MSU’s Teacher Education Program Requirements underwent a significant revision in the 2023-24 catalog that remains in effect for the 2024-25 and subsequent catalogs: “Successful Program Completion” now requires students to earn a passing score on the Montana Assessment of Content Knowledge (MACK). In addition to earning a 3.0 GPA in their major (and in any teaching minors) and demonstrating “proficient” content knowledge during student teaching, therefore, students in these catalogs must successfully complete the Praxis Subject Assessment for each teaching major and for any teaching minors* in order to graduate. Successful completion, in this case, means earning a score sufficient to earn two points on the MACK. The raw Praxis score necessary varies by major, and minimum scores are listed in the MACK document linked above, as well as in the GPA Calculator Spreadsheets for each teaching major. Meeting each of these requirements will suffice to earn the required 7 points to pass the MACK (3 points for a 3.0 major GPA, 2 points for student teaching, and 2 points for the Praxis).

The three components of the MACK will be completed at different points during a student's degree.

Students must earn a 3.0 major GPA in order to be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. TEP admission is the prerequisite to all practicum and methods coursework, and the application is typically submitted during a student's second or third year.

Students must complete the Praxis requirement prior to the start of their student teaching experience. To ensure that students have sufficient time to retake the Praxis (if necessary), the MSU Office of Field Placement & Licensure recommends that students take the Praxis exam well in advance of student teaching:

  • Fall-semester student teachers should take the Praxis in October or November the year before their anticipated student teaching experience. At the latest, students should attempt the Praxis over winter break.
  • Spring-semester student teachers should take the Praxis in March or April the year before their anticipated student teaching experience. At the latest, students should attempt the Praxis over summer break.

Students must demonstrate proficient content knowledge during their student teaching semester, which is the final semester of any teaching degree at MSU.

*It is not required to take the Praxis for a teaching minor if that minor is contained within the student's broadfield teaching major. Students majoring in Social Studies Broadfield do not need to take separate Praxis exams for the History Teaching and Government Teaching minors. Students majoring in General Science Broadfield do not need to take separate Praxis exams for the the Biology Teaching, Chemistry Teaching, Physics Teaching, or Earth Sciences Teaching minors.