Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP)
at the University of Massachusetts Amherst


STEP offers several paths to the Initial License. STEP has paths for undergraduates, for M.Ed. candidates, for graduate students enrolled in other University programs, and for Post-B.A./B.S. candidates seeking the Initial License through the Division of Continuing Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Graduate students may choose to pursue the Initial License along with a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree either through the University-to-Schools path or either the“180 Days in Springfield” or "Bridges to the Future" program. The University-to-Schools path offers flexibility and the opportunity for students to avail themselves of all the resources of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, including additional course work in the subject area and advanced course work in education. The “180 Days in Springfield” program is a nationally-known professional development school program in collaboration with the Springfield, Massachusetts public school district. It provides intensive on-site preparation and leads to the Initial License and M.Ed. in one year.

Post-baccalaureate students can also prepare for their Initial LIcense through a non-degree program offered by Continuing and Professional Education.

STEP represents a collaborative effort among School of Education and Arts and Sciences faculty, public school teachers and administrators, and STEP candidates. STEP courses, field experiences, and clinical experiences lead to Initial Licensure at the middle and high school level in the areas of English, history and political science, mathematics, the sciences, and modern foreign languages.

Our goal is for STEP to be one of the outstanding secondary teacher education programs in the nation. Our School of Education is consistently rated among the top fifty graduate schools of education in the United States. In Massachusetts, of the 60 institutions that prepare teachers, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is one of only nine colleges or universities accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). More than 90% of our program completers pass the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL). Our objective is to offer a program that will prepare candidates to develop into outstanding teachers and future leaders in their schools and in their fields.

For more information about STEP click here and here.

For more information about STEP Science click here.

One-Year M.Ed. and Initial Licensure in Science Sample Program

Undergraduate program