your Master's degree on Teach.com.
Information last updated: May 2020