Minnesota Teaching Licensure Areas & Endorsements

Before you enroll in a teaching program, you’ll need to decide what you want to teach—the subject and grade level. These will determine the specific teaching license you earn.

On this page, we’ll go over your options!

1
How do I choose a teaching license?
2
Which licenses can I earn?
3
Get the Licensing Guide

How do I choose a teaching license?

If you already know what grade and subject you want to teach: Fabulous! You can jump to the next section.

Not sure? Consider a shortage area or a subject that lets you teach all grades.

You can earn licenses in different subjects throughout your teaching career. You don't have to get all your license endorsements at once.

What teaching licenses can I earn?

Once you know the grade and subject you want to teach, you can select your teaching license. Click the tabs to explore your options. (2)

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Early Childhood	Birth–Grade 3	✅
Elementary Education	Grades K–6	✅ (Shortage area only for language immersion & STEM programs)
Pre-primary* *Add-on only. You must already have an Elementary Education teaching license.	Age 3–PreK	✅
Special Education: Early Childhood	Birth–Age 6	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Developmental Adapted Physical Education* *Add-on only. You must already have a physical education teaching license.	Grade PreK–Age 21
Health Education	Grades 5–12	✅
Physical Education	Grades K–12	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Communication Arts & Literature	Grades 5–12	✅
Communication Arts & Literature: Middle Level* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Grades 5–8	✅
Social Studies	Grades 5–12
Social Studies: Middle Level* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Grades 5–8

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Chemistry	Grades 9–12	✅
Earth & Space Science	Grades 9–12	✅
General Science (Science 5–8)	Grades 5–8	✅
Life Sciences	Grades 9–12	✅
Mathematics	Grades 5–12	✅
Mathematics: Middle Level* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Grades 5–8	✅
Physics	Grades 9–12	✅
Teachers of Computer, Keyboarding & Related Technology Applications* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Whatever grades your existing license covers	✅
Technology	Grades 5–12	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Academic & Behavioral Strategist (Mild/Moderate)	Grade K–Age 21	✅
Autism Spectrum Disorders	Birth–Age 21	✅
Blind or Visually Impaired	Birth–Age 21
Deaf or Hard of Hearing	Birth–Age 21	✅
Developmental Adapted Physical Education* *Add-on only. You must already have a physical education teaching license.	Grade PreK–Age 21
Developmental Disabilities	Grade K–Age 21	✅
Early Childhood Special Education	Birth–Age 6	✅
Emotional Behavioral Disorders	Grade K–Age 21	✅
Learning Disabilities	Grade K–Age 21	✅
Oral/Aural Education	Birth–Age 21
Physical & Health Disabilities	Birth–Age 21

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Dance	Grades K–12	✅
Dance & Theatre Arts	Grades K–12	✅
Music: Instrumental & Classroom Music	Grades K–12	✅
Music: Vocal & Classroom Music	Grades K–12	✅
Theatre Arts	Grades K–12	✅
Visual Arts	Grades K–12	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
American Sign Language	Grades K–12	✅
Arabic	Grades K–12	✅
Bilingual-Bicultural* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Whatever grades your existing license covers
Chinese (Mandarin)	Grades K–12	✅
Dakota	Grades K–12	✅
English as a Second Language	Grades K–12	✅
French	Grades K–12	✅
German	Grades K–12	✅
Greek	Grades K–12	✅
Hebrew	Grades K–12	✅
Hmong	Grades K–12	✅
Japanese	Grades K–12	✅
Italian	Grades K–12	✅
Karen	Grades K–12	✅
Korean	Grades K–12	✅
Latin	Grades K–12	✅
Norwegian	Grades K–12	✅
Ojibwe	Grades K–12	✅
Polish	Grades K–12	✅
Russian	Grades K–12	✅
Somali	Grades K–12	✅
Spanish	Grades K–12	✅
Swedish	Grades K–12	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Agricultural Education	Grades 5–12	✅
Business	Grades 5–12	✅
Communications Technology Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Construction Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Cosmetology Career Pathway	Grades 9–12	✅
Creative Design Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Early Childhood Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Family & Consumer Science	Grades 5–12	✅
Hospitality Service Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Law Enforcement Career Pathway	Grades 9–12	✅
Manufacturing Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Medical Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Park Services Career Pathway	Grades 9–12	✅
Transportation Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Work-Based Learning* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject for grades 9–12.	Grades 9–12	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Adult Basic Education	Adult
American Indian Language, History & Culture Learn more about this teaching license.	Grades K–12
Driver & Traffic Safety	Grades 9–12
Library Media Specialist	Grades K–12	✅
Parent & Family Education	Adult	✅
Reading* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Grades K–12
Reading Leader* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Grades K–12

Subject	Grades
School Counselor	Grades K–12
School Nurse	Grades PreK–12
School Psychologist	Grades PreK–12
School Social Worker	Grades PreK–12
Speech Language Pathologist	Grade PreK–Age 21

Get the Licensing Guide

An open laptop. On the screen is the cover the Minnesota Licensing Guide.

Keep a list of license subject areas handy, and get step-by-step details on pathways to teaching and how to get licensed in Minnesota.

It’s all free in our Licensing Guide!

Get the Guide

What’s next

Career Coaching in Minnesota

Talk to an experienced local educator about how to become a licensed teacher in Minnesota. Get free advice on how to choose what subject and grade to teach and apply to the right program.

Start Teaching Right Away in MN

If you have a bachelor’s degree, you may be able to start teaching right away with a Tier 2 teaching license. Learn how TeachMN can help you get started.

Sign Up for Free Resources

Enter your email to get FREE resources for future Minnesota teachers—from tailored advising to funding opportunities and more. Already signed up? Sign in at the top of the page to access your dashboard.

References

2024–2025 Minnesota Student Teacher Grants: Designated Teacher Shortage Areas, Minnesota Office of Higher Education. https://www.ohe.state.mn.us/Documents/Student%20Teacher%20Grants/Table_MN%20Licensure%20Shortage%20Areas_ADA.pdf
Minnesota Teacher and Related Services Licensure Fields, Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. https://mn.gov/pelsb/assets/Minnesota%20Licensure%20Fields%20post_tcm1113-345516.pdf

Before you enroll in a teaching program, you’ll need to decide what you want to teach—the subject and grade level. These will determine the specific teaching license you earn.

On this page, we’ll go over your options!

1
How do I choose a teaching license?
2
Which licenses can I earn?
3
Get the Licensing Guide

How do I choose a teaching license?

If you already know what grade and subject you want to teach: Fabulous! You can jump to the next section.

Not sure? Consider a shortage area or a subject that lets you teach all grades.

You can earn licenses in different subjects throughout your teaching career. You don't have to get all your license endorsements at once.

What teaching licenses can I earn?

Once you know the grade and subject you want to teach, you can select your teaching license. Click the tabs to explore your options. (2)

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Early Childhood	Birth–Grade 3	✅
Elementary Education	Grades K–6	✅ (Shortage area only for language immersion & STEM programs)
Pre-primary* *Add-on only. You must already have an Elementary Education teaching license.	Age 3–PreK	✅
Special Education: Early Childhood	Birth–Age 6	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Developmental Adapted Physical Education* *Add-on only. You must already have a physical education teaching license.	Grade PreK–Age 21
Health Education	Grades 5–12	✅
Physical Education	Grades K–12	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Communication Arts & Literature	Grades 5–12	✅
Communication Arts & Literature: Middle Level* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Grades 5–8	✅
Social Studies	Grades 5–12
Social Studies: Middle Level* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Grades 5–8

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Chemistry	Grades 9–12	✅
Earth & Space Science	Grades 9–12	✅
General Science (Science 5–8)	Grades 5–8	✅
Life Sciences	Grades 9–12	✅
Mathematics	Grades 5–12	✅
Mathematics: Middle Level* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Grades 5–8	✅
Physics	Grades 9–12	✅
Teachers of Computer, Keyboarding & Related Technology Applications* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Whatever grades your existing license covers	✅
Technology	Grades 5–12	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Academic & Behavioral Strategist (Mild/Moderate)	Grade K–Age 21	✅
Autism Spectrum Disorders	Birth–Age 21	✅
Blind or Visually Impaired	Birth–Age 21
Deaf or Hard of Hearing	Birth–Age 21	✅
Developmental Adapted Physical Education* *Add-on only. You must already have a physical education teaching license.	Grade PreK–Age 21
Developmental Disabilities	Grade K–Age 21	✅
Early Childhood Special Education	Birth–Age 6	✅
Emotional Behavioral Disorders	Grade K–Age 21	✅
Learning Disabilities	Grade K–Age 21	✅
Oral/Aural Education	Birth–Age 21
Physical & Health Disabilities	Birth–Age 21

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Dance	Grades K–12	✅
Dance & Theatre Arts	Grades K–12	✅
Music: Instrumental & Classroom Music	Grades K–12	✅
Music: Vocal & Classroom Music	Grades K–12	✅
Theatre Arts	Grades K–12	✅
Visual Arts	Grades K–12	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
American Sign Language	Grades K–12	✅
Arabic	Grades K–12	✅
Bilingual-Bicultural* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Whatever grades your existing license covers
Chinese (Mandarin)	Grades K–12	✅
Dakota	Grades K–12	✅
English as a Second Language	Grades K–12	✅
French	Grades K–12	✅
German	Grades K–12	✅
Greek	Grades K–12	✅
Hebrew	Grades K–12	✅
Hmong	Grades K–12	✅
Japanese	Grades K–12	✅
Italian	Grades K–12	✅
Karen	Grades K–12	✅
Korean	Grades K–12	✅
Latin	Grades K–12	✅
Norwegian	Grades K–12	✅
Ojibwe	Grades K–12	✅
Polish	Grades K–12	✅
Russian	Grades K–12	✅
Somali	Grades K–12	✅
Spanish	Grades K–12	✅
Swedish	Grades K–12	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Agricultural Education	Grades 5–12	✅
Business	Grades 5–12	✅
Communications Technology Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Construction Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Cosmetology Career Pathway	Grades 9–12	✅
Creative Design Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Early Childhood Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Family & Consumer Science	Grades 5–12	✅
Hospitality Service Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Law Enforcement Career Pathway	Grades 9–12	✅
Manufacturing Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Medical Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Park Services Career Pathway	Grades 9–12	✅
Transportation Careers	Grades 7–12	✅
Work-Based Learning* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject for grades 9–12.	Grades 9–12	✅

Subject	Grades	Shortage Area?
Adult Basic Education	Adult
American Indian Language, History & Culture Learn more about this teaching license.	Grades K–12
Driver & Traffic Safety	Grades 9–12
Library Media Specialist	Grades K–12	✅
Parent & Family Education	Adult	✅
Reading* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Grades K–12
Reading Leader* *Add-on only. You must already have a license in another subject.	Grades K–12

Subject	Grades
School Counselor	Grades K–12
School Nurse	Grades PreK–12
School Psychologist	Grades PreK–12
School Social Worker	Grades PreK–12
Speech Language Pathologist	Grade PreK–Age 21

Get the Licensing Guide

Keep a list of license subject areas handy, and get step-by-step details on pathways to teaching and how to get licensed in Minnesota.

It’s all free in our Licensing Guide!

Get the Guide

What’s next

Career Coaching in Minnesota

Talk to an experienced local educator about how to become a licensed teacher in Minnesota. Get free advice on how to choose what subject and grade to teach and apply to the right program.

Start Teaching Right Away in MN

If you have a bachelor’s degree, you may be able to start teaching right away with a Tier 2 teaching license. Learn how TeachMN can help you get started.

Sign Up for Free Resources

References

2024–2025 Minnesota Student Teacher Grants: Designated Teacher Shortage Areas, Minnesota Office of Higher Education. https://www.ohe.state.mn.us/Documents/Student%20Teacher%20Grants/Table_MN%20Licensure%20Shortage%20Areas_ADA.pdf
Minnesota Teacher and Related Services Licensure Fields, Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. https://mn.gov/pelsb/assets/Minnesota%20Licensure%20Fields%20post_tcm1113-345516.pdf

Before you enroll in a teaching program, you’ll need to decide what you want to teach—the subject and grade level. These will determine the specific teaching license you earn.

On this page, we’ll go over your options!

Which licenses can I earn?

Get the Licensing Guide

How do I choose a teaching license?

Consider a PreK–Grade 12 subject

What teaching licenses can I earn?

Elementary & Early Childhood

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Health & Physical Education

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Humanities & Social Sciences

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Math, Science & Technology

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Special Education

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Visual & Performing Arts

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

World Languages & Cultures

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Career & Technical Education

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Academic Specialties

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Related Services

Subject

Grades

Get the Licensing Guide

What’s next

Career Coaching in Minnesota

Start Teaching Right Away in MN

Sign Up for Free Resources

References

Before you enroll in a teaching program, you’ll need to decide what you want to teach—the subject and grade level. These will determine the specific teaching license you earn.

On this page, we’ll go over your options!

Which licenses can I earn?

Get the Licensing Guide

How do I choose a teaching license?

Consider a PreK–Grade 12 subject

What teaching licenses can I earn?

Elementary & Early Childhood

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Health & Physical Education

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Humanities & Social Sciences

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Math, Science & Technology

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Special Education

Subject

Grades

Shortage Area?

Visual & Performing Arts