What is the Fifth Year Program?
The Fifth year program in the Lynch School of Education offers qualified Boston College students a unique opportunity to begin graduate study during their undergraduate years. This program provides an opportunity to accelerate a master's degree in teaching, curriculum and instruction, developmental and educational psychology, higher education, or educational research, measurement, and evaluation.
Students have an opportunity to plan undergraduate studies in a way that allows them to begin graduate work in the senior year. This may make it possible for students to graduate with a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in five years, with some summer study. The wide variety of Fifth Year programs is appropriate for an equally wide variety of undergraduate majors at Boston College.
How does it work?
Students apply during the junior year and are considered for acceptance in the summer directly following, after the posting of the final grades of the junior year. Notification of acceptance is made in May, and a graduate level course is added each semester to the Fifth Year student's senior schedule following consultation with the Fifth Year Advisor in August. Instead of taking four courses each semester, as is normal for seniors, students add a fifth (graduate) course each semester. Since all undergraduates must complete 38 3-credit courses in order to fulfill the undergraduate requirements, the two graduate courses in the senior year are courses #39 and #40. It is these two courses that are placed on the master's transcript. In addition to the time advantage, there is a considerable savings involved. The two graduate level courses taken in the senior year are covered by undergraduate tuition, so the amount saved at current graduate tuition rates is over $5,000.
Typically, students apply for the program during their junior year and take one graduate course each semester during their senior year. In some cases, if a student has accelerated his or her undergraduate program by overloading during the academic year or by taking summer classes, more than one course each semester may be taken at the graduate level. Upon successful graduation from the undergraduate program, the senior year coursework will be reviewed and a determination about admission into the full graduate program will be made. Upon final admission, the student will be sent a formal letter of acceptance into the full master's program and an invitation to Graduate Student Orientation.
Who is eligible to apply?
All undergraduates in the Colleges or Arts and Sciences, Education, Nursing, and Management are eligible to apply. Some examples are:
- LSOE students currently in teacher education programs who wish to earn another level of licensure such as moderate special needs or pursue a specialty in curriculum and instruction
- LSOE students currently in the human development program who would like to earn licensure as a teacher
- A&S students who would like to become teachers or human service providers
- A&S or LSOE students who would like to complete a Developmental and Educational Psychology master’s degree, an Educational Research degree or a Higher Education master’s degree
- SON students who would like to complete a Developmental and Educational Psychology master's degree
- CSOM students who would like to earn a master's degree in Higher Education, where they prepare to use their management or finance backgrounds in a university setting.
What are the Fifth Year Program options?
There are two main Program options:
- Teacher Education Programs that lead to a Master of Education degree and licensure at the Initial Level
- Non-teaching Programs in Education and Psychology that lead to a Master of Arts or Master of Education degree in a specialized area like Developmental and Educational Psychology, Higher Education and Student Development, and Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation
1. Teacher Education Programs Leading to Massachusetts Licensure
Graduate programs leading to a Massachusetts Teaching License are available to Fifth Year students in the following teacher education areas: Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Moderate Special Needs, and Severe Special Needs.
Teacher preparation programs involve course work, field experiences, and the passing of the Massachusetts Test for Teacher Licensure. There are 3 tiers of licensure (formerly called certification) issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
1. Preliminary License
This license is earned by taking and passing the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL). This allows students to teach for a limited amount of time while they are seeking the second tier of licensure, the Initial License (described below). This Preliminary License route is sometimes taken by Arts and Sciences majors who wish to start teaching immediately upon graduation. Unfortunately, students taking such a route often come to the conclusion that they are not suited to be teachers when, in fact, it is simply that they have not had adequate preparation to meet the challenges of the classroom and the expectations of the profession. It is also difficult for individuals holding a Preliminary License to obtain a teaching position since they are competing with people who have already earned their initial license. We believe that the preferred route to teaching licensure is to first complete an academically strong, research-informed Initial Licensure program, as described below, then take MTEL, and then begin classroom teaching.
2. Initial License
The Initial License is what is familiar to most people. This basic, foundational license is obtained by completing a licensure program in an accredited Teacher Education program The Initial License is offered through the Lynch School’s Fifth Year program. It is comprised of coursework in cognition, psychology, methods, theory, and practical training. Upon completion of the program students take the MTEL, and the passing of this test completes the initial licensure process.
3. Professional License
A third tier has now been established by the Massachusetts Department of Education. It is called the Professional License. To gain this license a candidate must first possess an Initial License, must complete a 10 course Master’s Degree which is comprised of 5 graduate courses in Education and 5 graduate courses in Arts and Sciences, and must have taught for at least three years. The faculty are in the process of reviewing this option for Fifth Year students.
Areas of Licensure
Master's degree programs lead to licensure in the areas of:
- Early Childhood Education (Grades pre-K-2)
- Elementary Education (Grades 1-6)
- Secondary Education (Grades 8-12)
- Education of Students with Special Needs:
- Teacher of Students with Moderate Special Needs
- Teacher of Students with Severe Special Needs
Please note: Since some licensure programs in Special Education require two certificates (e.g. Elementary and Moderate Special Needs), these programs may require two field experiences and graduate study beyond the fifth year to complete.
A. For LSOE Students ALREADY IN TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS, there are several options:
- One can diversify one's licensure by coming into a master's program in a different licensure area. A student currently in an early childhood, elementary, or secondary program, for instance, can select a Moderate Special Needs program at the Master's level. Through this option, the student can graduate with initial licensure in both areas (elementary and moderate or secondary and moderate).
- One can seek a Master of Arts degree in Developmental and Educational Psychology to further enhance their understanding of the psychological and cognitive aspects of student learning and become better able to remove barriers to learning.
B. For non-LSOE Students INTERESTED IN TEACHER EDUCATION
Each year, many students who are not in the Lynch School of Education apply to teacher education programs, and these students often and understandably have questions about the licensure process. The following questions are most commonly asked:
Q. Must I have a Liberal Arts major to apply to a teacher education program?
A. The secondary education program does require a major in the subject area one is preparing to teach. We offer secondary programs in the following majors: English, history, French, Spanish, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, geology/earth science, and Latin and Classical Humanities. For secondary programs, the undergraduate major must be in the subject area one is going to teach. There is more flexibility with early childhood and elementary programs, where a review of the transcript is done to determine eligibility.
Q. Must I have an undergraduate major in education or at least some course work in education?
A. Prospective students often inquire about the need for prior course work in education as a prerequisite for admission into one of our graduate programs. It may be helpful for you to know that many who enter the field do so without any prior coursework in education. The fields of education and human services and programs in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College frequently draw people from such other fields as arts and sciences, law, and management. The variety of academic backgrounds here is perhaps most visible in the range of degrees held by our faculty. Please note that if you are applying to a teacher education program, there is still no prerequisite course work in education necessary, but you must have a liberal arts or sciences major.
Q. More on licensure: What does is it mean and how does it work?
A. Massachusetts requires all public school teachers be certified in the area in which they are teaching. The Boston College Teacher Education program prepares our students for the initial license in Massachusetts for those new to teacher education and the professional license for students who already hold the initial license. After receipt of the professional license, teachers need to become relicensed every five years by taking a set number of classes and attending workshops to enhance their teaching skill or content knowledge.
Q. How do I become licensed?
A. Licensure involves completion of content area courses, methods courses, practice in the field, a research project, and the passing of the Massachusetts Test for Educator License (MTEL).
1. Course work: Students must successfully complete a program of courses in method, theory, and psychology as well as electives in liberal arts/sciences.
2. Student Teaching: This is known as the Practicum and Clinical Experiences - Students must successfully complete:
a) a Pre-Practicum: 1 day a week (1 credit)
b) a full semester Practicum: This is the first phase of the full student teaching experience for candidates who hold no previous teaching certificates and the Clinical Experience is the advanced level student teaching. These two practical are done in tandem, so both take place in the same semester during a 12 -16 week- five days a week experience.
3. Research Project: This project is required by the state and is a component of the Teacher as Researcher course taken along with the clinical experience.
4. Massachusetts Test for Educator License (MTEL)
Candidates seeking educator licensure in Massachusetts in either the Provisional or the Initial level are tested through the MTEL program. They must pass both the tests of Communication and Literacy Skills and the Subject Test, where available, for the license they are seeking. The purpose of the MTEL is to help identify candidates for licensure who have demonstrated the knowledge required for entry-level educators in Massachusetts public schools.
Q. Who will help me through the process?
A. Several people at Boston College will guide you through the program.
- Academic advisor – In your senior year, you will be advised through the Lynch School Office of Student Services, since they are fully aware of both your undergraduate requirements and your graduate requirements Following full admission to graduate studies after graduation, a Lynch School professor will be assigned to you talk with you about content area courses and plan your master’s program of study with you.
- Assistant Director of Professional Practicum Experiences -will place you in a pre-practicum and work with you to select the best possible full practicum/clinical site.
- Graduate Supervisor - During the pre-practicum, each student teacher is assigned a supervisor who will visit the school site and provide feedback and support while you are in the field.
- Clinical faculty - during the 12 -16 week full semester clinical experience these faculty members will visit you, observe you, and provide support you during the experience.
Q. How will I know how to apply to the State for licensure?
A. Every student teacher will be invited to attend a meeting, "Teacher Preparation Day," during the full student teaching semester and all questions about paperwork will be answered in detail. In addition each student will have a small group session with the Practicum Office Director related to application for licensure.
Q. If I am in A&S, may I take some undergraduate electives in education during my senior year in addition to the 2 graduate level courses to better prepare myself for the field?
A. Students may take undergraduate electives in education if they are eligible to do so. PLEASE NOTE: A&S students must take 32 of their 38 courses in A&S.
II. Non-Teaching Programs in Education and Psychology
Fifth-year graduate programs are also available in non-teaching areas that lead to careers in universities, federal and state government, research and development centers, foundations, hospitals and health care organizations, daycare centers, social work agencies, and school systems. Application for these programs is also made in the junior year. The following Fifth year programs are available to all qualified students who wish to obtain a master's degree in education or educational psychology but are interested in non-teaching careers in the field.
Developmental and Educational Psychology (Master of Arts)
This program focuses on the unique characteristics, crises, and developmental tasks of people at specific periods in their lives. The social, affective , biological, and cognitive factors that affect development are explored. Students who receive the master's degree in this area are employed in a number of developmentally oriented settings, such as residential care facilities, personnel departments, government offices, and hospitals. Some also choose to go on to doctoral work in order to go into careers in research and teaching at the university level. Students coming into this program typically are pursuing undergraduate degrees in Psychology or Sociology, or Education, but the program is open to a wider array of undergraduate majors.
Higher Education (Master of Arts)
Students interested in working in an administrative capacity in a college or university setting may do so through this program, which prepares professionals in such areas as student affairs, residence life, public relations, and administrative middle management. Students with majors in Management often apply to this program, since it prepares one for management positions. Often, a strong undergraduate program in business is an excellent preparation for careers in university administration. Equally often, Arts and Sciences and Education undergraduate majors with strong academic backgrounds and a love of the idea of a university apply to the program. Students who are interested in middle management within the university seek positions in higher education after their master's program, where they can gain the necessary experience to apply to doctoral programs in the field. Doctoral programs are later pursued by those who aspire to become deans or university vice-presidents or presidents.
Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation (Master of Education)
Students who have strong quantitative interests and skills can pursue a career in the field of educational research through this graduate program. Graduates are qualified for a variety of positions, including academic and research positions in universities, foundations, local education agencies, and research and development centers. If you are a Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, or Physics major, you may enjoy turning your quantitative skills toward the scientific examination of social science data, which forms the underpinnings of social and educational policy.
GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Q. Do I have to complete the program in 5 years?
A. While the Fifth Year program is designed to be completed in the year after the bachelor's degree, there is not a requirement to finish it at that point. Sometimes, students are offered an excellent employment opportunity in the Boston area and decide to complete the master's program on a part-time basis. This works out well, since all of the graduate classes meet in the evenings. Students can take up to 5 years after the start of the master's program to complete the master's degree, although most students undertaking the program part-time are able to graduate in just 2 or 2 1/2 years. It is also possible to defer the start of the full graduate year at the end of the senior year.
Q. What kind of reputation does
the Lynch School of Education at Boston College hold nationally?
A. The Lynch School
of Education is ranked among the leading graduate schools in the country as
reported in the U.S. News and World Report Annual Survey of Graduate
Schools. We are ranked 20th in the nation for 2006. While we are pleased to
compare well to other schools, we hope that it is our mission rather than our
rank that attracts students to us. Ours mission is as follows:
The mission of the School of Education at Boston College, a Catholic and Jesuit University, is to improve the human condition through education. This goal is pursued through excellence and ethics in teaching, research and service. We prepare students to serve diverse populations in a variety of professional roles--as teachers, administrators, human service providers, psychologists, and researchers. Through research, we seek to advance knowledge in our respective fields, to inform policy, and improve practice. As teachers, scholars, and learners, we engage in collaborative school and community improvement efforts locally, nationally, and internationally. What unites our diverse work is the underlying aspiration to enhance the human condition, to expand the human imagination, and to make the world more just.
We are seeking the applications of well prepared students who wish to engage in this mission.
Q. How do I apply?
A. The application and complete
instructions are on the Lynch School web page (bc.edu/lynchschool), located
under “Admissions.” When you fill in the online application, you
will find the Fifth Year program under Dual Degrees.
*The application fee requirement is waived for Fifth Year Applicants.
Deadline for receipt of all application materials, including tests: March 1*
*Students are encouraged to submit their applications early. If there are any questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Graduate Admission.