Become a Biology Teacher in Massachusetts

<h2 id="section---MassachusettsBiologyTeacherCertificationInformation">Massachusetts Biology Teacher Certification Information</h2> <p>Prospective teachers interested in teaching biology in Massachusetts must first apply for the Massachusetts Initial Educator License in Biology (8-12). This qualifies them to teach the subject in high school. Continue reading below to learn more about the specifics regarding requirements for the license. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> Education Required </td><td> Bachelor's degree in biology; teacher preparation program approved by the state</td></tr> <tr><td> Exams Required </td><td> MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills; MTEL Biology (8-12)</td></tr> <tr><td> License Validity Period </td><td> Initial license valid for five years; can be extended once for an additional five years if needed</td></tr> <tr><td> Advancement Requirements</td><td> 50 hours with a mentor, three years of teaching experience, completion of a graduate or other education program to advance to professional license</td></tr> <tr><td> Mean Salary (2018, Massachusetts) </td><td> $80,020 (all high school teachers)*</td></tr> <tr><td> Estimated Job Growth (2016-2026, nationwide) </td><td> 8% (all high school teachers)*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)</i> </p> <h3 id="section---MeetEducationRequirements">Meet Education Requirements</h3> <p>All prospective teachers must possess at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Students interested in teaching biology should have a biology or biology education major. Coursework in this degree program will typically include subjects such as genetics, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology. Students may also be required to take other science and mathematics courses, such as chemistry, physics, and statistics. </p> <h3 id="section---CompleteTeacherPreparationProgram">Complete Teacher Preparation Program</h3> <p>Prospective teachers must complete a teacher preparation program approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, along with coursework covering Sheltered English Immersion. This can be fulfilled as part of the degree program or as an additional program, such as a certificate. The teacher preparation program generally includes coursework in areas such as adolescent development and teaching secondary school biology. It also includes fieldwork as a student teacher in a local school. </p> <h3 id="section---FulfillExamRequirements">Fulfill Exam Requirements</h3> <p>Prospective biology teachers are required to pass two Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL): Communication and Literacy Skills and Biology (8-12). The passing score for each exam is 240. </p> <p>The Communication and Literacy MTEL contains a reading and writing subtest and includes a mix of short answers, multiple-choice questions, and open responses covering topics such as grammar, sentence construction, and critical reasoning. </p> <p>The Biology MTEL contains multiple questions and open responses covering seven subtopics, including the nature of science, chemistry of life and cell biology, characteristics of organisms, and human anatomy and physiology. </p> <h3 id="section---MeetAdvancementRequirements">Meet Advancement Requirements</h3> <p>The initial license is valid for five years, after which teachers must apply to advance to the professional license. To obtain this license, teachers must gain three full years of teaching experience and complete a graduate or professional program, such as a master's degree in biology education. Teachers must also complete a one-year induction program, including 50 hours with a teacher mentor. </p> <p>Teachers who do not meet all requirements after five years may apply for a one-time five- year extension of their initial license. They must show proof that they plan to complete the professional license advancement requirements and they must be employed by a Massachusetts school.</p>