Department of History

Post-baccalaureate Teacher Certification

A post-baccalaureate (or alternative) program is a teacher certification program that is offered after the completion of a bachelor’s degree, which may or may not lead to a master’s degree. Some programs are accelerated, while others can take up to 2 years.

Types of Post-Baccalaureate Programs

  • Second Undergraduate Degree
  • Certification Only
  • Master’s Degree with Certification (MAT: Master of Arts in Teaching)
  • Limited content area where there are shortages of teachers

First Steps

  • Decide which state you’d like to be certified to teach in
  • Check out accredited institutions through NCATE or CHEA
  • Consider all of your options and contact the advisors of the programs you are interested in

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Websites to Help You Get Started

The Department of Public Instruction website provides all the information you need to know about licensing requirements, approved educator programs in and out of Wisconsin. You can also get in touch with professional organizations and find job postings here.

Teacher Certification Programs

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in Wisconsin has put together a list of approved Wisconsin Alternative Programs that lead to teacher certification. All programs require a bachelor’s degree (unless otherwise noted) and some programs are geared toward specific fields of study – be sure to check with the program to ensure it will provide you with the education you’re looking for.

If you know what you want to teach and would like to attend a public or private university in Wisconsin, DPI has a list that indicates which schools offer each program. It is broken down by level, such as concentration, teaching major, or graduate program.

Education Degree compiles alternative certification programs from over 865 schools and breaks them down by state and/or program. After clicking on the program, you can learn more about the school and request information about that particular program. After you’ve submitted the request, you are directed to other schools that offer similar programs that you may be interested in (see screen shot)

The National Center for Alternative Certification provides information about the different routes you can take to become certified to teach and has a search engine that allows you to narrow your search to specific levels, locations, cost, length of program and much more. Tip: The FAQ section has a lot of helpful information and links to find specific information quickly on this website.

Alternative Programs in Urban and/or Rural Education

Alternative programs in urban and/or rural education are designed to target a shortage of teachers in underserved urban and/or rural school districts. Some positions are in high need areas such as Special Education, Math, Science, ESL, and Bilingual Education only – be sure to check the website thoroughly. Note: This is not an exhaustive list of all options available.

Each of the programs below recruits people from a variety of disciplines in order to increase the number of highly qualified individuals entering the teaching field. Within each program, specific fields may be recruited more heavily than others depending on need. All programs offer full-time teaching salaries and teaching certification during the first year of teaching. Though eligibility requirements may differ slightly (see each program’s website for specifics), all require the following:

  • A bachelor’s degree in an area other than education
  • 2.5-3.0 GPA (program specific)
  • U.S. Citizenship or permanent residency
  • Passing scores on the Praxis I exams (or satisfying MD scores on the SAT/GRE/ACT tests)
  • Passing scores on the Praxis II Content Knowledge in your assigned content area (this test may differ depending on the state)
  • Relevant content knowledge in one or more of the subject areas for which the program recruits
  • Additional requirements may apply depending on state certification requirements – see each program’s website for details

Candidates cannot have any of the following:

  • A professional certificate in education (including school counseling) from any state
  • A degree in education (undergraduate or advanced) with a certification track
  • 15-18 or more credits (depending on program) in education-related coursework

Teaching Certification Fellowship Programs

Master’s Degree Teaching Fellowship Programs

Programs That Require Previous Education Experience

One-Year Education-Related Opportunities

Other Related Opportunities