To become a math teacher in Minnesota, earn a bachelor’s degree, finish a PELSB-approved math preparation program with student teaching, and apply to PELSB for a Tier 3 license. Program completers don’t take the MTLE exams. Career changers with a district job offer can start on a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license instead.
Minnesota licenses math teachers through the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB), which issues licenses in four tiers. You can teach grades 5-12 with a Mathematics license, or add grades 5-8 math to an existing teaching license with a middle level endorsement. Here’s how to become a math teacher in Minnesota by the standard route, step by step. Out-of-state and career changer routes come after Step 3.
- Earn a Bachelor’s Degree and Complete a PELSB-Approved Program
- Find Out Whether You Need the MTLE Math Exams
- Apply for Your Tier 3 License Through PELSB
- Renew Your License and Move Up to Tier 4
Step 1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree and Complete a PELSB-Approved Program
Every route to a full license starts with a bachelor’s degree. The standard route adds a PELSB-approved teacher preparation program in mathematics, which combines math content, teaching methods and student teaching. That matches how math teacher certification works in most states, with one difference worth knowing early: finishing an approved Minnesota program exempts you from the licensure exams.
Pick Your License Field
Minnesota offers two math fields, and the grade band you want decides which one you prepare for:
- Mathematics, grades 5-12 (Minnesota Rules 8710.4600): the full secondary license, covering middle school and high school.
- Middle level mathematics endorsement, grades 5-8 (Minnesota Rules 8710.3320): an add-on for teachers who already hold a Minnesota classroom teaching license, such as an elementary license. It requires an approved middle level program and the equivalent of a college minor in math.
PELSB keeps the current list of approved preparation programs by licensure field. Programs run at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
If You Already Have a Degree
You don’t need a second bachelor’s degree. A graduate licensure program adds the 5-12 license to the degree you hold, some in about 12 months. PELSB’s licensure via portfolio process lets you document that your coursework and experience meet the standards instead.
Step 2. Find Out Whether You Need the MTLE Math Exams
Most new Minnesota math teachers never sit for the MTLE (Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations). Under Minnesota Statutes 122A.185, you’re exempt from the content and pedagogy exams if you completed a PELSB-approved program, completed licensure via portfolio, hold National Board certification, or completed an approved program in another state and passed that state’s exams. Minnesota no longer requires a basic skills test either.
You’ll need the exams if one of these applies to you:
- You’re moving from a Tier 2 to a Tier 3 license based on three years of teaching in the same field.
- You hold a license from another state, didn’t complete a preparation program, and have two or more years of teaching in that field.
- You completed a program in another state but never held a license there or passed its tests.
- You’re renewing a Tier 1 license for the first time. You must attempt the content test, but you don’t have to pass it.
These are the math content tests, with figures from the official MTLE site as of October 2026. You must pass both subtests of your test.
| MTLE Test | Subtest Codes | Passing Scores | Questions and Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics (Grades 5-12) | 207 and 208 | 228 (Subtest 1), 227 (Subtest 2) | 48 multiple-choice questions, 1 hour 15 minutes per subtest |
| Middle Level Mathematics (Grades 5-8) | 217 and 218 | 226 (Subtest 1), 226 (Subtest 2) | 50 multiple-choice questions, 1 hour 30 minutes per subtest |
Each subtest costs $78.50. If your route also requires a pedagogy exam, it’s Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5-12), subtests 209 and 210. Check its passing scores on the MTLE site. PELSB requires a 30-day wait between attempts. After two unsuccessful attempts at the same subtest, Minnesota Statutes 122A.185 lets you retake it without paying again, so ask MTLE customer service for a fee voucher before you register.
Step 3. Apply for Your Tier 3 License Through PELSB
When you finish your program, it recommends you for licensure. You then apply online through PELSB’s first license application. A Tier 3 license runs three years and can be renewed every three years without limit.
First-time applicants also complete a criminal history background check with fingerprints, required by Minnesota Statutes 122A.18, subdivision 8.
Moving to Minnesota From Another State
If you trained or taught in another state, you can qualify for Tier 3 in two main ways: a state-approved preparation program with student teaching equivalent to Minnesota’s, or a professional license in good standing plus two years of field-specific teaching. The student teaching match is waived if you already have two years of field-specific teaching.
Whether you test depends on your record. If you completed another state’s approved program and passed its licensure exams, you’re exempt from Minnesota’s content and pedagogy tests. If you hold a license but never finished a program, you’ll take both MTLE tests. North Dakota works differently: its Education Standards and Practices Board licenses teachers, and candidates take Praxis tests rather than the MTLE.
Step 4. Renew Your License and Move Up to Tier 4
A Tier 3 license renews every three years with 75 clock hours of professional development. You can move up to Tier 4 once you meet the Tier 3 requirements, qualified through an approved program, the portfolio process or National Board certification, and have taught at least three years in your field as teacher of record. If you held Tier 3, you also need its renewal requirements done. Tier 4 renews every five years with 125 clock hours under Minnesota Rules 8710.7200, and your district’s continuing education committee approves the hours.
For Tier 3 and Tier 4 renewals, your clock hours must cover these areas, set by Minnesota Statutes 122A.187:
- Positive behavior interventions, and adapting curriculum and materials for individual students
- Reading preparation
- At least one hour of suicide prevention training, plus training on mental illness in children and adolescents
- Cultural competency and meeting the needs of English learners
- The cultural heritage and contemporary contributions of American Indians, with emphasis on Minnesota Tribal Nations
Submit everything through PELSB’s license renewal page. If you live and work outside Minnesota, you send your clock hours to PELSB directly. Tier 1 and Tier 2 renewals follow separate rules, covered in the tier section.
One change is pending. PELSB’s proposed rule R4863, with a notice of intent to adopt released in September 2026, would set specific components for the American Indian history and culture training and amend Rule 8710.7200. Its proposed effective date is July 1, 2027, and it isn’t final yet.
How Minnesota’s Four License Tiers Work
Minnesota moved to four license tiers in 2018. Tiers 1 and 2 are tied to the hiring district and the subject on the application. Tiers 3 and 4 go with you anywhere in the state.
| Tier | Term and Renewals | Who Qualifies | Exams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 1 year, usually renewable 3 times. More with good cause, and no cap in a shortage area such as math | Bachelor’s degree, plus a district that posted the job and couldn’t hire a Tier 2, 3 or 4 teacher | Attempt the content test within the first year (passing not required) |
| Tier 2 | 2 years, renewable 3 times. Further renewals follow PELSB rules | Joint application with the hiring district, a bachelor’s degree, and enrollment in a Minnesota-approved program, a completed state-approved program, or a master’s degree in math | None |
| Tier 3 | 3 years, unlimited renewals | Bachelor’s degree, plus a completed program, the portfolio process, an out-of-state license with 2 years of teaching, or 3 years on Tier 2 with evaluations that didn’t put you on an improvement plan | Only if you aren’t exempt (see Step 2) |
| Tier 4 | 5 years, unlimited renewals | Tier 3 requirements, a program, portfolio or National Board certification, 3 years teaching in your field, and Tier 3 renewal requirements if you held Tier 3 | Required exams or an exemption, as for Tier 3 |
Teaching Math While You Finish: Tier 1 and Tier 2
If you hold a math, engineering or other degree and a district wants to hire you now, these tiers let you teach while you work toward full licensure. Tier 2 fits if you’re enrolled in a Minnesota-approved program or hold a master’s in math. Tier 1 is the fallback when a district can’t fill the job any other way.
For a Tier 1 renewal, your district must show it still couldn’t hire a Tier 2, 3 or 4 teacher, and within a year of your first license you must attempt the content test, give the results to your district, and complete cultural competency and mental illness training. A Tier 2 teacher completes cultural competency and mental illness training before the first renewal.
Math matters here. PELSB’s 2026 shortage list names mathematics a statewide shortage area for applications from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, so a Tier 1 math license isn’t held to the usual three-renewal cap. Once you’re fully licensed, teaching math can also qualify you for the Teacher Shortage Student Loan Repayment Program run by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. For pay, see the Minnesota math teacher salary page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pass the MTLE if I complete a Minnesota program?
No. Minnesota Statutes 122A.185 exempts PELSB-approved program completers from the content and pedagogy exams. Completing another state’s approved program and passing its exams also exempts you. You’ll test only on routes such as moving from Tier 2 to Tier 3 after three years of teaching, or holding an out-of-state license without having finished a program.
Can I teach middle school math with a 5-12 license?
Yes. The Mathematics license covers grades 5 through 12, so it includes middle school. The 5-8 middle level endorsement is an add-on for teachers who already hold another Minnesota classroom license, such as an elementary license, so it isn’t a starting license on its own.
Can I teach math in Minnesota without a teaching degree?
Yes, on a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license, if a district hires you. You still need a bachelor’s degree. To reach Tier 3, you’ll complete an approved program, use the portfolio process, or teach three years on Tier 2 with evaluations that kept you off an improvement plan and pass the MTLE.
How long does a Minnesota teaching license last?
A Tier 1 license lasts one year, Tier 2 two years, Tier 3 three years and Tier 4 five years. Tier 3 and Tier 4 licenses renew without limit, with 75 and 125 clock hours of professional development. Tier 1 and Tier 2 renewals are capped and carry their own training conditions.
Is math a teacher shortage area in Minnesota?
Yes. PELSB names mathematics a statewide shortage area for applications from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
- Licensing body: PELSB issues every Minnesota teaching license, in four tiers.
- Two math fields: Mathematics covers grades 5-12, and the middle level endorsement adds grades 5-8 to an existing teaching license.
- Exams: Completing a PELSB-approved program exempts you from the MTLE under Minnesota Statutes 122A.185.
- Renewal: Tier 3 needs 75 clock hours every three years and Tier 4 needs 125 every five, while Tier 1 and Tier 2 renewals are capped and carry training conditions.
- Career changers: A Tier 1 or Tier 2 license lets you teach math while you finish, and math is a statewide shortage area for 2026-2027.
In Minnesota, an approved program both prepares you and replaces the licensure exams, so the program you choose is the biggest decision in the process. The schools listed here include math education programs you can compare by format, cost and how they handle student teaching.