Inspire current and future generations
Become an educator with an online graduate certificate in elementary school teaching from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
You recently completed a bachelor’s, or you started a career in a related industry and now seek to make a more purposeful impact. This teaching certificate builds off your undergraduate degree, imbuing you with the skills to lead a classroom, help the youngest learners acquire academic and social skills and develop meaningful relationships with your community to uplift all students. Preparing you to obtain a Missouri Initial Professional Teacher Certification in Elementary Teaching 1–6, you’ll progress through online courses and attend field and practicum assignments in person at community agencies and Studio Schools.
Ready to make the transition? All interested candidates must first take the Missouri Content Assessment in their respective subject area before applying to UMSL’s teaching certificate program.
Program type:
Graduate certificate
Format:
100% Online
Take the next step
Elementary School Teaching Graduate Certificate
UMSL’s College of Education established its Teach in 12 certificate program to engage individuals interested in enriching young lives. Beyond instructing you in curriculum planning, assessment and classroom management techniques, the Teach in 12 program strives to graduate educators equipped to support and encourage diverse learners in both formal and informal settings and who see themselves as community leaders ready to make a difference. As a result, the online graduate certificate in elementary school teaching trains you to not simply cover topics but highlight their relevance, applications and meaning and foster students’ academic and social growth in culturally responsive ways
As an aspiring elementary school teacher, you’ll learn to captivate learners who are just starting their journey:
This stage sets the foundation for everything after: making the transition to middle and eventually high school and planting the seeds for a future career. Educators help spark a love of reading and writing and integrate these essentials with social studies and mathematics. Students not only gain crucial life and academic skills — they start to discover who they are, what interests them and where they fit in the world.
Transforming you into this force, the online graduate certificate in elementary school teaching:
- Emphasizes lifelong learning and its role in professional success and student achievement
- Sheds light on technology as an effective classroom tool and its applications in an increasingly digital society
- Instructs you in creating connective, collaborative learning experiences through applied content knowledge and pedagogical techniques
- Prepares you to design, implement and evaluate curriculum based on school and state learning standards
- Helps you understand how to create a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment that nurtures all students’ personal, intellectual and social development
- Considers critical thinking and problem solving in the classroom and introduces you to instructional and assessment methods for promoting these qualities in diverse learners
- Stresses the importance of developing working relationships with students, colleagues, families and community members to champion student success and wellbeing
Upon the completion of all courses and classroom assignments, the College of Education will recommend you to the Missouri Department of Elementary/Secondary Education for teacher certification in Elementary 1–6, provided you meet all state requirements.
Plan of study
Non-Missouri Residents: Prospective students are responsible for reviewing the UMSL state authorizations page to see if this program is offered in their state throughout their program and to review the licensure or certification requirements for the state in which they reside.
