Overview
The Teach Mississippi Institute (TMI) graduate certificate is a 12-hour fully online program designed for those who wish to become classroom teachers and who have already earned a bachelor’s degree in an area other than education. This alternate route certificate program requires the student to complete a nine-credit hour licensure block of coursework offered only during the summer term. Upon successful completion of these courses, the student is eligible for an initial, 3-year non-renewable teaching license. With this license, the student secures full-time employment as a classroom teacher with a Mississippi school district. During the first year of employment, the student enrolls in a teaching internship course, receives mentoring from a fellow classroom teacher, and receives support and supervision from a university faculty member. After successfully completing one full year of teaching and the one internship course, the student is eligible for a 5-year, renewable teaching license.
The program offers pathways to licensure in the following content areas: Art (grades K-12), Biology (grades 7-12), Business Education (grades 7-12), Chemistry (grades 7-12), English (grades 7-12), French (grades K-12), Health (grades 7-12), Home Economics (grades 7-12), Library Media (grades K-12), Mathematics (grades 7-12), Physical Education (grades K-12), Physics (grades 7-12), Social Studies (grades 7-12), and Spanish (grades K-12).
Though the certificate program is non-degree granting, it does provide the coursework necessary to meet the professional competency standards for secondary (grades 7-12) alternate route licensure in Mississippi. Completion of the program requires students to teach full-time for one year in a Mississippi classroom. Students who intend to seek licensure in another state should verify that this program of study meets the desired state’s licensure requirements. For assistance with out-of-state licensure questions, please complete the Professional Licensure Form.
Admission Requirements
In addition to the requirements detailed in Admission Requirements and Procedures , applicants must meet the following requirements and submit the following documents:
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited institution in a field other than education.
- Have a minimum grade point average of 2.75 (4.00 scale) on the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework.
- Official score report indicating a minimum ACT composite score of 21 (singular test date) or passing scores on all three subject-area tests of the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (CORE).*
- Official score report indicating a passing score on the Praxis II Subject Assessment Examination in one of the fourteen approved subject areas listed above.*
- Résumé
- Statement of Purpose
- Three Letters of Recommendation
A student who begins or completes the TMI certificate program and then decides to pursue the Secondary Teacher Education (Alternate Route) MAT may do so without losing any earned course credit, provided the courses completed have not time-lapsed. The student must submit a new graduate admissions application for the master’s degree.
*Praxis test codes, registration information, and minimum score requirements for the state of Mississippi are available at the ETS website.
