Overview

As with all professions, specialized training is a prerequisite to specialized practice. However, due to a critical shortage of qualified teachers in some endorsement areas within Montana, the Board of Public Education (BPE) and the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) in cooperation with Montana State University (MSU), has developed a teaching endorsement internship program. The program is referred to as the BPE Internship. This program is available for licensed teachers who are seeking to add an endorsement, and for those individuals in the advanced programs of library media, principal K-12, superintendent, and school counseling. The program relies on Montana school district personnel to recommend candidates and contribute ongoing support and a field supervisor (usually the school district principal).  

The BPE Internship endorsement categories that MSU sponsors are: 

MSU does not sponsor any other endorsement categories. 

Eligibility

The first step in determining if you are a candidate for the internship program is to contact Jamie O’Callaghan, Post Baccalaureate Specialist. She will guide individuals through a Licensure Endorsement Assessment Tool (LEAT) process.  This process ascertains whether a candidate meets OPI’s eligibility requirements for the program:

  •  Hold a current Class 1 or 2 Montana teaching
  • School district verification of a teacher contract or pending contract.
  • Completion of six (6) credits in new endorsement area prior to acceptance into BPE internship program or enrolled in six (6) credits in new endorsement area.

How to Apply for the BPE Internship Program

Working with the Field Placement and LIcensure Office, applications for the BPE Internship are accepted on an annual basis to cover the July 1 to June 30 academic year. Enrollment in this program is reported to the Office of Public Instruction annually during the fall.  Prior to applying for the BPE Internship, we ask that you contact our Post Baccalaureate Specialist, Jamie O'Callaghan, [email protected], who will guide you through the process.   We do not accept applications until potential interns complete this procedure  with our Post Baccalaureate Specialist. All the details of the internship program are available in the BPE Internship Handbook.

BPE Internship Program Handbook

 

IMPORTANT:  The information on this webpage is specific to those individuals who hold a bachelor's degree, or post-baccalaureate.  If you are interested in the BPE Internship for master’s or advanced programs, please contact those programs directly at these websites:

 

NOTE:  Post-Baccalaureate individuals seeking an added endorsement in Family and Consumer Sciences will follow the LEAT process.  Otherwise, those seeking a Master’s in Family and Consumer Sciences should contact that department directly.