In addition to the general admission requirements, one of the requirements for an initial license is demonstrated knowledge in the content area. Thus, candidates for this program must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited school with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 in the chosen content area. A preliminary license in the desired content area or a passing score on the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) in the content area is also acceptable for admission to the program if a candidate holds a bachelor's degree in the arts and sciences or an inter-disciplinary major.

In addition to the content area MTEL, candidates for this program must also pass the Communication and Literacy Skills test.

An undergraduate or graduate course in adolescent development / psychology is a prerequisite for stage 3 of the program or a CLEP exam in Human Growth & Development with a score of 50 or higher.

Candidates may be required to take additional courses in the content area. After reviewing the student's undergraduate transcript(s) and MTEL scores, the program coordinator will determine if the student must take additional content courses.
Applicants from countries outside of the United States in which English is not the language of instruction, must also submit a score of 79 or above on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), a score of 6.5 or above on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), a score of 100 or above on the Duolingo Test, a score of 59 or above on the Pearson PTE test, or a score of 4 or above on the International English Language Proficiency Test (iTEP). A waiver of this requirement may be available for IELI Bridge to University graduate-level students.