When you become a teacher, you will make a difference everyday. You will have a vocation full of variety, human interaction, laughter, autonomy, challenges, and learning. You will help make the world more equitable and just. You will change the future, one student at a time.
To teach in a public school in Massachusetts, you need a license for the specific age-group or content area, such as elementary, high school math, or reading. The UMass Amherst College of Education offers many paths to licensure and a variety of options to fit your needs and goals. Our graduates are known as consistently well-prepared, effective teachers and are highly sought by schools throughout the Commonwealth.
One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.
Malala Yousafzai
Children, families, and schools offers a program of study in child development, childhood studies, and learning, examining how they relate to educational practice from birth through the the elementary school years. It includes our undergraduate early childhood education concentration, leading to Pre-K through 2nd grade licensure.
The Collaborative Teacher Education Pathway (CTEP) is 10-month program for prospective teachers who wants to quickly earn a master’s degree and license in elementary education.
The Secondary Teacher Education Preparation Program prepares students to become middle or high school teachers in English, history, political science/political philosophy, the sciences, modern foreign languages or mathematics.
Language, literacy, and culture scholars focus on a wide range of topics, including language acquisition, ESL, multicultural education, children’s literature, and media literacy, seeking to transform education to better meets the needs of learners in a diverse society.
The school counselor education program prepares professionals who will nurture children's academic, vocational, personal, and social development and create school environments where all students can thrive.
Students in the school psychology program train to be school psychologists or to work in health-service settings by studying the theoretical foundations of the field while developing the skills they’ll need for their day to day work.
Special education students become catalysts for change, helping increase educational opportunities and improve outcomes for children with disabilities and their families.