Eligibility Criteria

In order to become certified by the South Carolina State Department of Education (SCDE) to hold positions in public school Montessori programs, educators must first meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Hold a bachelor's degree completed through a regionally accredited college or university; and
• Complete a training program accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE).

Please review the Office of Personalized Learning’s Montessori Education webpage for current information on in-state MACTE accredited training programs.

Becoming Certified

There are two available pathways to Montessori certification, depending on the educator’s current credentials.

• Montessori Add-On
  If already holding a qualifying South Carolina educator certificate and seeking to add Montessori fields to a current credential
• Montessori Initial Certification
  If holding a non-qualifying teaching certificate or seeking initial certification issuance in only Montessori fields