Students desiring to add a coaching endorsement to their Iowa license will need to complete the required classes for the endorsement, and will need a current CPR card and Concussion Training. 

Students desiring to coach before their initial license is issued may apply for a coaching authorization. It allows students to coach before they have received their teaching license.  They will also need a complete background check. 

More information is available from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners:  BOEE Coaching

CPR training is available through the American Red Cross. 

Concussion Training is available by completing a free course from the National Federation of High School Associations.  Concussion Training.

For more information, contact your academic advisor. 

Missouri Certification Information: An applicant who possesses a valid professional certificate from another state may be granted a Missouri certificate in an area most closely aligned to the certification if Missouri issues such certificate. If an educator is completing or has completed a teacher education program in another state (either on campus or online), it would be beneficial to obtain that state's certificate whether one plans to reside in that state or not. In most cases, a Missouri certificate is issued with no further coursework or test requirements.  If an area of certification is not equivalent, an educator may be evaluated based upon Missouri's current requirements for the most closely aligned certificate.

BEFORE applying online for a Missouri certificate/ license, you must submit hard copies of your Iowa teaching license and transcript(s) to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Follow the procedures below:

1. Your Iowa Teaching license will be issued approximately three – four weeks after recommendation. The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners is no longer printing and mailing licenses. Check their website under “search for a license” to view your license or to see if a pending licensure transaction has been processed. Our website version of your license is considered your official license record. When your Iowa license is visible, you may take a screen shot of the page to serve as our official license record.
2. You must request an official Graceland transcript. Go to My Graceland > Student > Verify Enrollment or Order Transcripts Online. You will be directed to the National Clearinghouse website. Request to have the copy mailed directly to you. It will arrive in a sealed envelope inside another envelope. Do not break the seal.
3. You will also need an official transcript from ALL colleges or universities you have attended, even if your coursework was transferred and appears on Graceland’s
4. Once you have received your Iowa license and transcript(s), mail all documents to:

                Educator Certification

                P.O. Box 480

                Jefferson City, MO 65102

5. A week after your documents have been mailed, follow the directions below to apply for a Missouri license

Online Certification System

All certification requests will be made through Missouri’s online system. A $100 processing fee is required.  The fee will be paid at the time the application is submitted online.  Fees may be paid by credit/debit card or by e-check. All processing fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. Follow the directions below to apply for a Missouri certificate and to complete the fingerprinting process:

Completing the Online Application

1. Go to: http://dese.mo.gov/educator-quality/certification/become-certified-teacher
2. Complete the online Non-Missouri Graduate Application. The online application form will guide you through creating a user ID and password, logging into the licensure system, and creating an online profile to complete the application form

By completing the online profile and application, you will be able to access your certificate within a few weeks. The online system will also show the status of your background clearance and Praxis scores if you had them sent to Missouri when you took the test. (Remember that you do not need to meet the Missouri cut-off score as long as you have met the Iowa Praxis cut-off score.) It is extremely important that you remember the user ID and password you created. These will be used to access your certification record and all future applications you wish to submit to the Department. For questions about Missouri certification, please contact certification@dese.mo.gov or call (573) 751-0051.

Fingerprinting and Background Clearance

To complete a criminal history check and clearance, you will need to register with the Missouri Applicant Processing Services (MACHS). To identify your status as an educator, you must provide the following Registration Code:

• Not currently employed by a school district: Registration Code 2300
• If employed, ask for your school district’s four-digit code

Registering with MACHS

1. Go to machs.mo.gov and click the icon to access the MACHS Fingerprint Portal.
2. Select the option requiring the 4-digit Registration Code to begin your registration process
3. At the top of the registration page, enter your 4-digit Registration Code in the space provided. (If using a school district’s Registration Code, click “Populate” to display the name and information of the school district for which you are registering then verify that the information is )
4. Complete the form by filling out your personal demographic data. Click Register when you are
5. At the top of the verification page is a highlighted 8-digit Transaction Control Number (TCN). This number will be used to track your fingerprints through the background check
6. Click Schedule Fingerprinting to schedule an appointment with 3M/Cogent.
7. Make payment arrangements to either pay online or at the time of your
8. Choose a date for your
9. After your appointment is confirmed, you will be provided with a receipt that includes your unique transaction control number (TCN) and all appointment information. Print this receipt for your

Fingerprints captured electronically are more accurate and the results can be expected within three weeks. Your fingerprint information will be recorded automatically on your profile page in the online Educator Certification System.  The results of the fingerprints are generally reported to the Educator Certification within 2 – 3 weeks from the date of the appointment and are valid for one year after the clearance date. Questions about the fingerprinting process may be directed to: 3M/Cogent (877) 862-2425 or The Missouri State Highway Patrol (573) 526-6312.

If you already have Missouri (not Iowa) fingerprint clearance, the automated system should pick up your clearance the day following the submission of your online application.