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Mississippi Alternate Route to Teaching Program

The Alternate Route is for teachers with a non-teacher education bachelor degree from an accredited college/university. All Alternate Route programs have the following components:

• Testing, which includes:
  • (for Alternate Route Elementary Education Candidates Only; also requires )
• Alternate Route Teacher Preparation Program that includes:
  • Pre-Teaching Coursework
  • A One-Year Supervised Teaching Internship

Once you have successfully completed testing requirements, you must enroll in an alternate route program and complete the training or coursework required. You will then be ready for your initial alternate-route license and internship.

The alternate route program must recommend you for licensure to the MDE Office of Educator Licensure. Along with the recommendation, you must submit to the MDE Office of Educator Licensure:

• A completed licensure application
• All sealed, official transcripts showing at minimum a bachelor’s degree
• Original Praxis scores, and
• Proof of alternate route program enrollment

Upon completion of the internship, you are ready to apply for your 5-year Standard Teaching License. Educators must submit to the Office of Educator Licensure a completed licensure application and proof of internship completion.

Mississippi has three approved Alternate Route Programs that lead to educator licensure, including:

• Degree Option:
  • Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) (1^st 12 hours are required for Certification)
    • Coursework includes 6 hours of graduate coursework or equivalent training program:
      • Classroom Management
      • Tests, Measurements and Evaluations (or course equivalent)
    • Teacher Internship includes 3 hours per semester (6 hours total = 1 Full School Year) – See Step 4.
    • Courses beyond the initial 12 hours for certification lead to a Master’s Degree in Teaching Arts.
  • Certification Only:
    • Teach Mississippi Institute (TMI) – Ole Miss (Online), Mississippi State, USM
    • American Board Certification for Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) – National Certification Program

For more information about MS Alternate Route programs, please visit