English Composition 1
A first college course that also counts toward most degrees.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →MissouriTeachers
The 36 college credits for a Missouri substitute permit
Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
The short answer
A Missouri substitute teaching license (DESE calls it a substitute certificate) needs one of two things: 36 semester hours from a regionally accredited college, or 20 clock hours of DESE-approved substitute training plus a high school diploma. You also need a fingerprint background check. The certificate lasts four years under RSMo 168.036.
The rule
Under RSMo 168.036 the State Board of Education may grant a substitute certificate to a person who has completed at least 36 semester hours at an accredited institution of higher education, or who holds a high school diploma or equivalent and has completed DESE's 20-hour online training; the certificate is valid for 4 years.
The rule asks for 36 semester hours (or the 20-hour training). The legal source is RSMo 168.036.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Credit route | 36 semester hours at an accredited institution of higher education | [1] |
| DESE wording | Regionally accredited, academic degree-granting college or university; original transcript from each institution | [2] |
| Training route | 20 clock hours of DESE-approved training plus a high school diploma or equivalent | [1] |
| Background check | Fingerprint clearance; a new one if the last is over 12 months old | [2] |
| Validity | 4 years; lapses after a calendar year with under 5 days or 40 hours of subbing | [1] |
| Age | Under 20: no teaching in grades 9-12 | [1] |
Who decides
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Educator Certification decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Which credits count
What counts
- Semester hours on an original transcript from a regionally accredited, academic degree-granting college or university.
- Credit in any subject: the statute and DESE page set a number of hours, not a list of courses.
- Or, instead of credit, 20 clock hours of DESE-approved substitute training plus a high school diploma or equivalent.
What does not count
- A course certificate from a provider that is not a college; outside credit counts only if it appears on a regionally accredited college's transcript and DESE agrees.
- Credit from a school that is not degree-granting, or that is not regionally accredited.
- Fewer than 36 semester hours: there is no partial credit route, though the 20-hour training is an alternative.
Courses that fit
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Educator Certification.
College Algebra
A common general education maths course.
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Psychology
Useful background for classroom work; ACE-recommended and NCCRS-recommended.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Educational Psychology
Learning and behaviour in school settings.
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
US History 1
A general education course many substitutes later need for a degree.
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Sociology
Social science general education; ACE-recommended and NCCRS-recommended.
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →The path via a college transcript
- Choose your routeIf you only want to start subbing soon, compare the 20-hour training with the 36 credits. If you also want progress toward a degree, the credit route builds both.
- Ask in writing before you enrolAsk DESE Educator Certification in writing whether ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, once recorded on a regionally accredited college's transcript, would count toward the 36 semester hours.
- Take the coursesOn PRO you can take English Composition, College Algebra, Psychology and other general education courses at your own pace for one monthly price.
- Get a college transcript and applyThe credit reaches DESE via a college transcript. Send original transcripts from each institution, complete the substitute checklist and fingerprinting, and apply in the DESE certification system.
TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; ask DESE in writing whether a partner college's transcript showing that credit would count toward the 36 hours before you rely on it.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
What it costs
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| St. Louis Community College | $127 per credit hour in-district, fall 2026 to spring 2027 ($176 out-of-district) | About $4,572 for 36 semester hours in-district | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning subscription | $99 a month, $299 for four months or $799 a year | Several courses a month at your own pace, plus a college's fee to record the credit on its transcript | 15 Nov 2026 |
For many people the 20-hour training from an approved provider is the faster way to a substitute certificate; DESE's page lists Frontline Education, Kelly Education and approved Missouri colleges but not their prices. The 36-credit route costs more but leaves you with college credit toward a degree.
What UPI Study cannot do here
- UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited; it does not issue substitute certificates or the 20-hour DESE training.
- UPI Study credit counts toward the 36 hours only if a regionally accredited, degree-granting college records it on its transcript and DESE agrees.
- UPI Study cannot do the fingerprint background check or apply to DESE for you.
- UPI Study does not decide whether DESE counts transfer credit shown on another college's transcript.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
Confirm in writing first
Ask DESE Educator Certification in writing whether ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, on a transcript from a regionally accredited degree-granting college, would count toward the 36 semester hours, before you enrol.
Missouri substitute certificate: the two routes
RSMo 168.036 lets the State Board of Education grant a substitute certificate on one of two bases. The first is at least 36 semester hours at an accredited institution of higher education. The second is DESE's 20-hour online training plus a high school diploma or equivalent. There is also a narrow exception for a person with technical, business or Armed Forces experience whom a superintendent sponsors and the local school board approves.
DESE's substitute page spells out the credit route: 36 semester hours from a regionally accredited, academic degree-granting college or university, verified by an original transcript from each institution you attended. The training route is 20 clock hours from a department-approved provider; DESE lists Frontline Education, Kelly Education and approved Missouri colleges and universities.
How to become a substitute teacher in Missouri
Whichever route you take, the steps are similar:
- Meet the education rule: 36 semester hours, or the 20-hour training plus a diploma.
- Complete the fingerprint background check; a new clearance is needed if the last one is over 12 months old.
- Follow DESE's Substitute Certificate Checklist and apply in the DESE certification system.
- Send original transcripts from each college, if you use the credit route.
- Register with the districts or staffing agency you want to work for.
Keeping the certificate
A substitute certificate is valid for four years. Under the 2025 version of RSMo 168.036, it expires at the end of any calendar year in which you do not substitute teach for at least five days or 40 hours of in-seat instruction, so keep working each year. Substitutes under 20 years old may not teach grades 9 to 12. Renewal is through the DESE certification system, with a $50 processing fee and a new fingerprint clearance.
If you already hold a valid Missouri teaching certificate you do not need a substitute certificate. If your teaching certificate expires, DESE says a substitute certificate would be needed.
36 credits or 20 hours: which suits you
For someone who only wants to sub, the 20-hour training is usually quicker and cheaper. The credit route makes sense if you already have some college credit, or if you plan to finish a degree or become a certified teacher later; the same 36 hours then count twice. At St. Louis Community College, 36 hours cost about $4,572 in-district for 2026-27.
UPI Study courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended. The credit reaches DESE via a college transcript: a regionally accredited college that considers recommended credit reviews the courses and, if it awards credit, records them. Ask DESE in writing first whether that transcript would count toward the 36 hours.
Questions people ask
how to become a substitute teacher in missouri
Get either 36 semester hours from a regionally accredited college or 20 clock hours of DESE-approved substitute training plus a high school diploma. Complete the fingerprint background check, follow DESE's substitute checklist, and apply through the DESE certification system. Then register with a district or staffing agency.
do i need a degree to substitute teach in missouri
No. Missouri asks for 36 semester hours of college credit, not a degree, or the 20-hour DESE-approved training with a high school diploma or equivalent. Credit must come from a regionally accredited, academic degree-granting college or university, shown on an original transcript.
what is the 20 hour substitute teacher course in missouri
It is 20 clock hours of department-approved substitute teacher training, set out in RSMo 168.036. DESE lists Frontline Education, Kelly Education and approved Missouri colleges and universities as providers. With a high school diploma or equivalent, it meets the education rule instead of 36 credits.
how long is a missouri substitute certificate valid
Four years. Under the 2025 version of the law it expires at the end of any calendar year in which you do not substitute teach for at least five days or 40 hours of in-seat instruction. Renewal costs a $50 processing fee and needs a new fingerprint clearance.
can online college credit count toward the 36 hours
DESE asks for credit from a regionally accredited, academic degree-granting college or university, verified by original transcripts. It does not bar online study. ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit counts only if such a college records it and DESE agrees, so ask DESE in writing first.
Read next
- How to substitute teach in Missouri without a degreeYou can substitute teach in Missouri without a degree. RSMo 168.036 asks for either 36 semester hours from an accredited college or 20 clock hours of...
- Does transfer credit count toward the Missouri substitute credit rule?Transfer credit for a Missouri substitute certificate is not addressed directly by DESE. Its page asks for 36 semester hours from a regionally...
The same topic in nearby states
Ready when you have it in writing
Ask DESE in writing first, then take general education courses at your own pace.
Sources
- RSMo 168.036: Substitute teachers, certificate requirements (official)36 semester hours at an accredited institution, or the 20-hour online training with a high school diploma or equivalent; background check under 168.021; valid 4 years; expires at the end of a calendar year with fewer than 5 days or 40 hours of in-seat substitute teaching; substitutes under 20 may not teach grades 9-12; version effective 28 August 2025. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- DESE: Substitute Teacher Certification (official)36 semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited, academic degree-granting college or university, verified by an original transcript from each institution attended; or 20 clock hours of department-approved training from Frontline Education, Kelly Education or approved Missouri colleges; $50 processing fee on renewal; new fingerprint clearance required. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- St. Louis Community College: Tuition (official)Fall 2026 to spring 2027: $127 per credit hour in-district, $176 out-of-district, $238 out-of-state. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Sophia Learning: Plans and pricing$99 a month, $299 for four months or $799 a year. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- St. Louis Community College: TuitionPrice for St. Louis Community College, checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Sophia Learning: Plans and pricingPrice for Sophia Learning subscription, checked on 15 Nov 2026.