There are many paths to earning a secondary teaching license (Grades 5-12) at UMass Boston, take a minute to read this brief explanation below.
PATHWAYS TO A TEACHING LICENSE
Here at UMass Boston, we have several options for your preparation as a secondary teacher…
Our traditional master’s program can be done full-time (1 year plus two summers) or part-time (2-3 years) with most students placed in the Boston Public Schools or other local urban school districts. To learn more about the courses and experiences involved, see our program of study here.
Our Teach Next Year Program is a residency program and Boston Public Schools pipeline program, where you will spend an entire school year as an intern learning from experienced teachers and receive your teaching license at the end of the school year. To learn more about the courses and experiences involved, see our program of study here.
UMass Boston undergraduate students can also earn their license as undergraduates through our education studies minor (or UTeach Program for math and science) or our accelerated master’s (4+1) program. To learn more about the courses and experiences involved, see our program of study for the minor here and the 4+1 here.
Or, are you not seeking a teaching license, but are interested in a master’s degree related to teacher-leadership, community-based education, professional development, curriculum writing, or educational research?
Then, our Learning, Teaching, and Educational Transformation (Non-Licensure) M.Ed. might be a great fit. For the program of study, see here.
What are the different types of teacher licenses?
All accredited Massachusetts teacher preparation programs (including UMass Boston) lead to an initial educator license, which is the first permanent license. These programs require successfully completing required coursework, student teaching practicum (with the Candidate Assessment of Performance), and passing the required Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure.
After three years of service in a public school under the initial license, the completion of a mentoring program, and earning a master’s degree with 12 graduate credits in subject matter knowledge or pedagogy based on the subject matter knowledge (which our program include), teachers are able to apply for their professional educator license.
Massachusetts has reciprocity with all 50 states through the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement. So, if you earn a teaching license at UMass Boston, it can be transferred to another state (although it may require some additional state requirements, such as passing exams or completing workshops).
Next steps to joining our teacher education programs at UMass Boston?
To learn more about admissions or the program of study, contact our Middle/Secondary Education Program Director Christopher Martell at SecondaryEducation@umb.edu.
To learn more about teacher licensure, contact our Director of Student Success Aimée D’Avignon at aimee.davignon@umb.edu.
To apply to UMass Boston’s Middle/Secondary Education Programs, visit here: https://admissions.umb.edu/apply#grad.
UMass Boston also has teacher preparation programs for other levels and areas. Learn more about our early childhood education bachelor’s program here, early childhood education master’s program here, elementary education master’s program here, special education master’s program here, and ESL/bilingual education master’s program here.