Initial Licensure Requirements
Smith College offers 15 different Massachusetts initial licenses to undergraduate students. If you are interested in pursuing any of these licenses, please Contact Carole Learned-Miller, coordinator of teacher education at clearned@smith.edu to schedule a meeting. Please bring your Banner transcript.
Candidates must complete the following in order to obtain an initial license to teach in Massachusetts:
Elementary-Level Requirements
Candidates seeking elementary-level licensure—to teach first through sixth grade—must have the following:
- Completion of an approved licensure program
- 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
- Subject knowledge in English, including topics in American and world literature, mathematics (must equal 9 credits), history (must include U.S. history), and social studies, including geography and economics, natural science (including a lab) and child development
- The following professional knowledge requirements: EDC 235, EDC 238, EDC 338, EDC 347, EDC 211 (or 511), and EDC 345.
- Student-teach both semesters of your senior year. You will teach 13.5 hours a week, most likely in two different schools. (The Visual Arts K-8 licensure candidates follow the Elementary Classroom Teacher license program.)
- Passed the Massachusetts Communication and Literacy Skills Test as well as different subject tests
- Passed the Foundations of Reading Test
Secondary-Level Licensure Requirements
Candidates seeking secondary-level licensure—to teach in middle and high school—must have:
- Completion of an approved licensure program
- A bachelor's degree in arts and sciences with a major in the area of the license you seek; choose from biology, chemistry, physics, Earth sciences, engineering & technology, English, history, political science, French, Spanish, math, humanities (middle-school level only) and math and science (middle-school level only).
- The following professional knowledge requirements: EDC 232, EDC 238, EDC 342, EDC 347, EDC 352, EDC 211 (or 511), and EDC 346 (student teaching).
- Student-teach full time the spring semester of your senior year.
- Passed the Massachusetts Communication and Literacy Skills Test as well as different tests in the subject you plan on teaching
*Please contact Carole Learned-Miller, coordinator of teacher education, or visit www.doe.mass.edu/mtel for more information on how to prepare and register for Massachusetts Tests for Education Licensure (MTELs).
