Certification and Regulatory Affairs
Advising and informing current, prospective, and past undergraduate and graduate educator licensure candidates with license requirements, Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) preparation, endorsement for Massachusetts educator licenses, and more.
Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Meetings are available by appointment from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily by phone, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams, depending on the preference of the individual. Please email cert_off@lesley.edu for more information.
Questions regarding:
- Initial or Professional Licensure
- Guidance on transferring a MA license to other states
- Information on Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education policies and guidelines
- Support for MTELs
Email: cert_off@lesley.edu
To teach in a public school in Massachusetts, you will need an educator license, and within a specified amount of time will need to renew or reach the next level of licensure to keep teaching. If you are wondering how this works, see the listed categories for an explanation of each license level, including when you need each license, what the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MA ESE) requires, the ways you can get it, and for how long it is valid, for more information please visit our licensure page.
If you are a MA Initial licensure candidates, you need to take the MTELS. Find out what tests you need to take, when to take them, and how to prepare for them, to learn more about the MTELs visit our MTELs page.
Visit our licensure page, for steps to applying for your Initial Massachusetts license, once you're enrolled in a program.
Massachusetts is a member state and a signatory of the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, which facilitates the transfer of educator licensure between member states (not necessarily immediate reciprocity). Depending on your professional goals, where you reside or plan to teach, and the licensure structures that exist within that state, there are diverse pathways to licensure that may be relevant and some may require additional coursework, required tests, assessments, and/or classroom experiences.
Per the NASDTEC website: “The NASDTEC Interstate Agreement facilitates the mobility of educators among the states and other jurisdictions that are members of NASDTEC and have signed the Agreement. Although there may be conditions applicable to individual jurisdictions, the Agreement makes it possible for an educator who completed an approved program and/or who holds a certificate or license in one jurisdiction to earn a certificate or license in another state or jurisdiction.”
For more information, including state-specific requirements, please see: https://www.nasdtec.net/page/Interstate Also, please note that New Mexico, New York, and South Dakota are not current participants in NASDTEC. Individuals who plan to seek educator licensure/certification outside of Massachusetts are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate state department of education to identify additional requirements and the process for seeking reciprocity in that state. Please visit our Licensure and Credentialing page for more information: https://lesley.edu/about/accreditations-licensure-state-approvals/licensure-and-credentialing-information