The Undergraduate Teacher Education Program

The Undergraduate Teacher Education Program (UTEP) permits a student to obtain a license (or "certificate") to teach in middle and/or secondary public schools in Massachusetts and the 40+ states with which Massachusetts has reciprocity. UTEP is not a concentration in itself but meant to complement a concentration.

Participation in the program requires approval of the UTEP admissions committee, which will consider applications from students as early as the spring term in their freshman year, or as late as the spring term in their junior year. Current seniors are not eligible to apply. The admissions process includes an application, interview, and submission of academic records, recommendations, resume, and a Plan of Study. Students should have a B- or higher cumulative grade point average, and should also have some experience working with youth (i.e., camp counselor, tutor, coach, etc.).

To be eligible for licensure through UTEP, students must complete the following requirements:

1. Subject Matter: Expertise in an academic field taught in middle or secondary schools. Licensure may be earned to teach biology, chemistry, earth science, English, general science (middle school only), history, mathematics, physics, and political science/political philosophy (social studies).
2. Perspectives Courses: One half-course addressing psychological perspectives on human development and one half-course addressing educational perspectives on schools, curricula, and teachers. A list of eligible courses is available in the Teacher Education Program Office, Longfellow Hall, Room 222, Graduate School of Education, or on the UTEP website (www.fas.harvard.edu/~utep/).
3. Field Work (pre-practicum): One term of weekly classroom observations (6 hours per week; 78 hours total) in an approved public school setting, completed concurrently with the educational perspectives course.
4. Student Teaching (practicum) and Analytic Seminar: 360 hours of supervised student teaching and an evening seminar. These two half-courses must be taken at the Graduate School of Education and only after satisfying items 1-3.

Ideally, courses and field work should be completed by the end of the junior year and the student teaching and analytic seminar should be completed in the senior year. However, students may request special student status in the Harvard Graduate School of Education to complete the student teaching and seminar requirements in the first term after graduation.

Interested students are encouraged to inquire about the program at any time. Questions should be directed to the UTEP Director who is responsible for advising program participants. For further information, please contact the Teacher Education Program Office at the Graduate School of Education, Longfellow Hall, Room 222, 617-495-3732, or visit the UTEP website: www.fas.harvard.edu/~utep/.