Apply for Certification
This page provides information on applying for certification in Michigan. Select the area you are interested in to jump to certification requirements and certification renewal information.
Contact Us for Assistance
For any questions about educator certification and teacher certification, you are welcome to contact the Certification Officer, Kym Pawelka via email at [email protected] or call (616) 331-6211. If you are a current or former student, please provide your student G-number.
Certification Frequently Asked Questions
I am graduating soon (or have graduated) from the undergraduate Teacher Education program and I'm ready to apply for my initial teaching certificate. What do I need to do?
Make sure your MTTC scores have been officially reported to GVSU. If you’re not sure if the Education programs have this information, please contact the Certification Officer to confirm. Once the Education programs have received your MTTC scores officially reported from the testing company, you can apply for your Standard Teaching Certificate via MOECS Login and Access instructions.
I have a misdemeanor/felony conviction. How might this impact my certification?
Please contact the Certification Officer to discuss your particular case.
I have my Provisional Certificate and I'm out of renewals. What do I need to do?
The Michigan Department of Education changed all Provisional Certificates to Standard Certificates as of November 15, 2017. If you previously held a Provisional Certificate, it is now a Standard Certificate. Standard Certificates are valid for 5 years and may be renewed an unlimited number of times. Each renewal adds five years to the certificate’s validity. A renewal can be requested any time after January 1 of the expiration year upon completion of the renewal requirements. Progression to the Professional Certificate is no longer required by the MDE, but please contact the Certification Officer to discuss your options.
I want to progress to the Professional Certificate. What do I need to do?
Please see MDE's Requirements to Progress to Professional Teacher Certification. This includes taking a Reading Requirement for Professional Certification, which requires you to take a Reading Diagnosis and Remediation course for your Professional certification.
I completed one of GVSU's certification programs more than 5 years ago. Can I still receive that certificate/endorsement?
This depends on a number of factors, including which program you completed and if the program’s requirements have changed in recent years. Please contact the Certification Officer to discuss your particular inquiry.
How do I add an endorsement to my teaching certificate?
GVSU offers many different endorsement options. Please visit our Graduate Programs page to see a list of endorsements. To inquire about a specific endorsement, please contact the Certification Officer.
If I'm not currently teaching and I do not plan to teach in the near future, should I still renew my Standard or Professional Teaching Certificate?
Unless you need your teaching certificate for employment purposes, you are advised to let it lapse. You can renew your teaching certificate at any time upon completion of MDE requirements. The Education-Related Professional Learning hours just need to be earned after the issue date of your last certificate. For example: if you received a teaching certificate in 2002 and completed at least 6 college credits in 2005, but your certificate expired in 2007— you can still renew your certificate now. As long as the MDE requirements have not changed, you have met the renewal requirements.
How and when do I take the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)?
The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) is taken by students who are planning to student teach in a language. The test must be completed in order to move forward with student teaching plans. The test can be completed over the phone with a live proctor or on the computer with a pre-recorded proctor.
For more information, visit the OPI Testing page in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.
I am interested in teaching outside Michigan. Can my teacher certification be used in other states?
Michigan has teacher certification reciprocity with most of the United States through the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement. This agreement allows teachers certified in Michigan to teach in most states. Other states may impose certain requirements to transfer and maintain your teacher certification. Note that Michigan has strict requirements for teacher certification, which means that Michigan-certified teachers are well-prepared and can easily move to other states.
If you are interested in transferring your teacher certification to another state, you will need to work with that state's Department of Education. For example, the Michigan Department of Education has information for Out-of-State Applicants on the requirements needed for transferring into Michigan.
MOECS Registration and Instructions for Certification
When you have completed all the requirements needed for certification, you need to apply for Teacher Certification through the Michigan Online Educator Certification Systems (MOECS) database. All Michigan educators seeking certification of any kind must register with MOECS in order to receive their education certificate. Please visit the MOECS website for more information.
Support for MOECS
The support desk for the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) can be reached via:
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Telephone: (517) 241-5000
Phone and email support is available Monday through Thursday from 8:05 am to noon, and 1:05 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
Standard Teaching Certificate
The Standard Teaching Certificate is an initial, five-year teaching certificate with unlimited renewals. Requirements for initially obtaining the Standard Teaching Certification are met through completion of an Undergraduate Program or Graduate Teacher Certification (GTC) Program. Upon completion of requirements, candidates must have a MEIS account and initiate the certification recommendation process by self-registering online through the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS). For instructions on how to create a MEIS account and apply for certification, renewal or endorsement, go to the MOECS website.
Each renewal adds five years to the certificate’s validity. A renewal can be requested any time after January 1 of the expiration year upon completion of requirements.
Professional Teaching Certificate
The Professional Teaching Certificate is a five-year teaching certificate with unlimited renewals. (You must have a Standard Certificate first before applying for a Professional Teaching Certificate.) Each renewal adds five years to the certificate’s validity. A renewal can be requested any time after January 1 of the expiration year. Additional questions about the Professional Teaching Certificate are in the Certification FAQ.
Note that candidates for the Michigan Professional Teaching Certificate are required to complete a Reading Requirement for Professional Certificate.
Reading Requirement for Professional Certificate
Michigan Public Act 118 of 2006 requires candidates for Michigan Professional Teaching Certification to complete a course in the diagnosis and remediation of reading disabilities and differentiated instruction. At Grand Valley State University, this requirement can be met with the following courses:
- EDR 612 Reading Assessments: Elementary Teachers - 3 Credits (for elementary certified teachers)
This course examines classroom appropriate literacy assessments and differentiated instruction methods useful for meeting the needs of a diverse classroom student population grades K-8. The course content meets the State school code PA 118. A K-8 teaching certificate is required to take this course. - EDR 613 Reading Assessments: Secondary Teachers 3 Credits (for secondary certified teachers)
This course examines classroom appropriate literacy assessments and differentiated instruction methods useful for meeting the needs of diverse classroom student population grades 6-12. This course content meets the State school code PA 118. A 6-12 teaching certificate is required to take this course. - EDR 626 Literacy Assessment and Instruction 3 Credits (course only for teachers admitted into GVSU masters in reading program)
Field based literacy course that examines research and theory, differentiated instruction, and assessment practices appropriate for meeting struggling K-12 student literacy needs. 20 hours of tutoring required. The course content meets the State school code PA 118. - EDS 636 Diagnostic and Interpretation Procedures AND EDS 638 Instructional Practices - 6 credits (The combination of both courses content meet the State school code PA 118.)
- EDS 636 Diagnostic and Interpretative Procedures
Review of evaluative instruments used for identification and programming for exceptional persons. - EDS 638 Instructional Practices: Learning Disabilities 2
In this course, students will learn instructional practices for teaching reading, writing, mathematics, and social skills to children and adolescents with high incidence disabilities.
- EDS 636 Diagnostic and Interpretative Procedures
NOTE: The reading diagnostics requirement mentioned above for progression to the Professional Teaching Certificate is different from the reading methods requirement for the Michigan Standard Teaching Certificate. If you completed an initial teaching certificate at a Michigan Institution of Higher Education after 1985, your coursework likely already meets the reading methods requirement. If you completed your initial teaching certificate out of state, please contact the Certification Officer to verify that the reading methods requirement has been met by your previous coursework. Completion of the reading methods requirement is necessary to obtain a Standard Teaching Certificate, however both the reading methods and the reading diagnostics requirements are necessary to obtain a Professional Teaching Certificate.
School Administrator Certificate
The School Administrator Certification is a five-year certificate with unlimited renewals. Candidates interested in obtaining a School Administrator Certificate must meet Michigan Department of Education Requirements for School Administrator Certification.
School administrators whose primary responsibility is administering instructional programs must hold a valid School Administrator Certificate.
This includes the following positions:
- Superintendent
- Principal
- Assistant Principal
- Chief Business Official
The School Administrator Certificate is a five-year certificate with unlimited renewals. Each renewal adds five years to the certificate’s validity. A renewal can be requested any time after January 1 of the expiration year.