How to Become a Teacher in Mississippi

Mississippi certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Mississippi Department of Education — Office of Educator Licensure publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Complete a degree-granting teacher education program with student teaching

   A traditional program is a licensure-track, degree-granting program at a regionally or nationally accredited institution that includes student teaching. The Guidelines for Mississippi Educator Licensure K-12 grant a five-year Class A license after a state-approved or NCATE/CAEP-accredited teacher education program.

   Source: mdek12.org

2. 2

   Meet the admission / basic-skills standard

   Class A requirements include a 21 ACT (or SAT equivalent), a qualifying Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators score, or a minimum 3.0 GPA on at least 60 hours of course credit as established by the State Board of Education.

   Source: mdek12.org

3. 3

   Pass Praxis Subject Assessment and Principles of Learning and Teaching

   Traditional Class A licensure requires the Praxis Subject Assessment for the teaching field and Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching. Elementary and designated special education endorsements also require the Foundations of Reading assessment. Testers in Mississippi have scores reported automatically to MDE; out-of-state testers designate State Code 7599.

   Source: mdek12.org

4. 4

   Receive an online recommendation, then apply in MECCA

   The Mississippi educator preparation provider must submit an online recommendation before the candidate applies. The prospective educator then applies to that recommendation in the Mississippi Educator Career Continuum Archive (MECCA), uploads supporting documents, and submits a Verification of Lawful Presence form. Official transcripts must come electronically from the institution to transcript@mdek12.org—not uploaded by the applicant.

   Source: mdek12.org

5. 5

   Receive a five-year Class A license and plan renewal

   The standard traditional license is a five-year, renewable Class A credential that can be upgraded to higher class levels with additional degrees. Class A renewal requires 10 CEU/clock/contact-hour certificates, 6 hours of coursework, a 5-CEU-plus-3-hour combination, National Board completion, a current PERS retirement letter, or a valid standard out-of-state license submitted in the final year.

   Source: mdek12.org

MECCA replaced older ELMS habits, but transcript rules still catch applicants. Most applications are filed in the Mississippi Educator Career Continuum Archive. Official transcripts must be sent by the registrar or an official transcript service to transcript@mdek12.org; files the applicant uploads in the educator account are not official. Praxis and Foundations of Reading reports uploaded by the applicant are likewise rejected—scores must come from the testing company. In-state testers are auto-reported if the Social Security number is correct; out-of-state testers use code 7599.

The provider recommendation is a sequencing rule, not a courtesy. How-to-apply instructions say the Mississippi educator preparation provider must submit the online recommendation before the prospective educator applies, and the candidate then applies to that recommendation in MECCA. Starting a MECCA application with no recommendation produces an incomplete file and a requirements letter. Traditional licensure is defined in the FAQ as a degree-granting program that includes student teaching; that definition is how MDE distinguishes this route from alternate-route internships.

Application review is currently free; printed copies are not. The FAQ answers “Is there an application fee?” with “Currently, there is no fee for educator licensure application review.” A separate “Print my License” transaction charges a $5 certificate fee plus processing. Third-party sites that quote a $25 application fee are not sourced to this official FAQ. Numeric fee fields in this file stay null so a no-fee review is not converted into a invented checkout price.

Reciprocity is written as a 21-day standard-license grant, with a hard wall against imported alternate programs. A valid standard license from another state is supposed to yield a Mississippi five-year license within 21 days of a complete application. The same FAQ states that only nontraditional programs located in Mississippi are approved; completing an out-of-state alternate program requires first earning a standard license in the state that governs that program. That is the documented path—do not expect MDE to endorse a national alternate provider that never operated under Mississippi approval.

Required exams and fees

Mississippi uses ETS Praxis Core (or ACT/GPA substitute), Praxis Subject Assessments, Praxis PLT, and Foundations of Reading (elementary / special education). Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Moving a license to Mississippi

MDE’s Educator Licensure FAQ states the Department shall grant a standard five-year license to any individual who possesses a valid standard license from another state within 21 days of a completed application. Military-trained applicants, military spouses, and persons who establish residence are also subject to Miss. Code §§ 73-50-1 and 73-50-2. Only nontraditional programs located in Mississippi are accepted; an out-of-state alternate-route completer must first obtain a standard license in the state that governs that program, then apply under Mississippi reciprocity.

Official Mississippi reciprocity guidance