Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program for Initial Teacher Licensure Middle or Secondary School Education

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate for Initial Teacher Licensure in Middle or Secondary School Education program at Worcester State University provides you with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience to obtain your initial teacher license in Massachusetts. The program is designed for recent college graduates with non-education degrees in one of the following content areas: English, history, mathematics, biology, chemistry, or Earth sciences. It also is for people with professional or technical experience who are seeking to change careers.

In classes conveniently offered in the evening and taught by our experienced faculty, you will gain a thorough understanding of the state-mandated standards for teachers. You will then translate theory into practice through hands-on practicum experiences in one of the region's middle or secondary public schools. In fact, your studies culminate in a semester-long student-teaching practicum under the supervision of a teacher. Or you will be supervised by a Worcester State faculty member at your job site, if you are employed with a preliminary teacher license.

At Worcester State, our Education Department has a long history of teacher education, and graduates of the post-baccalaureate certificate program are ready to meet the challenges of teaching in today's diverse middle and secondary public schools. Most graduates continue their studies toward professional teacher licensure, and credits earned through this program are easily transferred to Worcester State's master of education programs in middle school education or secondary education.

In addition to the general admission requirements, one of the requirements for an initial license is demonstrated knowledge in the content area. Thus, candidates for this program must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited school with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 in the chosen content area. A preliminary license in the desired content area or a passing score on the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) in the content area is also acceptable for admission to the program if a candidate holds a bachelor's degree in the arts and sciences or an inter-disciplinary major.

In addition to the content area MTEL, candidates for this program must also pass the Communication and Literacy Skills test.

An undergraduate or graduate course in adolescent development / psychology is a prerequisite for stage 3 of the program or a CLEP exam in Human Growth & Development with a score of 50 or higher.

Candidates may be required to take additional courses in the content area. After reviewing the student's undergraduate transcript(s) and MTEL scores, the program coordinator will determine if the student must take additional content courses.
Applicants from countries outside of the United States in which English is not the language of instruction, must also submit a score of 79 or above on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), a score of 6.5 or above on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), a score of 100 or above on the Duolingo Test, a score of 59 or above on the Pearson PTE test, or a score of 4 or above on the International English Language Proficiency Test (iTEP). A waiver of this requirement may be available for IELI Bridge to University graduate-level students.