Graduate School

It depends on the school. I went to Simmons for the Library Science degree, and, had my undergraduate grades been better, it would've just been the regular application process, with essay, interview, etc.

As it was, I apparently spent too much time having fun as an undergrad :^), so I had to take the GREs. I took a prep class at the Boston Center for Adult Education, and got a pretty good score and got in.

I really commend you for taking this on! Good luck! And please keep us posted!

I have done research recently and you should check out Lesley, they have a great masters program that you can take one weekend a month and sit for your teachers certificate at the end of the 22 months. It is a great option for a working mom. Good luck.

C.,

Congrats on taking this step. There are lots of schools in MA, including the ones listed, but also BU, Salem State, Curry College, Harvard, etc. My best advice is to take it as a two step process. 1. decide what you want your Masters concentration to be in and find a school(s) that specialize in that and 2. Look at the MA Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education (MDESE) licensure site to make sure that the degree you go for will allow you to teach in MA. The Dept has pretty stringent guidelines about the programs that are considered allowable for professional licensure. For example, the school needs to be accredited and recognized by the MDESE - The University of Phoenix would not qualify.

If you are going for a non-licensure track, the MDESE part is not much of an issue, but I wouldn't want you to get a degree from a school only to find out that you would need to take additional classes to be able to get a teacher certification.

If you are not in MA, but in Maine or NH, I would check with their Depts of Education to see what their criteria are.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Hi there,
Do you currently have your teaching certificate? I don't know where you live, but I did the ETEP program through the University of Southern Maine- an intense 1 year certification program for people who have degrees in something other than teaching and want to become teachers. After completing the cert. portion, you can then continue on for your Masters with 13 extra credits, which I am currently doing. I didn't have to take any admittance test for USM, but to teach in Maine you have to take the Praxis tests.

i have several friends and colleagues who did or are doing their Master's online. They like the comfort and freedom to do all the work from home (esp. with gas prices today and the cost of daycare!) That's definitely the way I would go if I wasn't already involved in the USM program. Employers don't really care which program you do, they just care that you complete it.
Goodluck!

Hi
UMASS Lowell has a program so does Fitchburg state and UMASS Boston. I think Rivier does as well. You can take a few classes as you are applying to get in that can be applied toward the degree. You can take either the GRE or the MAT (Miller Analogy Test) as part of the process, otherwise you fill out the application, send in references and thats about it. I have not heard of anyone needing to do an interview.
Hope this helps! Good luck!

Hi C. - Good for you for applying to become a teacher, I presume! I am biased - I teach 5th grade and I love that every day is so different and exciting. I am really making a difference in kids' lives too. It is a fabulous schedule for having kids as well, since you will not have to scramble for care during school vacations and snow days. Anyway, I was in grad school for my M. Ed 10 years ago, but I have many Teaching Assistant friends at my school who are your age and going through it now, and I know the process is basically the same. Some schools require the MAT, some the GRE, it depends on the school. I believe you would have an interview, and be assigned a counselor to help with course selection and all of that once you are accepted. If you work full-time now, you might only be able to take one course a semester due to having your little boy at home! It might take a little longer but it will be worth it. Good luck to you and I hope this helps!

I went to grad school back in 1999, but the admissions process was the same other than the testing, yes. Some schools require GREs, others MAT, etc.... depends on the school you are applying to. Not sure if things have changed since then, but I imagine it's the same (pain in the butt) process!! : ) Good luck in getting into grad school and good luck with your little boy!

Hi C.,

I also went through the Lesley program someone mentioned and loved it. I did the non-licensure track since I was already teaching but they have both available. I loved the one weekend a month format -- made life with kids so much easier!

I wanted to add that Lesley does off-campus programs they have sites in I think 23 states now so even if you are not local to Boston it is worth looking into. I took my classes in SE Mass and have never stepped foot on the campus! I believe Bridgewater State and Fitchburg State may be doing off-campus things like it now too.

Lesley did not require the GRE or any other additional testing (one of the reasons I looked into it!) and the application process was very simple.

Good luck!
E.

Requirements vary from school to school and even program to program--decide what schools you are interested in and then, check out their websites--they generally post specifics there.

I choose to do the University of Phoenix. It is so much easier with a little one. It is not the best program outthere, but it is decent. It will get you the paper. It is a bit more expensive, but thinking about daycare for all those classes...They handle all the entrance stuff. May be worth looking in to if you aren't already attached to a school.

Hi C.

I have just applied to Rivier College in Nashua, NH. I am going for elementary/sp ed and then reading specialist. I did not need to take the tests to get in like some schools require. My sister has her masters in Computer Sci and is teaching high school without certification. In Mass. they waive the cert. and let you teach while being observed. Then after a few years of observation you present a plan and get your cert. I think you can do it with just a bachelors as well.

Full time grad school is 4 classes a semester and they are in the evening. I was told to get a job as a substitute or paraprofessional while in school to get in to the district and learn the ropes because most of the classmates will be full time teachers wanting to increase their pay scale.

There is a grant program called TEACH that waives your loans if you will work in a low income school for a few years. If you want more information contact me, I can give you contact info. I can also send your questions to my sister if you want to try that route.

Good Luck,
D. C
48yo, cancer surviving, mom of 4; 16, 14, 11 & 8