Advising Information
Once you are officially listed as a student in our department, we will assign you an advisor. This assignment can be located on the home page of your MyState. There you will find a photo of your advisor, along with their contact information. Students will meet with their advisor at least once a semester for pre-registration and to review their program of study. If you do not have an advisor assignment, please contact the main office.
Undergraduate students will also be enrolled in a canvas course called TEACH. This course has helpful advising information, departmental announcements and academic paperwork. Students are advised to review the TEACH course for helpful information and videos to assist them in registration, needing overrides, to add/drop a course, etc.
Teacher Education Phases
Phase 1
Requires students interested in the Teacher Education program to meet with an advisor and discuss the program requirements. To complete Phase I, students must be admitted to the University and select a major and concentration area.
Phase II
Requires the completion of 44 semester credit hours of coursework, including the 36-hour MSU general education requirements, with a minimum GPA of 2.75, and an overall GPA of at least 2.5. A "C" or higher must be attained in 6 credit hours of English composition and 3 credit hours of mathematics (College Algebra or higher). In addition, teacher candidates must either have an ACT score of 21 (SAT 860) with no sub-score below 18 or meet the score requirements on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators Test (Reading 156, Writing 162, Mathematics 150), or students with an overall GPA of 3.0 on 60 hours. Students must complete and submit the following items to the Admission to Teacher Education Canvas course prior to being admitted to the program:
- ACT or Praxis CORE scores, if needed
- Two letters of recommendation from educators
- Verification of 40 hours work experience with children or youth
- A background check (go to the Certified Background website and enter code (MI43))
- Phase I & II application form, dispositions form, and licensure advisory form (to be completed with your advisor)
All of these forms will be filled out digitally through the canvas course and are found in the canvas course under the assignments tab.
To determine if you are ready to apply for admission to Phase II, please talk with your advisor.
Phase III
Requires that teacher candidates complete all professional education and teaching field and/or concentration area courses with a grade of "C" or higher while maintaining a 2.5 overall GPA. To be admitted to the teaching internship, teacher candidates must submit an application to the Director of Clinical and Field-Based Instruction and Licensure (OCFBI) one semester prior to the internship. In addition, all required portions of the Praxis II exam (all candidates) and Pearson Foundations of Reading Assessment (elementary education candidates only) must be taken prior to the first day in the internship, and all Praxis II scores must be submitted to the Director of OCFBI before the end of the internship.
Phase IV
Requires teacher candidates to have a "C" or higher in all professional education and concentration area courses, to complete no more than half of the required degree hours at a community/junior college, and to successfully complete the teaching internship.
How do I obtain my teaching license in the state of Mississippi?
Upon completion of the Teacher Education program, including the teaching internship, you must apply for a Class A Teaching License through the Mississippi Department of Education. To view the application and learn more about licensure in the state of Mississippi, visit the Mississippi Department of Education website. Also, review the Licensure Advisory Form. For more information about licensure, please visit the Office of Clinical and Field Based Instruction.
MSU Career Center
If you are needing your resume reviewed or interview prep, the MSU Career Center offers a lot of great resources to all students. To make an appointment, to view resources, or get a general overview of the Career Center, visit the MSU Career Center Website below.