Alternative Teacher Certification in Minnesota

Minnesota alternative certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Obtain a job offer from a Minnesota public or charter school

   Tier 1 and Tier 2 licenses require a job offer from a Minnesota public or charter school before you apply. They authorize teaching only in the requesting district and the specific field on the application. They are not professional licenses and are not transferable to another district or state.

   Source: mn.gov

2. 2

   Enter via Tier 1 (shortage / bachelor’s) or Tier 2 (in-program / related credentials)

   Tier 1 requires a bachelor’s degree or exemption plus the job offer. Tier 2 requires a bachelor’s degree or exemption, a job offer, and one of: enrollment in a Minnesota-based Board-approved teacher preparation program; a master’s degree aligned to the field; or completion of a preparation program that does not yet meet Tier 3 or Tier 4. The former “pick two” Tier 2 pathway ended for new licenses on July 1, 2024.

   Source: mn.gov

3. 3

   Use a PELSB-approved alternative provider under Minn. Stat. 122A.2451 when applicable

   Minnesota statute 122A.2451 authorizes alternative teacher preparation providers and requires PELSB to allow school-based and other nontraditional demonstrations of pedagogy and content. PELSB’s 2025 data summary lists alternative units such as Lakes Country Service Cooperative, Learning Disabilities Association, Inc., Minneapolis Public School Academy, and TNTP Teaching Fellows alongside conventional IHEs.

   Source: mn.gov

4. 4

   Meet Tier 1 renewal training and MTLE attempt rules

   A Tier 1 license is valid for the school year and expires June 30. Non-special-education Tier 1 licenses may be renewed up to three times; special education Tier 1 is more limited. Before the first renewal the district must verify cultural competency training, mental-illness/suicide-prevention training, and an attempt at applicable MTLE content tests (passing is not required). Pedagogy exams are not required to renew Tier 1. Tier 2 has no testing requirement for issuance.

   Source: mn.gov

5. 5

   Move to Tier 3 via program completion, three years on Tier 2, portfolio, or out-of-state experience

   After finishing an approved Minnesota or 122A.2451 program—or Minnesota licensure via portfolio—apply for Tier 3 (Minnesota completers and portfolio completers: no MTLE). Other doors include three years of teaching on a Tier 2 license in the field plus MTLE, or two years of out-of-state professional-license experience plus MTLE. Existing Minnesota license holders pay $57.00 to apply for Tier 3.

   Source: mn.gov

The job-offer prerequisite is the feature that most surprises career changers. You cannot apply for Tier 1 or Tier 2 speculatively. PELSB’s Tier 1/2 page and the 2026 Tier 1 application both state that a Minnesota public or charter job offer is required. The resulting license is limited to that district and field. If the educator later wants to change employers, the new district must be part of a new application—unlike a Tier 3 professional license that the teacher carries.

Statute 122A.2451 is Minnesota’s alternative-provider law, not a single branded residency. It directs PELSB to approve alternative teacher preparation providers and to let candidates demonstrate pedagogy and content through school-based programs and other nontraditional means, including prior work, teaching experience, evaluations, and industry certifications. It also lets instructors qualify with a baccalaureate degree. In practice, candidates still enroll in a Board-approved unit—some conventional, some labeled Alternative in PELSB’s data summary—and then use Tier 2 while they teach.

Tier 2’s “pick two” shortcut is closed for new applicants. Legislation effective July 1, 2024 removed the option to qualify for a new Tier 2 license by combining older experience-and-coursework pairings. Remaining doors are Minnesota-program enrollment, an aligned master’s degree, or a completed preparation program that is not yet enough for Tier 3/4. Teachers already licensed via pick-two could renew on that basis only through June 30, 2026. New career changers should not plan around that expired combination.

Portfolio is a true alternate professional path and is exam-light. Minnesota licensure via portfolio (Minn. Stat. 122A.18 and Minn. R. 8710.0330) asks candidates to evidence each Minnesota Teaching Standard with artifacts. PELSB’s 2025 portfolio guidelines and the testing document state that portfolio completers, like Minnesota program completers, do not take MTLE for Tier 3. That makes portfolio one of the few ways to reach a portable professional license without sitting NES/MTLE, provided the portfolio meets the Board’s standards.

Required exams and fees

Minnesota uses Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations (MTLE) / Pearson NES series — PELSB, not Praxis-primary. Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Full Minnesota exam requirements →

Moving a license to Minnesota

Tiers 1 and 2 are Minnesota-employment permissions, not reciprocity licenses. Out-of-state prepared or licensed teachers who are not yet eligible for Tier 3 may use Tier 2 while a district employs them. Standard out-of-state professional licensure is evaluated on the Tier 3 application (program plus equivalent student teaching or two years of experience, or a professional license plus two years). Licensure via portfolio (Minn. Stat. 122A.18 / Minn. R. 8710.0330) is a separate performance-based route to Tier 3.

Official Minnesota reciprocity guidance