Secondary Education M.Ed.

The Program Coordinator oversees all of the Secondary Education master's programs. Prior to being assigned a faculty advisor, you can reach out to your Program Coordinator with any questions related to your program. They are a great resource as you move through your program.

If you are not sure which Secondary Education program is the best path based on your educational background and your career aspirations, please reach out to the Program Coordinator.

Each student is assigned a Faculty Advisor. Your advisor will help you choose your courses and plan your Program of Study. They will provide guidance about course waivers, transfer credits, and leaves of absence, as needed. They are a great resource to discuss your career and long-term plans as well as your goals for the program.

Dr. Lillie Albert

Program Coordinator and Faculty Advisor

Mathematics

lillie.albert@bc.edu

Dr. Mike Barnett

Faculty Advisor

Sciences

george.barnett@bc.edu

Dr. David Scanlon

Faculty Advisor

Humanities

david.scanlon@bc.edu

Dr. Patrick Proctor

Faculty Advisor

Humanities

charles.proctor.1@bc.edu

Dr. Ankhi Thakurta

Faculty Advisor

Humanities

thakurta@bc.edu

It is crucial to stay in contact with your faculty advisor as you move through your program. Please ensure schedule regular meetings to discuss academic and professional plans. This includes drafting your Program of Study for review, sharing details about your career goals, discussing academic options (substituting a course, taking a course outside of BC, transferring credits, etc.), and checking in to ensure you are meeting program milestones.

Not sure who your Faculty Advisor is?

Email the Graduate Office (gadofc@bc.edu) and our team is happy to connect you with your advisor.

Graduate Student Services

The Graduate Student Services team supports students with everything from course registration to financial aid, and general student support. Please contact us with any questions.

Carolyn Looker

Graduate Financial Aid

Kaitlyn Solano

Graduate Student Services

Bella Esposito

Graduate Student Support

Carolyn McDonald

Graduate Student Services

Not sure who to reach out to?

Our team manages different inboxes that are the fastest way to get in touch.

Course Registration: lynchgradcourseregistration@bc.edu

Financial Aid: gsoe@bc.edu

General Questions: gradoffice@bc.edu

Student Support: gsehdstudentsupport@bc.edu

Academic Planning and Advising

Students should reach out to their advisor or the Graduate Student Services team to begin planning their program as soon as possible. We highly recommend meeting with a member of our team prior to registering for your first semester. The following information should guide your academic planning, but each student's experience is unique and it is important to review your plan with your advisor prior to making any final decisions.

Program of Study

Please review the appropriate Program of Study for your program. You will find all of the requirements for your degree listed.

Please see Programs of Study for more information on how to complete and submit your final Program of Study.

Depending on your graduate program, you may plan to complete your degree in as few as three semesters, however, most students complete their secondary degree in two years (four to five semesters). Please note that not all courses are offered every semester. Please connect with your academic advisor to discuss your plan and refer to to the Course Offerings by Semester for a general sense of when courses are offered.

Content Area Electives

Each student must complete electives in their content area in order to graduate from a Secondary Education program. These electives should be graduate-level courses from one of the schools within Boston College.

Students cannot register themselves for courses outside of the Lynch School.

In order to register for your Content Area Electives, please follow the steps below.

Identify potential electives by searching under your content area for courses that count for graduate credit. Students should verify these courses with their Academic Advisor if they are unsure which courses would count.
Contact the Course Instructor to receive permission to enroll in the course. Lynch School students taking courses in other schools must receive written permission from the Course Instructor in order to enroll.
Forward the permission to the Registration Team (lynchgradcourseregistration@bc.edu). You will receive confirmation once you've been registered. Please ensure you are not registered for any courses that conflict with the requested course and that you do not have any holds on your account.

Suggested graduate content area electives are listed below by department for the spring 2025 semester. Courses for the summer and fall 2025 semester will be updated in early April.

Secondary Education Elective Offerings: 2025 - 2026

Program Completion

Practicum

This program requires the successful completion of practicum and a cumulative Master's Comprehensive Exam prior to graduation. The practicum consists of four courses: one pre-practicum (1 credit), one full-practicum (6 credits), and two Graduate Inquiry Seminars (3 credits total).

The pre- and full practicum experiences must be completed at a PK-12 school in Massachusetts that aligns with your graduate program and area of licensure.

All teacher candidates who are full-time employees (e.g., teacher of record, teacher’s assistant, paraprofessional, intern, teaching fellow, etc.) who want to complete their practicum experience at their school of employment must complete an Employment Request to be reviewed by the Assistant Dean for Field Placement.

Please note that all graduate teacher candidates, even if employed, must register for the appropriate pre-practicum course and complete the Pre-Practicum Placement Application. Similarly, all graduate teacher candidates, even if employed, must register for the appropriate full practicum course and complete the Full Practicum Placement Application. After completing the application, you will be invited to a mandatory meeting with the Office of Field Placement and Partnership Outreach to discuss arrangements for your full practicum experience.

If you have questions, you can learn more through the Office of Field Placement’s advising site or by contacting the team directly at prac@bc.edu.

Master's Comprehensive Exam

The comprehensive exam is fulfilled through the successful completion of Graduate Inquiry Seminar II (passing grade 70%). You will register for this course during the semester in which you are completing your full practicum experience.

Professional Licensure in Massachusetts

Upon completion of your licensure-track program, you will be endorsed from Boston College which signifies that you have successfully completed a state-approved program leading to licensure in Massachusetts. In addition, students can earn the SEI Endorsement, required of all educators applying for their first Initial license in Massachusetts, by completing the approved Program of Study for the designated initial licensure program and graduating from Boston College. It is important to note that your Initial license will be granted by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in accordance with state law and regulations. Additional information about the endorsement process and licensure requirements are available on the Office of Field Placement’s advising site.

MTEL (Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure)

The MTELs are required of all educators seeking PreK-12 academic licensure in Massachusetts. The MTELs consist of a communication and literacy skills test as well as exams for specific subject matter knowledge. You can learn more about required MTELs and access preparation resources through the Boston College libraries on the Office of Field Placement’s advising site.

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