Apply – Graduate Students
![Photo of alumnus Scott Greenspan.](/education/sites/g/files/ijdqth211/files/styles/text_area_full_xl/public/2023-06/Scott%20Greenspan.jpg?itok=jqETpXOE)
Master’s, Education Specialist, and Doctoral Programs
All applicants to the College of Education master’s, education specialist, and doctoral programs apply through the Graduate School’s admissions website. You will need create an account in SPIRE, the UMass Amherst student information system. Once you have a SPIRE account, you can begin uploading required documents such as transcripts, your personal statement, and recommendations into the system. Check individual program pages for requirements: most programs do not require GRE scores, some programs have additional requirements such as the MTEL. You will be able to track the status of your application through SPIRE. Students may not earn multiple Education degrees at the same level (M.Ed, Ph.D, Ed.S) per Graduate School Policy.
Ready to Apply?
Students interested in graduate programs apply through the Graduate School.
Learn more about becoming an international student at UMass Amherst.
Visit the Graduate School website for questions about the application process.
Deadlines
Please be advised that you can only apply to one concentration during an admission period.
Fall Admission: January 2
- Higher Education Priority Deadline: December 1. We will continue to review applications until the final College of Education application deadline (January 2).
Fall Admission: Priority Deadline - January 15
- Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP) Priority Deadline - January 15, applications accepted until the program is full.
Spring Admission: October 1
Licensure
The 180 Days in Springfield program, Bridges to the Future program, and Collaborative Teacher Education Pathway (CTEP) programs lead to initial teacher licensure in Massachusetts. Because of reciprocity agreements between states you may be able to transfer your license to another state. However, the College of Education at UMass Amherst makes no guarantees that this program meets teacher licensure requirements in any state other than Massachusetts. If you are seeking licensure in another state, you should contact Seung-eun Lee, slee [at] educ [dot] umass [dot] edu (slee[at]educ[dot]umass[dot]edu), 413-545-2701 for more information about how to determine whether this program will be appropriate for you. Access to your state’s licensing agency is available on the Teacher Licensure Agency Directory.
Certificate Programs
Applications to graduate certificate programs are handled by the programs themselves. Most have rolling admissions.