Elementary Teacher Licensure Requirements
Requirements for Massachusetts Initial Licensure for Elementary Teaching
(Grades1-6)

An Initial License to teach at the Elementary Level (Grades 1 – 6) Massachusetts requires the following:

1. A Bachelor’s Degree

2. Passing scores a series of teacher tests (MTEL)

3. Completion of an approved licensure program

Bachelor’s Degree

If you want to become an elementary teacher, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires that you have a bachelor's degree in arts and sciences or an interdisciplinary major from an accredited college or university with an arts or sciences major appropriate to the instructional field.

Those applying for a Massachusetts Initial License as an Elementary Teacher need to have subject knowledge in English including topics in American and World Literature, Mathematics, History and Social Studies including Geography and Economics, Science, and child development. This can be achieved at Smith College by meeting course distribution requirements for the Latin Honors (Literature, Historical Studies, Natural Science, The Arts, Social Science, Mathematics and Analytic Philosophy, with exception of Foreign Language) major in a liberal arts discipline and also taking one course (or equivalent experience) that emphasizes the use of information technology.

Smith also offers Initial Licensure Programs for:

French (Pre K – 6)
Spanish (Pre K – 6)
Visual Art (Pre K – 8)

Passing scores a series of teacher tests (MTEL)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires that candidates for Initial Licensure as a teacher pass the Communication and Literacy Skills Test as well as different subject tests.
Students who want to be licensed to teach at the elementary level in Massachusetts must pass a Massachusetts Communication and Literacy Skills Test, and demonstrate subject matter knowledge in a General Curriculum (formerly Elementary) test. In addition, candidates for elementary certification must pass the Foundations of Reading Test.

Please contact Jack Czajkowski, the Director of Teacher Education at 585-3369 or jczajkow@email.smith.edu or check the Massachusetts Department of Education for information about how to prepare and register for the Massachusetts MTELs tests.

Completion of an approved licensure program

Smith College is an approved licensure program in the state of Massachusetts.

Completing the Elementary Initial Licensure program at Smith College includes completing the following courses in Education and Child Study:
EDC 235 Child and Adolescent Growth and Development
EDC 238 Educational Psychology
EDC 338 Children Learning to Read
EDC 347 Individual Differences Among Learners
EDC 345d Elementary Curriculum and Methods
One course in either historical and philosophical or sociological and cultural foundations of education

The Elementary Initial License you earn in Massachusetts may transfer to other states, although other requirements such as taking other tests or completing other coursework may exist. Massachusetts is part of the NASDTEC 2005-2010 Interstate Agreement, so that Massachusetts teacher licensure is recognized by 45 other states and the District of Columbia.

Program Requirements

Overview

Major

Minor

Course Catalog

Teacher Licensure

Elementary Licensure

Secondary Licensure

MA DOE Licensure Help

Contact Director of Teacher Education