Frequently Asked Questions

How many students are admitted to the program each year?
Do I have to take the GREs?
What if I don't have the "4 main subject" background?
Is there a limit on admission spots within a given subject?
I am an art/music teacher, is this program for me?
What is the cost of the program?
What do you look for in applicants?
What is the nature of the coursework?
Do you admit foreign students?
When is the application deadline?
Where do I send the application?
What is the difference between the 180 Days in Springfield and the Bridges to the Future?
I'm interested in Elementary Education. Is this program for me?
Can any of my credits be transferred?
Am I still eligible for the FAFSA?
What happens after the program?
What does your year look like as a Bridges to the Future Teacher?
When does the program begin?
When does the program end?
When sending the application, what do I need to include?
What is the expected time committment? (number of hours/week)


We generally admit 18-20 to the Bridges to the Future Program which is a rural setting and around 20 students to our Springfield location which is in an urban setting via 180 Days in Springfield.
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No! You don't have to take the GREs in order to be admitted into our program.
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If you don't have the "4 main subject" background, in most cases we'd still encourage you to apply. Some of the students we've had for our program had backgrounds that didn't necessarily fit the mold of something that would be expectedly taught in a secondary education setting, but they got along quite well. Often times it is also possible to have a major that is easily adaptable to such an atmosphere. For instance, if you have a degree in computer science, you may be deterred at first as they rarely teach that in a high school setting, but your mathematical and scientific background in a degree such as that is rigorous enough that you could make an excellent teacher in one of those subjects.
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We have no formal quotas on admission spots within certain subjects, but the number of students we can admit for each discipline is somewhat limited. Our program relies on a partnership with the schools in the area, (see "The Locations" in the menu bar an the top) and thus the number of students we accept into the program for each given subject is somewhat limited by their availability. Of course, we'd love to accommodate everyone, but if 30 incredibly brilliant math teacher applicants applied in one year, we, unfortunately, couldn't accept them all because the schools just don't have that kind of availibility.
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Unfortunately if you are aspiring to become an art/music teacher, this program isn't really for you. Throughout the year, our students take classes on teaching methodology and we currently offer such courses in the more mainstream high school subjects of math, science, history, and english. As teaching methodology for art/music is very different from that of the aforementioned subjects, this program isn't really intended for such disciplines.
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We generally like to say the program has an all inclusive cost of about $10,000. Formally, the education of the program costs ~$8,500. We then say that the extra $1,500 or so is spent on books, etc. as you'd expect from any graduate level program. It is also pertinent to note that the cost is not dependent on residency in Massachusetts. So out of state, or even foreign students pay the same rate as residents of MA. This is contrary to the policy the University has to undergraduate students where cost is higher for those students who aren't MA residents.
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In our applicants, we look for a Bachelor's Degree in the subject you intend to teach, the ability to pass the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) examination, volunteer work, any experience in instruction or teaching, and a personal statement. For a more detailed explanation, check here. Also, for more info on the formal application process, check here.
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Course work will include introductory work on issues in teaching, methods classes in your subject area, micro-teaching, adolescent development, technology in education, and issues in rural education. Course work is designed with the understanding that this is an applied masters, with a focus on reading, writing and reflection that interacts with the experiences in your classrooms.
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Yes! We sure do admit foreign students. And as mentioned above, there is no hike in admission. You'll pay the exact same amount for our program as someone who is a Massachusetts resident.
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The application deadline is January 15th. We can make exceptions on a case by case basis, but that is our official deadline.
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You need to send your application to the Graduate School Admissions Office (The Office of Continuing Education) as they are the ones that actually start processing them. If you'd like us to have a copy in our files and make it known that you're applying, you're more than welcome to send a copy to our STEP Bridges to the Future office as well, but make sure the Graduate School Admissions gets one because they're the ones that really matter. We'd love it though if you sent our office a copy of your resumé and a personal statement so we can start to get to know you.
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The STEP Bridges to the Future Program is modeled on the Springfield 180 Day Program, so the basics of the program are very similar. The Bridges program is located in rural settings and the 180 program in urban settings. Both programs are in districts where issues of economic injustice complicate the experience students have in school. The Bridges Program also has a focus on community involvement that takes students into the surrounding communities. The 180 Program has a community component that is school based.
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No! Our program is catered to secondary education teachers only. If you are interested in a program for elementary education though, contact Cynthia Rosenberger.
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Unfortunately, for the most part, credits can't be transferred from other institutions. The program is stripped down to only 36 credits as it is which is pretty light for a masters program, so taking other credits in would lower it too much. The only exception we can make to this rule is in the case of someone who took any of the classes required for our program as an undergrad at this university.
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Yes! You are still eligible for the FAFSA with our program.
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After the program, you enter (or return to) the scary construct known as the real world. Here you will search for a job as a teacher, but your task will be much easier because you've recently finished up an amazing graduate program.
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Late August-- Orientation and then begin in schools on first day that teachers start.

September and early October--observations, micro-teaching, intensive class work.

October-December--student teaching assignments, continued course work.

January-in the schools; some course work.

February-June--clinical internship, continued course work, including community service work.

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The program begins in mid-early August.
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It goes until the end of the secondary school school year in June.
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In brief, you need the application, MTEL scores if you have them, letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and a resumé. We'd like it if you sent a copy of your resumé and personal statement to our office so we can start to get to know you. See this page for more info on the Application Process.
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The expected time commitment is tough to judge, but you are expected to be present Monday-Thursday from the start of school until ~6:30PM and Friday from school starts to when it ends. This does not include any study/work time, only the time you're expected to be physically present.
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