Here’s how to become a math teacher in Montana: earn a bachelor’s degree, complete an approved educator preparation program with student teaching, and show content knowledge through a Praxis math test, a 3.00 coursework GPA or a student teaching portfolio. Then apply to the Office of Public Instruction for a Class 2 license with a Mathematics 4-8 or 5-12 endorsement.
Montana licenses teachers through the Office of Public Instruction (OPI), and the first choice in how to become a math teacher in Montana is your endorsement: Mathematics 4-8 or Mathematics 5-12. Pick the one that matches the grades you want to teach and the program you complete, since it decides which Praxis test you’d take. Your other early decision is the route: a traditional educator preparation program, or, if you already have a bachelor’s degree, a Class 5B provisional license that lets you teach while you finish one.
- Complete a Bachelor’s Degree and an Approved Educator Preparation Program
- Show Your Math Content Knowledge
- Apply for Your Montana Math Teacher’s License
- Meet Montana’s Continuing Education Requirements
Step 1. Complete a Bachelor’s Degree and an Approved Educator Preparation Program
Every Montana teaching license starts with a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an institutionally accredited college or university, the same baseline you’ll see in the certification requirements for math teachers in other states. For a Class 2 Standard license, you also need to finish an educator preparation program (EPP) that includes supervised teaching, usually called student teaching. The program must hold CAEP, AAQEP or MACTE accreditation, or approval from a state board or state education agency (OPI license requirements, as of October 2026).
Montana’s Board of Public Education approves programs at ten campuses, and each one offers its own mix of endorsements. Check OPI’s educator preparation page to see which campuses offer Mathematics 4-8 or 5-12. A master’s program that leads to initial licensure counts too, and it can qualify you for the higher Class 1 license from the start.
If You Already Have a Bachelor’s Degree
Career changers with a degree in math, engineering or another field don’t have to start over. If you hold a bachelor’s degree but haven’t finished an EPP, you can apply for a Class 5B provisional license. It lets you teach in a Montana school for up to three years while you complete a program, and you upgrade to a Class 2 once you finish.
For a Class 5B license, you need:
- A bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited college or university
- A current Montana home address or a job offer from an accredited or state-funded P-12 Montana school
- A plan of study from an accredited college or university showing you meet its admission criteria and can finish the program within three years
- Completion of the free online course An Introduction to Indian Education for All in Montana
When the license is issued, you sign a Plan of Professional Intent that lists what you must finish. Class 5 licenses aren’t renewable, OPI issues only one Class 5 per teaching license, and OPI points to ARM 10.57.424(8) for its extension rules. To move to a full license, you submit an upgrade application in TeachMT before your Class 5 expires. The upgrade deadline is listed on OPI’s renew, update and advance license page, so confirm the date with OPI’s licensure team (406-444-3150) before you plan around it. Montana also allows an alternative teacher certification program under state law (MCA 20-4-120), and the Board of Public Education approved the first one in March 2024.
Step 2. Show Your Math Content Knowledge
Here’s a misconception worth clearing up: Montana doesn’t require the Praxis from every applicant. OPI’s licensure report describes the test as one pathway to show content knowledge for a Class 2 license. You must meet one of these four pathways, and you can’t mix and match them:
- A qualifying score on the Montana-required Praxis Subject Assessment
- A passing score on a student teaching portfolio, verified by your EPP
- A coursework GPA of 3.00 or higher, verified by your EPP (ask your program which courses it counts)
- A current standard, unrestricted out-of-state license plus two years of teaching experience
If you take the test, it’s the one that matches your endorsement. Montana sets its own qualifying scores, shown here from the ETS Montana test requirements page (checked October 2026). Montana doesn’t list Praxis Core.
| Endorsement | Praxis Test | Montana Qualifying Score | ETS Test Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics 4-8 | Middle School Mathematics (5164) | 157 | $130 |
| Mathematics 5-12 | Mathematics (5165) | 159 | $130 |
OPI accepts no test other than the Praxis, and a score from more than 10 years before your application has to be retaken. Your scores also have to reach OPI. If you test in Montana and your Praxis profile has a Montana address, ETS sends them automatically. If not, choose the Montana Office of Public Instruction (code 8653) as a score recipient when you register, or upload the official report to your TeachMT account (ETS Montana testing overview). If you’re in a Montana program, ask it about its own Praxis requirement, as ETS advises.
If you meet every requirement except the Praxis, you can apply for a Class 5A provisional license. It’s valid for one year while you pass the test, and it isn’t renewable.
Step 3. Apply for Your Montana Math Teacher’s License
Every application goes through TeachMT (TMT), OPI’s online licensing system. OPI accepts applications only electronically. The application wizard asks questions to route you to the right license, and the forms you need sit in the Help section of the application. You’ll submit:
- Official transcripts
- A university or alternative program recommendation verifying your EPP, student teaching and endorsements
- Proof of your content knowledge pathway from Step 2
- Verification that you finished An Introduction to Indian Education for All in Montana, a free course on the OPI Teacher Learning Hub
- A fingerprint background check
OPI won’t evaluate an application until every document and fee is in, and it purges applications left incomplete for 90 days.
Montana has no reciprocity with any state, so a license from another state doesn’t transfer automatically. You still apply through TeachMT, but a current standard, unrestricted out-of-state license plus two years of teaching satisfies the content knowledge requirement in Step 2.
Fingerprint Background Check
Your fingerprint cards go to the Montana Department of Justice, not to OPI. Under OPI’s fingerprint instructions (revised January 2025), you mail the completed cards with a $30.00 check payable to the Montana Department of Justice. The agency that takes your prints may charge its own fee on top of that. OPI recommends sending two cards, because the FBI rejects smudged prints. OPI can’t accept results processed for any purpose other than teacher licensure, so a background check you completed for another reason won’t transfer.
License Classes and Fees
Most new math teachers apply for the Class 2. If you already have a master’s degree in education or math, apply for the Class 1 instead. The fees below are first-time Montana fees and include a $10 nonrefundable processing fee, per the OPI licensure fee schedule effective July 27, 2026. You pay electronically in TeachMT, and no fee is refundable.
| License | Who It’s For | Term | First-Time Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 2 Standard | New graduates and teachers without a master’s degree | 5 years, renewable | $80 |
| Class 1 Professional | Class 2 eligible, plus a master’s in education or an endorsable area, or National Board certification | 5 years, renewable | $95 |
| Class 5A Provisional | Meets every requirement except the Praxis | 1 year, not renewable | $80 |
| Class 5B Provisional | Bachelor’s degree holders enrolled in an EPP | 3 years, not renewable | $80 |
| Class 5C Provisional | EPP completers whose degree is over five years old, with no current license and fewer than 60 PD units in five years | 3 years, not renewable | $80 |
| Class 4 Career and Technical (selected endorsements) | CTE teachers, most endorsements requiring 5,000 hours of work experience (not a math license) | 5 years, renewable | $80 |
You can upgrade a Class 2 to a Class 1 later. Once your master’s degree is posted on an official transcript, submit the Upgrade to Professional Teacher’s License application in TeachMT. The upgrade costs $85 and doesn’t change your license dates. If you hold a secondary math license, you can also add a Class 4A Engineering endorsement to teach Project Lead the Way courses after completing PLTW Core Training. For what the job pays once you’re licensed, see our Montana math teacher salary page.
Step 4. Meet Montana’s Continuing Education Requirements
Class 1 and Class 2 licenses run five years and expire June 30. To renew, you need 60 professional development units (PDUs) earned during the license term (OPI renewal requirements and ARM 10.57.215, as of October 2026). College credit converts to PDUs:
- 1 semester credit = 15 PDUs
- 1 quarter credit = 10 PDUs
College credits must come from an institutionally accredited college or university, appear on an official transcript, and fit the P-12 curriculum. Keep your original certificates, since OPI audits some renewals. TeachMT lets you upload certificates as you earn them.
You can submit the renewal application any time after January 1 of the year your license expires, and you have until August 31 to finish your units. If you enter your PDUs in TeachMT before you apply, OPI says a renewal can turn around in as little as 24 hours unless it’s audited.
Miss August 31 and your license lapses. If you’ve earned 60 PDUs in the last five years, you can apply for reinstatement. If you haven’t, and you’ve never held a Class 5, a Class 5C license gives you up to three years to catch up, as long as you live in Montana or have a job offer from a Montana school. Either way, reinstatement requires a new fingerprint background check.
Adding a Math Endorsement to an Existing License
If you already teach in Montana with a Class 1 or Class 2 license, you can add Mathematics 4-8 or 5-12 in one of three ways:
- Complete an EPP for the endorsement, plus a Praxis score, a student teaching portfolio or a 3.00 coursework GPA
- Show a posted degree major, or a posted minor of at least 18 semester hours, in math
- Teach for two years while appropriately licensed and pass the Praxis test for the endorsement
If your school needs you in a math classroom before you finish, a teaching endorsement internship lets you teach math while you complete the program. It’s an agreement between you, your district and a Montana college or university, granted one year at a time for up to three years, with a $17 fee. Your university submits the internship application in TeachMT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to pass the Praxis to teach math in Montana?
No. A Praxis score is one of four ways to show content knowledge for a Class 2 license. If you test, Mathematics 4-8 candidates need 157 on Middle School Mathematics (5164) and Mathematics 5-12 candidates need 159 on Mathematics (5165). You can instead use a 3.00 coursework GPA or a student teaching portfolio verified by your program, or an out-of-state license plus two years of teaching.
Can you teach math in Montana without a teaching degree?
Yes, if you have a bachelor’s degree in any field. A Class 5B provisional license lets you teach for up to three years while you complete an educator preparation program. You’ll need a plan of study from an accredited college and either a Montana address or a job offer from a Montana school.
Does Montana accept out-of-state teaching licenses?
Montana has no reciprocity with any state, so your license doesn’t transfer automatically and you apply through TeachMT. A current standard, unrestricted out-of-state license plus two years of teaching experience does satisfy the content knowledge requirement, so you won’t need a Praxis score.
How much does a Montana teaching license cost?
A first-time Class 2 license costs $80 and a first-time Class 1 costs $95, under the OPI fee schedule effective July 27, 2026. Add $30 for the Montana Department of Justice fingerprint check, any fee for taking your prints, and $130 if you take a Praxis math test.
How many renewal units do Montana teachers need?
You need 60 professional development units every five years to renew a Class 1 or Class 2 license. One semester credit equals 15 units and one quarter credit equals 10. You have until August 31 of the year your license expires to finish them.
- Endorsements: Montana offers Mathematics 4-8 and Mathematics 5-12 endorsements on a Class 2 or Class 1 license.
- Content knowledge: A Praxis score (157 on 5164 for grades 4-8, 159 on 5165 for grades 5-12) is one of four pathways, alongside a 3.00 coursework GPA, a student teaching portfolio, or an out-of-state license with two years of experience.
- Career changers: A Class 5B provisional license lets you teach for up to three years while you finish an educator preparation program.
- Applying: Every application goes through TeachMT, with a $30 Montana Department of Justice fingerprint check and an $80 first-time Class 2 fee.
- Renewal: You need 60 professional development units every five years, with an August 31 deadline in the year your license expires.
If you’re on the Class 5B route, your program decides how fast you can upgrade to a full license, so compare how each one schedules coursework around a full-time teaching job. Weigh the schools listed here on format and pacing before you commit.