Certification and Educator Licensure General Information

Becoming a Licensed Educator

Licensure programs at Lesley (both undergraduate and graduate) lead to either an Initial or Professional license--see our Charting Your Path to Educator Licensure. Candidates apply on their own for the optional preliminary license--Lesley does not endorse candidates for the preliminary license. For the Initial and Professional license candidates must complete an approved program, and pass required state tests for an Initial license. See the state's Licensure Help - Online for requirements of any license.

It is important to be familiar with the necessary steps to obtain, advance, add or renew a license. Please review the links below for details.

• Lesley Students: How to apply in Massachusetts - All Lesley candidates in MA read this!
• Lesley Students in Tacoma: How to apply in Washington state [pdf] 
• Frequently Asked Questions about Licensure
• Professional License Information
• License Renewal (Recertification) and Activating Old Licenses
• Licensure outside of Massachusetts
• Lesley University MTEL Policy

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE)

• Address: 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-5023; walk-in help desk Monday - Friday, 8:45 am - 4:45 pm
• Licensure Help Call Center - 781.338.6600Monday - Friday, 2 pm - 5 pm
• 24-hour Licensure Status Automated Line - 781.338.3000, press #2 to obtain the status of your application.
• The Department's website, www.doe.mass.edu, has a vast amount of information. We have indicated below some of the most helpful pages.
• Licensure Help - Online
• Set up your ELAR Account (Licensure and Recruitment)
• Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks  
• Guidelines for Math Preparation of Elementary Teachers [pdf]
• Education Laws and Regulations 603 CMR 7.00
• Highly Qualified Requirements for Massachusetts Teachers 
• Commissioner's Determination Guidelines  
• Pre-Service Performance Assessment
• ELL Benchmarks [pdf]