Academics

State Licensure

State Licensure Requirements

The licensure of educational personnel requires a Bachelor’s degree and the completion of a program that has been approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, with courses and field work that include at least 75 hours of pre-practicum field observations and a supervised student teaching experience or internship. The academic requirements for Initial Licensure are met by either Graduate Certificate Leading to Initial Licensure in Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12) or M.Ed. Leading to Progressive Licensures in Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12).

In addition, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requires satisfactory performance on a test of proficiency in written and spoken English, and on competency examinations in a field of knowledge.

  1. Proficiency in written and spoken English is demonstrated through the Communication and Literacy Tests, which should be taken prior to application. Individuals who have not taken these tests, and who are otherwise qualified, will be admitted provisionally, with the stipulation that the tests must be taken within the first semester of admitted study.
  2. For individuals seeking licensure in Moderate Disabilities at the elementary level (PreK through Grade 8), the field of knowledge is assessed through the General Curriculum Test, which addresses the range of subjects covered in the elementary Curriculum Frameworks. Individuals seeking licensure in Moderate Disabilities at the secondary level (Grades 5 through 12) may take either the General Curriculum Test or a subject area test in a specific discipline taught at that level.
  3. All candidates must also pass a Foundations of Reading Test. Courses within the program help students attain the knowledge necessary to prepare for this test.

Individuals who have passed the Massachusetts Tests for Teacher Licensure and completed our program will be endorsed for Initial Licensure as Teachers of Students with Moderate Disabilities and are eligible to teach in a public school.

Those holding Initial Licensure have up to five years from the time they are first employed to complete the additional requirements for Professional Licensure. These include a Master’s degree and successful teaching experience. Professional Licensure courses are included in our M.Ed. Leading to Successive Licensures in Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12) or in our Graduate Certificate Leading to Professional Licensure.  Professional Licensure is renewable every five years, which requires applicants to have accumulated Professional Development Points and the payment of a fee. Details of re-licensure information can be obtained at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.