Become a Teacher in Minnesota
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
1500 Highway 36
West Roseville, MN 55113
(651) 582-8200
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Steps to Becoming a Teacher in Minnesota
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. Minnesota 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 Minnesota Department of Education for more information.
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 institutions offering education preparation programs can be found on the Minnesota Board of Teaching’s teacher preparation page.
Most states require tests to show competency in basic skills as well as in the desired subject area. Minnesota requires the NES Essential Academic Skills Test, the MTLE content knowledge test for subject area competency and the MTLE pedagogy test.
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 Minnesota teaching credential you will have to complete the required amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. The teaching credential issued to beginning teachers who have completed an accredited teacher preparation program is the Tier 1 license, which can be renewed 3 times, each for a 1 year period. Learn more about earning your teaching credential on the Minnesota Department of Education’s licensing page.
Visit Teach.com for additional details about earning your teaching credential.
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 Minnesota
Licensure via Portfolio is a non-traditional option for earning a Minnesota teaching license. The portfolio provides an alternative process for evaluating the knowledge, skills and competencies of individuals seeking a license who have not completed an approved teacher preparation program in the licensure field being sought.
For more information about different types of certification, visit the Teach Minnesota certification page.
Minnesota Teacher Certification Information & Links
Transferring Your Certification
Certification Reciprocity in Minnesota
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 Minnesota, visit the Teach.com reciprocity page. Or, for more specific questions about your situation, contact the Minnesota Department of Education.
To find out what other state teaching licenses can be used in Minnesota, check out our Teacher Certification Reciprocity page on Teach.com.
Career Advancement
Professional Development for Minnesota Teachers
Minnesota offers a standard range of professional development opportunities, such as conferences and technology training. Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Education runs an induction and mentoring program for new teachers. Minnesota requires completion of approved professional development activities during each licensing period, including activities relating to certain areas such as behavioral intervention and reading preparation. Specific requirements vary by licensing tier.
Benefits of a Master's Degree in Minnesota
It is no longer enough to just have years of experience in teaching. After No Child Left Behind and other academic quantification measures, the careers of teachers increasingly depend on their results in the classroom. A master's degree in the field of education will 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 may 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 Minnesota
Minnesota Teaching Jobs
Many public school districts in Minnesota post teaching vacancies on their websites, including Minneapolis Public Schools.
The Minnesota Department of Education runs an online Teacher Recruitment Center with up-to-date teaching positions and the ability to create a profile and post your resume online.
Learn more about finding a teaching job on Teach.com.
Minnesota Teacher Salary and Incentives
In Minnesota, teachers earn an average of around $64,960 per year, according to 2019 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Minnesota does not provide differential pay for teachers in high-needs schools or shortage subjects. Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.
Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.
Minnesota Teacher Benefits and Retirement
Minnesota public school employees are covered by Minnesota’s State Employee Group Insurance Plan, which includes several health coverage options. Teachers are eligible once they reach the age for full social security benefits but no later than the age of 66 for retirement benefits administered by the Minnesota Teachers Retirement Association.
Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com.
Minnesota 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 partial list of teacher shortage areas in Minnesota for the 2020-21 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
- Art and Music
- Career and Technical Education
- English as a Second Language
- Health and Physical Fitness
- Language Arts
- Library Media Specialist
- Mathematics
- Science
- School Psychologist
- Special Education
- World Languages
Financial Aid in Minnesota
Minnesota 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