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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How to substitute teach in Missouri without a degree
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
You 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 DESE-approved training plus a high school diploma or equivalent. Add a fingerprint background check and a DESE application. The certificate lasts four years if you sub at least five days a year.
What Missouri asks for
Missouri sets a low bar to start substitute teaching, on purpose: districts need substitutes. The law offers two ways to meet the education rule. One is at least 36 semester hours of college credit. The other is 20 clock hours of substitute training approved by DESE, together with a high school diploma or equivalent. Neither route needs a bachelor's degree.
DESE's page adds detail on the credit route: the hours must come from a regionally accredited, academic degree-granting college or university, and you prove them with an original transcript from each institution you attended.
Route 1: the 20-hour training
DESE lists Frontline Education, Kelly Education and approved Missouri colleges and universities as providers of the 20-hour training. You register through the provider. DESE's page does not show the providers' prices, so compare them directly. For someone with no college credit who wants to start soon, this is usually the quickest route.
Keep the completion record. It goes with your application, with your diploma or equivalent.
Route 2: 36 semester hours
Thirty-six semester hours is about twelve 3-credit courses, a little over one year of full-time college. Many people already have some: a semester or two from years ago may get you most of the way. Order your transcripts first and add up the hours before planning anything new.
The credit route costs more than the training, but the hours keep their value. They count toward an associate or bachelor's degree, and toward a teaching certificate later if you decide to teach full time.
| 20-hour training | 36 semester hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Education needed | High school diploma or equivalent | College credit from a regionally accredited college |
| Time | 20 clock hours | About 12 courses |
| Proof | Completion record from an approved provider | Original transcript from each college |
| Later value | Substitute certificate only | Counts toward a degree too |
Fingerprints, application and the age rule
Every new applicant needs a fingerprint background check, and a new clearance is required if your last one is over 12 months old. Follow DESE's Substitute Certificate Checklist and apply through the DESE certification system. Since 2023 the law lets a substitute send background check results to up to five districts, with total fees capped at $50.
Age matters too: a substitute under 20 years old may not teach grades 9 to 12.
Keeping the certificate for four years
The certificate is valid for four years, but the 2025 version of the law adds a condition: 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. Plan to accept a few days of work every year. Renewal is through the DESE system, with a $50 processing fee and new fingerprint clearance.
Where UPI Study fits
If you choose the credit route, UPI Study's courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended general education courses, such as English Composition, College Algebra and Introduction to Psychology. 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. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Ask DESE in writing first whether such a transcript would count toward the 36 hours. If you only want to sub, the 20-hour training may suit you better.
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
can i substitute teach in missouri with a high school diploma
Yes, if you also finish 20 clock hours of DESE-approved substitute training, from providers such as Frontline Education, Kelly Education or approved Missouri colleges. You also need the fingerprint background check and a DESE application.
how many college credits do you need to substitute in missouri
36 semester hours from a regionally accredited, academic degree-granting college or university, shown on original transcripts from each institution. No degree is needed. The 20-hour training plus a diploma is the alternative.
does my missouri substitute certificate expire if i do not sub
It can. Under the 2025 law, the certificate 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, even inside its four-year term.
can a 19-year-old substitute teach in missouri
Yes, with the training or credits, but not in high school. The law says a substitute under 20 years old may not teach grades 9 to 12. Elementary and middle school classes are still open.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
College Algebra
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
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 →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.