Licensure Process

What is a general timeline for licensure application process?

• • Teacher candidates must complete all of the licensure requirements; content area prerequisite coursework, teacher ed coursework, practicum, and student teachings before they can apply for their MN license.  

  • Please also note that the submission of edTPA and ILP Exit Survey is required before being recommended for a license.

What exactly does the licensure application process entail?

• • Simply stated, the University of Minnesota recommends our candidates to the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) for their MN licenses, and the PELSB issues licenses.   

  • Teacher candidates, upon the completion of the U of M approved licensure program, are eligible to receive a Tier 3 license under the MN tiered licensure system.  Please refer to an infographic document that describes MN tier licensure eligibility options for the U of M licensure completers.

  • For each U of M candidate, the Licensure Officer in OTE provides an institutional endorsement, verifying that the candidate met the MN licensure requirements for an appropriate teaching field.                             

  • Upon review and approval by the PELSB, the license is granted.

  • Please refer your students to CEHD  Licensure Process page, for CEHD internal licensure application process.

What types of documentation are required for the licensure application?

• • Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) stipulates that our teacher licensure programs keep accurate completion records for each teacher candidate that demonstrate their successful completion of the required teacher licensure courses. 

  • It is essential to use the Teacher Licensure Education Coursework Guidelines and Prerequisite Coursework Documentation Guidelines (Generic; CI advisers) to ensure our teacher licensure programs follow a uniform process for documenting teacher licensure coursework. Each individual candidate's coursework must be reviewed and approved as part of the complete set of licensure application materials by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) before their license is issued.    Refer your candidates to the process for requesting course substitutions document.

  • The LPLs (License Program Leads) must refer to the U of M/PELSB Petition Review Process Document for the process and protocol in evaluating and documenting teacher education courses (both U of M and transfer coursework) against the SEP (Standards of Effective Practice) and Content standards approved by the PELSB for your program.   Candidates must initiate an official petition process using the U of M academic process petition form for undergraduate and professional programs.                              

  • All post-secondary transcripts must be submitted to PELSB.    A pdf copy of official transcripts, eamiled to you directly from the OTE licensing,  is acceptable by PELSB.  Candidates are directed to acknoledge the "Transcript and Credentialing Documents Release Agreement"  in the U of M lincese applicaon cover memo when they apply to the OTE licensing. 

How do we ensure that we keep accurate and timely records of student progress?

• • Request access to the University wide student data system, APlus (APlus Access Instructions; APlus User guide).

  • Reference the U of M student contact notes guideline and the advising scenarios handout, especially when cases involve challenging or contested situations.

What if a teacher candidate disputes the program's requirements for licensure recommendation?

• • Disputes regarding the program's requirements for recommendation for licensure, which are part of the academic program in which the candidate is enrolled, must be resolved through the University Conflict Resolution/Grievance Process. Details are available at: https://onestop.umn.edu/terms-and-conditions/student-complaints-and-grievances

Can someone from OTE come to our method or student teaching seminar course, and present "MN license application process" to our students?

• • Absolutely!  Please contact the OTE licensure officer asai0003@umn.edu to set up an appointment. The presentation typically takes 60 to 75 minutes.

What if a teacher candidate already holds some type of MN license (i.e., standard, restricted, long/short term call substitute)?  Do they follow a different process?

• • There are different application materials required by PELSB for the first-time applicants and for the candidates with an existing MN license.

  • Please see separate guidelines for First-time Tier 3 Candidates and Tier 3 Candidates with an existing MN license.

How long does it take for OTE to process license applications?  Once submitted to PELSB, how long will it take for them to issue a license?   

• • Please allow  5 business days for OTE licensing team to process initial license applications and additional licensure applications.  We will expedite their applications when candidates have a legitimate case where it has a direct impact on their job status.  Once their applications are processed and submitted to PELSB by OTE, candidates can track their license status via the Educator License Lookup page on the PELSB website.

  • It generally takes anywhere from 6 -8 weeks for PELSB to issue a license.   

What is the process for applying for a license outside of Minnesota?

• • Teacher candidates should first contact the state department of education from which they are seeking a license.  Many states will require an Institutional Verification Form which needs to be approved by Licensure Officer in OTE.

  • Make sure that Minnesota licensure requirements are completed (coursework, student teaching) before submitting an institutional verification form to OTE.  Applying for the Minnesota license concurrently with the out-of-state license will expedite the process.  

  • Special Note: Please remind candidates that they MUST apply for their Minnesota license, even if they will be teaching in another state.  If the candidates choose to apply for the Minnesota license later, they will have to complete all of the requirements at the time of application. These requirements are likely more extensive than the ones in place currently.

  • Please see Out-of-State License Application Process Document for more detailed information.