Graduate Teacher Preparation Programs

This program is designed for those who already have an initial license or are not seeking a license and want to gain graduate-level expertise in elementary education.

The elementary years are about more than classroom instruction. Pursue this program to learn about societal elements that impact elementary schooling and elementary-aged children.

If you are looking to develop expertise in special education without the focus on classroom instruction, this program is the right fit for you.

Early childhood is a unique time in a child’s development and it takes special skills and competencies to provide children with the grounding on which they build the rest of their education. Explore this program to find out how you can be a part of this innovative field.

This program is designed for career changers or recent graduates from undergraduate school who wish to pursue teaching grades 1-6 in the state of Massachusetts.

Elementary school teachers must demonstrate knowledge and excitement about content across the curriculum. Let your passion for learning lead your students to develop the skills they need as learners and people.

The library studies program at Salem State University offers students the opportunity to earn a master’s degree in education while earning initial certification as a Library Teacher K–12 in Massachusetts. Our goal is to prepare our students to become innovative and creative school librarians by introducing best practices, new ideas in the field, and avenues for pursuing excellence. Resources for knowledge acquisition, literature K-12, information literacy, management of the school library, and library design are just a few of the topics covered in our courses.

Through fieldwork and practicum experiences, students have hands-on experiences in the field. The online, asynchronous format of the program allows students the flexibility to take courses when they can without travel hardships. Instructors in the program are recognized throughout Massachusetts and the United States as leaders in the field of school librarianship.

These fully online programs provide opportunities for participants to gain deep knowledge of literacy development PreK-12 and the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to implement evidence-based, culturally and linguistically sustaining practices aligned with literacy research.  

Participants will learn to navigate the tensions in the field of literacy to ensure effective and inclusive instruction for all students. Professional development design, collaboration, and coaching are also emphasized to prepare participants to become literacy leaders and advocates at the local and state levels.

Candidates complete a master's degree while developing the qualifications necessary to meet the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' requirements for initial licensure as a school counselor and a school adjustment counselor.

School adjustment counselors lead intensive, one-on-one counseling sessions; work with issues such as trauma, addiction, severe psychopathology, homelessness, or learning disabilities; and more.

If you are interested in helping students achieve their academic, social, and personal goals, school counseling is the path for you.

Our program is geared toward cultivating the skills, methods, and strategies needed to support students with mild to moderate special education needs for inclusion in general education classrooms.

Pursue a balanced program of reflection and research in principles and practices for the instruction of English language and literature with a particular emphasis placed on fieldwork experiences. Successful completion of the program leads to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts academic requirements for licensure to teach English at the middle and secondary levels.

The master of arts in teaching history is designed for individuals who wish to begin preparation for teaching history at the secondary level.

Develop the knowledge and skills needed to confidently teach mathematics with a deep focus on the underpinnings of algebra, calculus, geometry, statistics and number systems so students learn to think like mathematicians.

This program consists of coursework in middle school mathematics, mathematics education, advanced pedagogy and a capstone course. The degree program satisfies the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requirements for a master's degree to be used for a professional license in Math (5-8).

Our master of arts in teaching middle school mathematics is designed for current or aspiring high school mathematics teachers who want to obtain an initial license to teach middle school mathematics (grades 5-8) in conjunction with their master’s degree. This track includes advanced pedagogy coursework and middle school mathematics content courses.

Salem State University’s Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish prepares students to teach Spanish at either the elementary (PreK-6) or secondary (5-12) level. Our program is unique because it runs through the Department of World Languages and Cultures and is taught entirely by full-time professors. The rigorous Spanish course package is entirely in Spanish and offers a solidly balanced preparation. The program is especially beneficial for initial-level students, but our MAT program addresses all coursework needed for the professional and initial licenses. All courses are offered online.

This versatile program prepares you to teach in a variety of settings, combining theory and practice in preparing speakers of other languages to progress towards fluency in English.

This two-year, 36-credit Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) program is designed for educators holding master’s degrees who are ready to pursue informal and formal leadership work, with the end goal of licensure as a principal/assistant principal in the State of Massachusetts.

The CAGS program supports candidates through coursework (ten core courses) and guided fieldwork (practicum and seminar experiences), all aligned with the Massachusetts PAL Tasks required for principal/assistant principal licensure. The program’s first year is comprised of the graduate certificate in teacher leadership, which can also be completed as a stand-alone, one-year program.

Given the related work of teacher leaders and formal school leaders, this unique program design gives candidates flexibility in pursuing teacher leadership and formal leadership pathways in related one-year and two-year options.

Early childhood is a unique time in a child’s development and it takes special skills and competencies to provide children with the grounding on which they build the rest of their education. Explore this program to find out how you can be a part of this innovative field.

This program is designed for those seeking initial licensure in elementary education but not a master’s degree. Typically, people with a master's degree and many education credits will apply for this program. 

Elementary school teachers must demonstrate knowledge and excitement about content across the curriculum. Let your passion for learning lead your students to develop the skills they need to be successful learners and people.

This program is designed for those students who hold a master’s degree and want to become certified as a Library Teacher All Levels. Our goal is to prepare our students to become innovative and creative school librarians by introducing best practices, new ideas in the field, and avenues for pursuing excellence. Resources for knowledge acquisition, literature K-12, information literacy, management of the school library, and library design are just a few of the topics covered in our courses.

The online, asynchronous format of the program allows students the flexibility to take courses when they can without travel hardships. Instructors in the program are recognized throughout Massachusetts and the United States as leaders in the field of school librarianship.

Our mathematics licensure program is a certificate program leading to initial licensure in either middle school mathematics (math 5-8) or high school mathematics (math 8-12). It is intended for students with a background in mathematics who already teach with a provisional license and need pedagogy and methods coursework and a practicum to earn an initial license.

The licensure-only secondary science program prepares students who have already completed their bachelor's degree in a STEM field for teaching careers in secondary science. New teachers in STEM fields are in critical demand across the state. The program offers a pathway to initial licensure in a range of secondary science/STEM areas, including biology (grade 8-12), chemistry (grade 8-12), earth science (grade 8-12), general science (grade 5-8), and mathematics/science (grade 5-8).

If you are interested in helping k-12 students achieve their academic, social, and personal goals, school counseling is the path for you. The licensure-only school adjustment counseling program is geared toward those who hold a master of education in school counseling or a master of science in counseling from Salem State University and wish to return to earn an additional license as a School Adjustment Counselor. This license allows candidates to expand opportunities for job growth and earning potential through employment in schools throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

If you are interested in helping students achieve their academic, social, and personal goals, school counseling is the path for you.

Our program is geared toward cultivating the skills, methods, and strategies needed to support students with mild to moderate special education needs for inclusion in general education classrooms.

This initial licensure-only program in TESOL program allows students to obtain a PK-6 or 5-12 Massachusetts teacher educator license in ESL  without pursuing the entire master's degree. It is designed for those who already have a master's degree in another field or for those who have an initial or professional license in another content area.