Secondary Teacher Licensure Requirements
Requirements for Massachusetts Initial Licensure for Secondary Teaching
(Grades 5-8, 8-12)

An Initial License to teach at the Secondary Level (Grades 5 – 8, 8 - 12) 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 secondary teacher – middle school and high school – the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires that you have a bachelor's degree in arts and sciences from an accredited college or university with an arts or sciences major appropriate to the instructional field.

Passing scores a series of teacher tests (MTEL)

Students who want to teach at the secondary level will need to take and pass the Communication and Literacy Skills test and the Subject matter test for the area in which they plan on teaching.

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 for the following Middle and High School Teaching Licensure Programs: (Grades 5 - 8) (8 -12)

English

Mathematics

History
Political Science

Biology
Earth Science
Physics
Chemistry

French
Spanish

Middle School Humanities
Middle School Math/Science

Completing the Secondary Initial Licensure program at Smith College includes completing the following courses in Education and Child Study:
EDC 232 The American High School
EDC 238 Educational Psychology
EDC 342 Growing Up American
EDC 347 Individual Differences Among Learners
EDC 346 Clinical Internship (Student Teaching) / EDC 352 Reflective Practice in Secondary Schools

Plus: A Major in the appropriate discipline.
One course (or equivalent experience) in the use of information technology.

The Secondary 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