Here’s how to become a math teacher in Alaska: earn a bachelor’s degree, finish a state-approved teacher preparation program and pass two exams. You need a basic competency exam plus a Praxis math content exam. Then apply to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) for an Initial certificate, which leads to the five-year Professional certificate.
Alaska’s main teacher certificate levels are Initial, Professional and Master. DEED also offers a Professional Out-of-State certificate and district-sponsored certificates for candidates still finishing requirements. The sequence matches what every state requires of math teachers, plus two Alaska additions: approved Alaska coursework and four mandatory trainings. Every application runs through DEED’s online system, TEACH-AK. You’ll certify to teach either middle school mathematics or secondary mathematics, and that choice decides which Praxis content exam you take. Here are the five steps, current as of October 2026.
- Complete a Bachelor’s Degree and an Approved Teacher Preparation Program
- Pass a Basic Competency Exam and a Math Content Exam
- Apply for an Initial Teacher Certificate
- Upgrade to a Professional Teacher Certificate
- Renew Your Certificate or Move Up to a Master Certificate
Step 1. Complete a Bachelor’s Degree and an Approved Teacher Preparation Program
You need a bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university, plus a completed teacher preparation program. DEED doesn’t take your transcript’s word for the program. Your program has to sign a State Approved Program Verification Form for Teachers.
The most direct route is a program on DEED’s list of state-approved educator preparation programs. As of the list’s January 2024 update, the University of Alaska Fairbanks offers secondary mathematics at the bachelor’s, post-baccalaureate and M.Ed. levels, and the University of Alaska Southeast offers secondary education (6-12) through an MAT or a graduate certificate.
If you already hold a degree in math, engineering or another field, look at the post-baccalaureate and MAT options first. They add the education coursework and student teaching without a second bachelor’s degree. A state-approved program in another state also counts, verified on the same form.
Step 2. Pass a Basic Competency Exam and a Math Content Exam
Alaska requires two kinds of exams. The basic competency exam (BCE) checks reading, writing and math. The content area exam checks the subject you’ll teach. You need passing scores on both before DEED issues your Initial certificate.
The Basic Competency Exam
Most candidates take Praxis Core, but DEED also accepts SAT, ACT and GRE scores. That matters if you’re a career changer: a score you already have may cover the whole requirement. You can also combine sections from different approved exams, so a strong SAT math score can cover math while Praxis Core covers reading and writing. These are DEED’s current cut scores (basic competency exam page, checked October 2026):
| Exam | Reading | Writing | Math |
|---|---|---|---|
| Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators | 156 (Reading, 5713) | 162 (Writing, 5723) | 150 (Mathematics, 5733) |
| SAT taken March 2016 or later | 480 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | Same 480 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score | 530 |
| ACT | 22 | 8 (tests from September 2016 on) | 22 |
| GRE taken August 2011 or later | 153 verbal reasoning | 4.5 analytical writing | 145 quantitative reasoning |
Older SAT, ACT and GRE versions have different cut scores, so compare yours against DEED’s table for your test date. The same page lists the other states’ basic skills tests DEED accepts, including the CBEST, the WEST-B and the NES Essential Academic Skills exam.
Send DEED an official score report, or make sure one is already on file. If the testing company can no longer supply it, DEED accepts a letter on letterhead from a college, university or state agency that received your original scores. The letter must list your reading, writing and math subscores.
The Math Content Exam
Your content exam depends on the grade band you want to teach:
- Secondary mathematics: Praxis Mathematics (5165), Alaska passing score 159
- Middle school mathematics: Praxis Middle School Mathematics (5164), Alaska passing score 157
Each math test costs $130, and each Praxis Core subtest costs $90 (ETS, checked October 2026). Older scores still count. DEED’s Content Area Examinations page honors the retired Mathematics: Content Knowledge (5161) at 160 or higher and Middle School Mathematics (5169) at 165 or higher.
Test in Alaska with an Alaska address on your Praxis profile and ETS sends your scores to DEED automatically. Otherwise, select DEED (state code 7027) as a score recipient when you register, per the ETS Alaska testing overview.
Step 3. Apply for an Initial Teacher Certificate
Once your program and exams are done, apply for the Initial Two-Year certificate in TEACH-AK, DEED’s online certification system. You sign in to it from the DEED Teacher Certification page. DEED’s teaching certificates page lists these requirements (checked October 2026):
- Official transcripts showing your bachelor’s degree
- Passing scores on an approved basic competency exam
- Passing scores on an approved content area exam
- A State Approved Program Verification Form for Teachers
- Proof of the four mandatory trainings
- A fingerprint card
- The application and fees: $200 for the certificate and $60 for fingerprint processing
The four mandatory trainings cover sexual abuse awareness and prevention, alcohol or drug-related disabilities, dating violence awareness and prevention, and suicide awareness and prevention. You must complete them within the five years before you apply. DEED’s eLearning courses satisfy all four.
For the fingerprint card, a trained technician has to roll or scan your prints and sign the card. If you need a blank card, email [email protected] and ask for one. DEED accepts only background checks run by the Alaska Department of Public Safety and the FBI, so a clearance from another state won’t count.
Two Years or Three: The Alaska Coursework Decides
Alaska requires 3 semester hours of approved Alaska studies coursework and 3 semester hours of approved Alaska multicultural coursework. You can finish them before or after you apply, and the timing changes your certificate:
- Coursework done when you apply: you get an Initial Three-Year certificate.
- Coursework not done yet: you get an Initial Two-Year certificate. Submit the transcripts before it expires and DEED extends it once, for one year, at no charge.
Neither Initial certificate is renewable. Only courses on DEED’s approved Alaska studies and multicultural course list count, so check the list before you enroll.
Step 4. Upgrade to a Professional Teacher Certificate
The Professional certificate is Alaska’s regular five-year certificate. It used to be called the Type A. You qualify after two years of teaching on a valid certificate, and you’ll need:
- A resume showing two years of teaching experience and a copy of your most recent evaluation
- Passing basic competency and content area exam scores
- Your State Approved Program Verification Form for Teachers
- Transcripts for the 3 semester hours of Alaska studies and 3 semester hours of Alaska multicultural coursework
- 6 semester hours (or 9 quarter hours) of college credit earned in the five years before you apply. Your Alaska studies and multicultural courses count if they fall inside that window.
- The four mandatory trainings, a fingerprint card and the $200 fee
If you hold an Initial Two-Year or Three-Year certificate without the two years of experience yet, apply for the Initial Five-Year certificate instead. You’ll meet the same exam, preparation program, Alaska coursework, recent-credit, training, fingerprint and fee requirements. It lasts five years and, unlike the two-year and three-year versions, it’s renewable.
Your salary depends on the district that hires you, so compare Alaska math teacher salaries before you accept an offer.
Already Certified in Another State
If you hold a current, valid, regular teaching certificate from another state and two years of experience under it, apply for the Professional Out-of-State certificate. Your certificate must be based on a state-approved preparation program. You’ll need transcripts for your bachelor’s degree and the four mandatory trainings, but this route doesn’t require an Alaska basic competency exam. Certificates from other countries don’t qualify. It’s valid for two years. Submit your Alaska studies and multicultural transcripts before it expires and DEED extends it once, at no charge, for three more years. Your endorsements carry over from your out-of-state certificate.
Still in a Preparation Program
If an Alaska district wants to hire you before you finish a preparation program, it can sponsor you for a Program Enrollment certificate. DEED’s district-sponsored certificates page lists what you’ll need:
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited university
- Proof of current enrollment in a state-approved teacher preparation program
- Passing basic competency and content area exam scores
- A resume showing five years of experience in the subject you’ll teach
- A District Request and Assurance Form showing the district’s offer of a certified teaching position
- The four mandatory trainings, a fingerprint card and the application fees
The certificate lasts one year and can be extended twice, one year at a time, as long as you show progress in your program. The second extension also requires the Alaska studies and multicultural coursework. It isn’t renewable, so plan to finish your program and move on to a Professional or Initial Five-Year certificate.
Step 5. Renew Your Certificate or Move Up to a Master Certificate
Your Professional certificate lasts five years, and DEED won’t remind you before it expires. You can renew in TEACH-AK as early as one year before the expiration date.
Before the expiration date, you’ll need:
- Six renewal credits earned after your current certificate’s effective date
- The four mandatory trainings, completed in the previous five years
- A fingerprint card, or proof that you’re employed in a certified position in an Alaska public school district
- The application and the $200 renewal fee
Each of these counts as one renewal credit under DEED’s renewal rules (checked October 2026):
- One semester hour, or one and a half quarter hours, of college credit
- One continuing education unit of at least 15 contact hours from an approved provider
- One micro-credential of at least 15 contact hours from an approved provider
- 15 hours of non-academic credit, approved in advance with DEED’s pre-approval form
DEED charges $50 for each continuing education unit or non-academic credit you apply toward renewal, on top of the $200 renewal fee. Micro-credentials carry no extra fee (DEED CEU and micro-credential rules). For math teachers, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is on DEED’s list of organizations approved to grant CEUs.
Every credit must relate to your current job, one of your endorsement areas, or an endorsement you’re actively pursuing. If you miss the expiration date, you have 12 months to reinstate under the same requirements. You can’t work in a certified position until you do. After 12 months, DEED treats you as a new applicant.
The Master Teacher Certificate
Earn National Board certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and you can apply for a Master certificate. You must already hold an Initial or Professional certificate and meet every Professional requirement. The Master certificate is valid for five years and is renewable.
For math-specific professional development, start with the Alaska Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Mathematical Association of America.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to take Praxis Core to teach math in Alaska?
No. Praxis Core is one approved basic competency exam. DEED also accepts qualifying SAT, ACT or GRE scores and several other states’ basic skills tests, and you can combine sections from different exams. Compare the scores you already have against the table in Step 2 before you register for anything.
Which Praxis math test does Alaska require?
Secondary math candidates take Praxis Mathematics (5165), and Alaska’s passing score is 159. Middle school math candidates take Praxis Middle School Mathematics (5164), with a passing score of 157. Each test costs $130.
Can I teach math in Alaska with a teaching license from another state?
Yes. With a current, regular out-of-state certificate and two years of experience under it, you can apply for the Professional Out-of-State certificate. You won’t need an Alaska basic competency exam. You’ll still need Alaska’s four mandatory trainings, and you must finish the Alaska studies and multicultural courses to keep the certificate past its first two years.
How long is an Initial certificate valid in Alaska?
The Initial Two-Year certificate lasts two years, with one free one-year extension once you finish the Alaska studies and multicultural courses. Finish those courses before you apply and you get the Initial Three-Year certificate instead. Neither one is renewable.
Can I start teaching math in Alaska before I finish a preparation program?
Yes, if an Alaska district hires and sponsors you. The Program Enrollment certificate requires a bachelor’s degree, enrollment in an approved program, passing exam scores and five years of experience in your subject. It lasts one year and can be extended twice while you finish the program.
- Two exams: You need a basic competency exam (Praxis Core, or qualifying SAT, ACT or GRE scores) plus Praxis Mathematics (5165, passing score 159) or Middle School Mathematics (5164, passing score 157).
- Alaska coursework: 3 semester hours of Alaska studies and 3 of Alaska multicultural coursework decide whether your Initial certificate lasts two years or three.
- Professional after two years: Two years of teaching on a valid certificate qualifies you for the five-year Professional certificate.
- Career changers: A sponsoring district can put you in the classroom on a Program Enrollment certificate while you finish an approved program.
- Renewal: Every five years you need six renewal credits, current mandatory trainings and a $200 fee, plus $50 for each CEU or non-academic credit, and DEED won’t send a reminder.
If you’re moving into teaching from another career, the program you pick decides how quickly you reach Step 3. The schools listed here include online math education programs, and some accept applicants who already hold a degree in another field.