Understand Minnesota’s approval system

Minnesota regulates real estate education through the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Approved providers—not individual instructors acting independently—generally submit course and instructor information to the Department.

Every approved course of study, other than a self-study course, must have an instructor qualified by education, training, or experience to provide competent instruction. For self-study courses, the qualification requirement applies to the course author.

An instructor should therefore begin by identifying a Minnesota-approved real estate education provider willing to sponsor the course. The provider typically submits the instructor’s qualifications with the initial course application or submits an application to add or replace an instructor.

Choose the type of course

The qualification standard depends on the type of instruction:

• Prelicense education: Courses required before a person may qualify for a Minnesota real estate license, including the salesperson and broker education curriculum.
• Continuing education: Courses taken by existing Minnesota real estate licensees to maintain compliance with continuing-education requirements.

A person may qualify for one type of course but not necessarily another. The Department evaluates whether the applicant’s education, training, and experience relate specifically to the subject area being taught.

Meet the typical prelicense-instructor qualifications

Minnesota’s published guidance lists several alternative qualification paths for prelicense instructors. An applicant generally must document at least one of the following:

• A four-year degree in the industry or subject for which the course is being taught.
• A four-year degree plus three years of full-time experience in real estate or in a business or profession related to the subject.
• A postgraduate degree plus 45 hours of continuing education in the relevant industry.
• A two-year degree in the relevant industry plus 45 hours of continuing education in that industry.
• A two-year degree or certificate plus five years of full-time experience in the relevant industry.
• A degree or certificate plus five years of full-time experience in a business or profession related to the subject.
• Eight years of recent experience in the subject area, gained during the eight years immediately preceding the first course offering.

These are alternative routes rather than cumulative requirements. For example, a person without a four-year degree may potentially qualify through the applicable degree-and-experience route or through the recent-experience route.

Meet the typical continuing-education-instructor qualifications

For continuing-education courses, Minnesota’s published requirements generally allow approval based on one of these qualifications:

• A four-year degree in any field plus two years of practical experience in the subject area.
• Five years of practical experience in the subject area.
• A college or graduate degree in the subject area.

Older versions of Minnesota’s rules also reference a broker’s license or practical experience and additional continuing education for some continuing-education instructors. Because the Department’s current application materials and rules control, applicants should confirm whether those provisions still apply to the specific course and approval pathway.

Build a documentation file

A provider must be able to verify the qualifications claimed for the course. Prepare documentation such as:

• A résumé or curriculum vitae identifying relevant employment and teaching experience.
• Copies of degrees, certificates, licenses, or other credentials.
• Employment records or written confirmations showing the length and nature of qualifying experience.
• Records of relevant continuing-education completion.
• A description of the proposed course and the instructor’s connection to its subject matter.
• Evidence of any real estate broker or salesperson license, if relevant to the course.

The Department may request records and data needed to administer Minnesota’s education laws and rules. Incomplete or unsupported qualification claims can delay approval.

Work through an approved education provider

A prospective instructor should contact Minnesota-approved education providers and ask whether they are accepting instructors for the desired course. Confirm that the provider:

• Has active approval from the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
• Offers the relevant real estate education category.
• Has an approved coordinator responsible for supervising the education program.
• Is willing to submit the instructor’s qualifications for approval.
• Will not advertise or offer the course for Minnesota credit until the course and instructor are approved.

Minnesota requires each license-education provider to have at least one approved coordinator responsible for supervising the program and ensuring compliance with state law and rules.

Submit the instructor and course applications

The provider—not merely the instructor—typically handles the formal submission. The process commonly involves:

1. Identify the course type, subject, delivery method, and proposed offering date.
2. Select an instructor whose qualifications match the subject area.
3. Complete the Department’s instructor approval or add/replace-instructor paperwork.
4. Attach documentation supporting the instructor’s education, training, and experience.
5. Submit the course application and required fee through the approved provider.
6. Submit the application at least 30 days before the initial proposed course offering, as directed by the Department’s course-application guidance.
7. Wait for Department approval before representing the course as approved for Minnesota license education credit.

The provider should retain copies of the submission and approval notice. If the course changes substantially, or if a different instructor will teach it, the provider should determine whether a new or amended approval is required.

Prepare to teach an approved Minnesota course

Approval as an instructor does not replace the need to comply with the provider’s instructional and recordkeeping requirements. Before teaching, clarify:

• Required course materials and learning objectives.
• Attendance, identity-verification, and completion procedures.
• In-person, live-online, or self-study requirements.
• Examination or assessment procedures, if applicable.
• Records that must be retained.
• Procedures for reporting completion to the provider or Department.
• Restrictions on substituting instructors or changing approved course content.

Only qualified instructors should teach approved course offerings. A provider can risk the approval of a course if it uses an instructor who has not been properly approved or documented.

Do you need a Minnesota real estate license?

A Minnesota real estate license is not identified in the Department’s general instructor qualification alternatives as a universal prerequisite for teaching every real estate course. The central test is whether the instructor is qualified by education, training, or experience in the subject being taught.

However, holding an active Minnesota broker’s or salesperson’s license may strengthen an application—particularly for courses involving Minnesota brokerage practice, agency, licensing compliance, contracts, or other practice-based subjects. It does not automatically establish approval, and the Department or provider may require additional documentation.

Confirm the current rules before applying

Minnesota’s education requirements and forms can change, and the applicable standard may depend on whether the course is prelicense, continuing education, live, online, or self-study. Before committing to a course:

• Review the Minnesota Department of Commerce instructor-qualification page.
• Review the current course-application instructions and forms.
• Ask the sponsoring provider or coordinator to confirm the correct application.
• Check the current Minnesota administrative rules and statutes.
• Obtain written clarification from the Department if the qualification path is unusual or the subject is specialized.

The Department’s current guidance should control over older summaries, archived forms, or informal advice from providers. Providers and licensees are also advised to confirm that a course and provider are active and approved before relying on the course for Minnesota credit.

Authoritative Sources

• Minnesota Department of Commerce — Instructor Qualifications
• Minnesota Department of Commerce — Course Applications
• Minnesota Department of Commerce — Providers and Coordinators
• Minnesota Department of Commerce — Education Provider Procedures Guide
• Minnesota Department of Commerce — Provider and Coordinator Applications
• Minnesota Administrative Rules, Chapter 2800 — Real Estate