English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Does transfer credit count toward the Missouri substitute credit rule?
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Transfer credit for a Missouri substitute certificate is not addressed directly by DESE. Its page asks for 36 semester hours from a regionally accredited, degree-granting college, verified by an original transcript from each institution you attended. That suggests DESE looks at where each course was earned. Ask DESE in writing how it treats transfer or recommended credit before relying on it.
What the rule says
RSMo 168.036 asks for at least 36 semester hours at an accredited institution of higher education. DESE's substitute page is more specific: 36 semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited, academic degree-granting college or university, verified with an original transcript from each institution the applicant attended. Neither text uses the words transfer credit.
Why transfer credit is a real question
Colleges often list transfer credit on their own transcript, sometimes with a grade and sometimes as a pass or simply as hours. When DESE asks for a transcript from each institution attended, it may be checking that every hour came from a regionally accredited, degree-granting college. Credit from one such college that moved to another is likely to be straightforward, because DESE can see both transcripts.
Credit that started somewhere else is different. That includes ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, exam credit and military training. A college can record that credit on its transcript, but DESE may still ask where it was earned. We found no DESE statement either way, which is why the answer has to come from DESE in writing.
- College to college: usually shown on both transcripts.
- Exam or recommended credit: shown only on the receiving college's transcript.
- Military training: shown on a Joint Services Transcript, then on a college transcript.
What to ask DESE
Write to DESE Educator Certification before you enrol and keep the reply. A short email works:
- I plan to apply for a substitute certificate on the 36 semester hour route.
- Would credit recorded on [college]'s transcript as transfer credit from ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses count toward the 36 hours?
- Would you also need a record from the original course provider?
- Does any part of the 36 hours need to be earned directly at a regionally accredited college?
How the credit would reach DESE
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. Its courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended. The credit reaches DESE via a college transcript: a regionally accredited, degree-granting college that considers recommended credit reviews the courses and, if it awards credit, records them. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. You then send DESE an original transcript from that college, plus any others you attended.
If DESE says no
You still have two good options. The 20-hour DESE-approved training with a high school diploma meets the education rule without any credit at all. Or take the remaining hours directly at a Missouri college; St. Louis Community College charges $127 per credit hour in-district for 2026-27. Recommended credit may still help later, toward a degree at a college that considers it.
If DESE says yes
Plan the courses, add up your existing hours, and leave time for the college to review the courses and issue its transcript. Keep DESE's written answer with your application, in case a different reviewer asks. Then complete fingerprints and apply through the DESE certification system.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
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.
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.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
does dese count transfer credit for a substitute certificate
DESE's page does not say. It asks for 36 semester hours from a regionally accredited, academic degree-granting college, verified by an original transcript from each institution attended. Ask DESE Educator Certification in writing how it treats transfer credit before you rely on it.
do i need transcripts from every college i attended
Yes, for the credit route. DESE says the 36 hours must be verified with an original transcript from each institution the applicant attended. Renewal transcripts can be mailed to Educator Certification in Jefferson City with your Social Security number or Educator ID on them.
can ace or nccrs credit count for a missouri substitute certificate
Only if a regionally accredited, degree-granting college records it on its transcript and DESE agrees. DESE has not published a rule on recommended credit, so ask in writing first. The 20-hour training is an alternative that needs no credit.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Introduction to Sociology
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 →
US History 1
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start 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.