Teacher Licensing

When to Apply for your License

• Initial License Applications may be submitted to the Certification Officer (Wyman 203) at any time after the completion of ALL requirements for the degree or for a certification-only program.  This includes completing your certification portfolio and receiving a grade on your transcripts for student teaching!
  
  
  • To see if your portfolio and final grades have been posted to your transcripts access your unofficial transcripts on eSIS.  
    
    
• Make a copy of your license application.  When applying for teaching jobs, some districts will accept a copy of the license application prior to receiving your license.

Institutional Endorsement or “How long does it take to process my application?”

Before the Certification Officer can sign the license application and send it to DPI, your degree must be posted on your transcripts.  This is completed in the Registrars office, Graduate students and special students do not have a degree; they only need all grades to be recorded on their transcripts.
· 
The Registrar sets the final degree based on:                

Completion of Student Teaching
Recorded Final Grades

 When all requirements are completed. All applications are signed, recorded and forwarded to DPI as soon as possible.  Depending on the number of applications, submitted processing time in the college can be up to 4 weeks. Candidates with incomplete applications or who have not completed their program, will have their applications returned. Processing time at the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is approximately 8-12 weeks. Minnesota typically takes about 10 weeks.

Wisconsin Verification of Program Completion Form

Once the student’s license application has been signed and sent to DPI, a “Verification of Program Completion” form can be sent to the student for use in applying to school districts. District Administrators in Wisconsin have been notified to accept the “Verification of Program Completion” form as evidence that a recent graduate qualifies for a license. 

· The form may be requested from the Certification Office (Wyman 203) by:

• Including a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the license application or Submitting a written request to obtain the certificate.
   
  
• The completion form cannot be prepared and signed until all grades are in and the Registrar has posted the degree.  It may take several days from the time a request is submitted before the completion form is ready to be picked up.  Please call the office to verify it is ready to pick up
  before making a special trip to campus.

For Initial Wisconsin Certification/License

1. Obtain license application form from the Wisconsin Dept of Public Instruction website http://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/licguide.html
   
   
2. The form (PI-1602-IS) can be printed and filled out by hand or the information can be filled in on the computer and then printed.  Please print the application on plain white paper – not a colored paper or heavy resume paper. Return completed license application, $100 processing fee payment, and any other required materials such as fingerprint cards (if applicable) to the Certification Officer (Wyman 203).
   
   
3. Fingerprint cards for WI licensure are available in the Dean's office (Wyman 203) or can be ordered through the Department of Public Instruction’s by calling 1-(800) 266-1027. The Fingerprint cards can be competed at any law enforcement agency in either MN or WI.
   
   
4. Payment can be in the form of a personal check, money order, or credit card.  Cash is not acceptable.  If you wish to pay with a credit card (MasterCard or Visa only), fill in the account number and expiration date and sign the cover sheet. 
   
5. Wisconsin license applications need to be sent directly to the state from the university. When submitting a Wisconsin license application, please include the check made out to DPI, or the form to use a credit card, and completed fingerprint cards.
   
   
6. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you need a Verification of Program Completion
   certificate for an employer.

See an example of a competed application

For Initial Minnesota Certification/License

• Go to the MN online application system http://education.state.mn.us/mde/index.htm
  
  
• Complete the online application NOTE: ONCE YOU HAVE SUBMITTED AN APPLICAITON ONLINE YOU ONLY HAVE 60 DAYS TO COMPELTE IT!
  
  
•  Fingerprint cards for MN licensure are available in the Dean's office (Wyman 203), or can be ordered through the Minnesota Department of Education’s Web site http://education.state.mn.us/.
  
  
• After you complete the on-line application, print and send the VERIFICATION OF COMPLETION OF A STATE-APPROVED LICENSURE PROGRAM  form (ED#02414-01) to the college’s Certification Officer.  Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for us to return the completed form to you.

 For Other Out-Of-State Applications

Make direct contact with the Department of Education in that state.  The University of Kentucky College of Education (www.uky.edu/education/tep/usacert.html) maintains a website that attempts to collect the teacher certification requirements for all 50 states.

• Follow procedures outlined; if you need an institutional endorsement, please send the appropriate materials to the college's Certification Officer.
  
  
• To receive institutional endorsement on a license application, please send it to the address below.
  
  License requests or questions are to be sent to:
  Michael Martin Certification Officer
  University of Wisconsin - River Fall
  College of Education and Professional Studies
  410 S. Third Street
  River Falls, WI 54022

Useful Links

Click here to find certification information for all 50 states!

Wisconsin Licensing

Go to the Wisconsin DPI web site
Wisconsin License Applications are here
DPI Licensing Codes
Check the status of your license application with DPI

Minnesota Licensing

Go to the Minnesota Department of Education Web site
Minnesota testing requirments

Powerpoint presentation of "Applying for Teacher Licensing " (powerpoint)