Academics Colleges College of Education Licensure

Licensure

WSU teacher education programs prepare students for Tier 3 licensure in Minnesota.

Students can also apply for licensure in other states.

As of Aug. 1, 2023, PELSB no longer requires Basic Skills, Pedagogy, or Content Exams for licensure if you have completed an accredited teacher preparation program. Each state has a licensing entity with specific directions for that state.

If you’re planning to teach out of state, it’s a good idea to talk to your advisor early in your program.

Reach out to CLAA@winona.edu or 507.457.2344 if you have any questions about licensure.

Teaching licenses are issued by the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB). Teacher candidates should refer to the PELSB website for the most up-to-date information.

Many districts will not consider hiring you unless you have a teaching license, so it’s very important that you complete the licensure application process correctly.

It can take 4-8 weeks to complete the licensure application process once your degree has been posted to your transcript.

Current students who are on track to meet program requirements can start the online application 2 weeks prior to graduation.

How to Apply for Tier 3 Licensure

Before you apply for your initial license, make sure you meet the requirements:

Completed your WSU Teacher Education Program
Earned a 2.75 GPA or higher in your teaching major at WSU
Fulfilled the edTPA process

Individuals seeking their initial license with PELSB are required to complete a fingerprint background check.

The 30-day licensure processing time begins once PELSB receives a complete application, including the results of the background check.

Learn more about the fingerprint card process.

Order your official WSU transcript to be mailed to your home address. Select “Official Transcripts for Current Students & Recent Graduates”.

Keep your transcripts sealed and enclose them with your licensure application packet to PELSB.

If you’re ordering your transcript prior to graduation, check the box titled, “hold until degree is recorded”.

If you transferred any courses from other colleges into your WSU Teaching Education Program, order your official transcripts from those institutions and enclose the transfer transcripts with your PELSB packet as well.

Complete Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the MN Tier 3 licensure application. Follow the online application directions (PDF) for a step-by-step breakdown of the required application sections.

You can complete Sections 1–5 up to 30 days prior to your graduation date.

You do not need to wait for the Verification of Completion Form (Section 6) to complete the online application. However, you will need to fulfill the requirements for Section 6, which is part of the next step.

Sections 7 and 8 don’t need to be completed for initial licensure candidates.

Verification of Completion of a State-approved program (Section 6) must be completed, signed, and dated by the Certifying Officer at WSU.

If you are a current student, Section 6 will be automatically emailed to you once you meet the Tier 3 Licensure requirements:

Have a bachelor’s degree (posted on transcripts about 2-3 weeks after graduation)
Successfully completed edTPA

If you’ve already graduated and are now applying for your license because have you have met all program requirements, email the Center for Licensure, Assessment, & Accreditation at CLAA@winona.edu to request your Section 6 to be completed.

Gather the following items into 1 packet:

Completed PELSB-stamped fingerprint card
Official WSU transcript(s) — these should be within an unopened letter-sized envelope
Printout of Section 6 email from the Certifying Officer

Mail your packet to PELSB at:
1021 Bandana Blvd. East, Suite 222
Saint Paul, MN 55108-5111

PELSB will not accept your packet if it does not include all the required items.

For any remaining questions, email PELSB at pelsb@state.mn.us or call PELSB at 651.539.4200.

Minnesota Substitute Licensure

Have you earned a non-teaching degree or completed a teacher licensure program but don’t yet qualify for a regular full-time teaching license?

A 3-year short call substitute teaching license is perfect for anyone who is passionate about teaching but hasn’t earned a teaching degree.

Learn about the Short-Call Substitute License

To get an add-on license, complete the application process for “current license holders” for the PELSB licensure you are seeking.

No additional fingerprint card is required for existing license holders.

This application needs to be printed out after it is completed. The online application is only available for first time license holders.

Order any transcripts needed for the additional PELSB license that were not submitted with your initial PELSB license application. Order official WSU transcripts.

Email the Center for Licensure, Assessment, & Accreditation at CLAA@winona.edu to request a Section 6 Institutional recommendation form. Include details regarding when you graduated from your teaching preparation program, WSU Warrior ID if you have it, etc.

When you receive the section 6 recommendation form from the WSU License Officer replace the blank form in the PELSB application with the completed form.

Enclose the following documents in a large envelope:

Endorsed Institutional Verification form (sec 6)
Completed appropriate PELSB application
Official transcript (keep sealed)
$57 check written to PELSB.

Mail complete packet to:

PELSB
1021 Bandana Blvd. East, Suite 222
Saint Paul, MN 55108-5111

Teaching Licenses for Other States

Each state has different requirements for teaching licensure and the State Department of licensing in any given state is the authorized licensing agency.

Winona State is not liable for licensure requirements or process changes in other states.

Talk to your advisor early on in your program if you’re thinking about teaching in another state.

A Minnesota license meets the requirements to apply for an Illinois provisional license, which can be used until you get a permanent Illinois license.

To begin the application:

Find the Regional Office of Education that applies to your situation. You will need to apply through the Regional Education Office nearest to your Illinois address or your parent’s Illinois address. This is also the office you will contact if you have any questions about the application process.
After you find your Regional Office, review the out-of-state and foreign applicant information (PDF)
Find the licensure you want to obtain and follow the instructions to apply. You will need to complete the forms and mail the state-approved verification form to the WSU Certification Officer. You do not need to include a copy of your MN license to apply.

Please view Educator Licensure Resources from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Students should obtain a Minnesota license first as the WSU Teacher Preparation Programs cover many of the standards for Iowa teacher licensure.

However, WSU cannot guarantee that all Iowa standards will be met. If there are any coursework deficiencies, a regional exchange license can be issued.

Learn how to apply for an Iowa teaching license.

Additional Requirements

Students must also pass the Praxis II exams to get provisional and permanent licensure:

ETS Principles of Learning and Teaching pedagogy test
a content area test

There are 4 grade level versions of the ETS Principles of Learning and Teaching test and candidates will choose the grade level most appropriate for their preparation level. Candidates will choose a content test according to their major content area of preparation for licensure. Candidates adding endorsements will not be tested on additional endorsements.

No candidates are required to take more than 2 tests, though they may have additional endorsements. This means that, for instance, an elementary education major adding a special education endorsement will take the appropriate PLT pedagogy assessment and the 0014/5014 Elementary Education: Content Knowledge assessment. This candidate will not take a test in special education content.

Learn more about how to prepare for Iowa licensure tests as well as online application system instructions.

WSU can provide a recommendation for a Wisconsin teaching license to teacher candidates who meet MN Tier 3 Teaching license requirements.

Review the out-of-state pathways and learn how to apply for a Wisconsin teaching license.

Review the latest updates for Wisconsin licensing and contact the WI Department of Public Instruction with questions.

Required Documents

As you are gathering your documents, be sure to follow these steps.

Preview the ELO Conduct & Competency Questions (PDF) to see if you will need to provide documentation of any alleged misconduct.

Complete the PI-1612-Institutional Endorsement-T Form (DOC) and email this to the Center for Licensure, Assessment, & Accreditation at CLAA@winona.edu to request your institutional endorsement. This form can only be endorsed by WSU if teacher candidate meets all requirements of MN Tier 3.

Follow the instructions for preparing transcripts to verify your degree. If you are a new graduate, it takes 2-3 weeks to finalize your transcripts. You will receive an email from WSU when your degree is issued on your transcript.

Review the out-of-state testing information (PDF).

Not all tests are required, and it may be possible to obtain a Wisconsin license even if you have not completed all Wisconsin testing requirements at the time of application. If this applies to you, you can upload a written statement identifying the testing requirement(s) you have not met which will be used to determine what license you are entitled.