School of Education

www.dpi.wi.gov/licensing/apply-educator-license/initial-

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is the educator licensing agency. You should apply for your license here:  

www.dpi.wi.gov/licensing/apply-educator-license/initial-wisconsin 

When can I apply for my license? - updates 

To have your license endorsement data uploaded to the Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) electronic licensing portal, you must have completed all program requirements including completion of the full student teaching experience, passing edTPA scores and final SIPs forms, and final term grades posted.  At that time the certification officer will begin processing student license endorsement. When the processing is complete, the certification officer will send out an email notification clearing you to apply for your license. A detailed set of instructions on how to apply for your license will also be included in the notification email.  Please do not apply for your license until you receive the notification email from the certification officer. 

SOE requires passing edTPA scores for program completion at UWL.  Therefore, no completion data can be uploaded to the DPI’s licensing portal until we receive your passing edTPA scores.

Please see DPI's website for information about fingerprint requirements: https://dpi.wi.gov/licensing/background-check/fingerprint-requirement/submission

Please contact Educator Licensing (educatorlicensing@uwlax.edu) to request a completion letter to use while DPI processes your license application.

For your degree to be posted, you must have completed all program requirements including completion of the full student teaching experience, passing edTPA scores and final SIPs forms, and final term grades posted.  At that time, the certification officer will confirm that all degree requirements have been met and the UWL Records Office will post your degree. 

The School of Education does not have access to troubleshoot technical difficulties in the DPI electronic licensing portal.  Please contact DPI directly for assistance:  https://dpi.wi.gov/support/contact-educator-licensing.

Substitute teaching during student teaching is not allowed.  Prior to student teaching, students in an Educator Prep Program in Wisconsin may be eligible to apply for a short term substitute teaching license. See DPI website for eligibility requirements and more information.

If you are planning to apply for a license in a state other than Wisconsin, you will need to check the application requirements of that state. The University of Kentucky has a website that provides links to teacher licensing agencies in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Most states have a verification form that needs to be signed by the UW-La Crosse certification officer. This form verifies that you have completed a state-approved licensure program. These forms should be sent to educatorlicensing@uwlax.edu, to be completed. Please fill out all demographic information and any requested information about your practicum and student teaching assignments (names of schools, grade levels, dates, etc.) prior to emailing the form.

We highly recommend you get your Wisconsin teaching license even if you plan to teach in another state.  

MINNESOTA LICENSURE  

The Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) is the educator licensing agency for MN. For MN licensing questions, this page includes information for Out of State Applicants. It includes the following information about Tier 3, the tier you are likely to be applying for (MN Tiers). 

Tier 3: An out-of-state teacher is eligible for a Tier 3 license if the teacher:   

• holds a bachelor's degree,  

• has completed a state-approved teacher preparation program with equivalent student teaching to that of a Minnesota program (typically 12-weeks of student teaching), and  

• has passed the appropriate licensure exams.  

If you have additional questions, contact Minnesota PELSB at pelsb@state.mn.us or 651-539-4200. 

At this time, UWL does not offer a pathway to post baccalaureate initial teacher certification.

Post Baccalaureate Teacher Certification

After receiving their bachelor’s degree, some students decide to pursue certification as a teacher at the k-12 level. There are several different types of programs that can assist these students in earning licensure in various states; some of these programs offer both certification and a Master’s degree. Some programs offer evening and weekend courses while others follow a more traditional, residential college program format. At this time, UWL does not offer a pathway to post baccalaureate initial teacher certification.

Most programs, whether certification only or dual certification/Master’s will expect applicants to have completed a bachelor’s degree program with a major in the area/discipline they plan to teach.

Post Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Programs

This is not an exhaustive list of the certification programs in Wisconsin. Rather, it is a sampling of the different types of programs designed to give you an idea of the types of programs out there, both in the UW System and at private agencies. Please note that licensure opportunities vary by the program.

• CESA 1: Proficiency Based Licensure Program (PBL)
• CESA 2: Licensure Academy of School Staff (CLASS)
• CESA 4: Alternative Licensing Pathways Supports and Services (ALPSS)
• CESA 6: Residency in Teacher Education (RITE)
• CESA 9: Excellence in Teaching Program
• Marquette University
• UW-Milwaukee
• Viterbo University – Post Baccalaureate Licensure Program

Web Resources

• State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction: licensing information for the state of Wisconsin.
• The University of Kentucky has a useful webpage that includes links to teacher certification requirements for all 50 states.