Education Program

Applying for Initial License: Undergraduate

From the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE)

  • DESE recommends that you create your licensure (ELAR) profile early in your teacher education career.

  • Undergraduates, complete steps 1-5 in your junior year.

  • You can complete the process of applying online for a Massachusetts teaching license during the final semester of your student-teaching Internship or any time after you have completed the Teacher Education Program.I

  • The earlier in your Internship that you complete all the steps, the better.

Steps to complete early in your junior year

Logging into ELAR (Educator Licensure and Renewal) and getting a MEPID (Massachusetts Education Personal Identifier)

  1. Go to http://www.doe.mass.edu/licensure/.

  2. Click the “ELAR” button to get to the login page.

  3. If you are logging on for the first time, select the “Create ELAR Profile” under the login button.

  4. Write down your user name, password, and MEPID for future log ins.

  5. Email your MEPID number to the Teacher Education Program (teacher-education@brandeis.edu)

Steps to complete early in the spring of your student-teaching internship

  1.  Follow the “User Registration: directions,” and click “Submit” as you complete each page.

  2. You are applying for an INITIAL license in your subject area & grade level, and you are completing an approved program.

  3. Also apply for the SEI endorsement (Sheltered English Immersion) – path 1. No charge (see below).

  4. Print and save a copy of your payment receipt.

  5. Email the Teacher Education Program (teacher-education@brandeis.edu) confirming the date that you completed your application and paid the application fee.

Your license will be issued only after

  1. You graduate.
  2. You have taken and passed required MTELs.
  3. The Education Program verifies online, after graduation, that you are a “Program Completer;” and endorses you for SEI.
  4. You have an official final transcript with an endorsement (available after graduation).
  5. The official, final, endorsed transcript is sent by the Teacher Education Program DESE. We send transcripts in a batch so they are processed more speedily. This means you may have to wait until there is a batch to send.

DESE no longer issues hard copy licenses. You or a potential employer can verify your license online.

The earlier you complete the online application and pay the fee, the sooner your application will be processed by DESE.

Good Standing Letter: Undergraduate

In March or April, when you have completed your online license application and have passed all MTELs, but have not yet completed student teaching or received your official license, you should request a letter of from the Teacher Education Program (email teacher-education@brandeis.edu). This letter can accompany job applications, and it will let potential employers know that you will be eligible for your initial license as of the May graduation date.

[I] If you choose to apply for licensure at a later date, you will need to request a copy of your transcript from the Registrar and send it directly to DESE.  If you will be applying for licensure in another state using reciprocity, please familiarize yourself thoroughly with that state’s requirements.

[II] An “endorsement” is added to your transcript by the Registrar per request of the Teacher Education Program. It states: "This student has completed a state-approved and NASDTEC-recognized program for licensure in (license field, type, & level) and is endorsed for initial licensure in this field."