• College graduates who did not major in an education program have options for becoming certified teachers in Maine. Outlined below are various strategies for becoming certified to teach in Maine. All options below require a bachelor’s degree, passage of the Praxis I exam, and eventual passage of the Praxis II exam associated with your intended classroom position (elementary, secondary, special education, etc.).
  • The Master of Arts in Teaching Degree: The University of Maine offers college graduates with a bachelor’s degree the opportunity to gain education methodology as well as content courses in a full-time, 12-month master’s degree program. The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is designed for graduates of four-year colleges with degrees in the liberal arts and sciences. It includes all education courses and school internships required for Maine state teacher certification in elementary education (K-8); English, mathematics, life and physical sciences, and social studies at the secondary level (7-12); and foreign languages (K-12). There are two MAT cohorts: the Elementary (K-8) cohort, with a maximum enrollment of 15 students per year, and the Secondary (7-12) cohort, with a maximum enrollment of 18 students per year. Students seeking K-12 certification in foreign languages are part of the Secondary cohort. Passage of the Praxis I-PPST exam and submission of either GRE or MAT scores is required for admission to UMaine’s MAT program. Learn more about the MAT program at the University of Maine.
  • The ETEP Program: The University of Southern Maine offers college graduates with a bachelor’s degree the opportunity to gain education methodology as well as content courses in a one-year, full-time teacher certification program. Passage of the Praxis I-PPST exam is required for admission to the USM ETEP program. Learn more about USM’s ETEP program.
  • Second Degree at UMF: College graduates with a bachelor’s degree may apply to earn a second bachelor’s degree in an education program at UMF. The duration of the second degree program depends upon the number of credits/courses already earned that will be accepted for transfer into the program. Admission to a UMF education program as a second-degree applicant requires passage of the Praxis I-PPST exam. For more information on the application procedures associated with earning a second degree at UMF, contact the UMF Admissions Office at 207-778-7050.
  • SPARC: The UMF Special Ed Alternate Route to Certification (SPARC) offers a program of on-line courses taught by experienced Special Education faculty and professionals. Courses are open to all practicing Special Education educators holding a baccalaureate degree, including in-service educators, those working in Birth to Age 5 intervention settings, Ed Techs, and others. The UMF SPARC program includes fourteen online graduate courses are offered on a rotating schedule. For this program, there is no need to apply for admission to UMF. Participants must have access to students with special needs in order to complete assignments for courses. https://www.umf.maine.edu/grad-studies/special-ed-alternate-route-to-certification-sparc/
  • Conditional Certification: Many bachelor’s degree graduates are eligible to receive a conditional teaching certificate, issued by the Maine Dept. of Education. Issuance of a conditional teaching certificate allows one to teach in Maine for a period of time, during which one must take a specified list of education courses in order to become fully certified. The number and nature of the courses that must be completed during the period of conditional certification depends upon what grade level one teaches and the number of relevant content and education-oriented courses one has already completed in his/her undergraduate program. Contact the Maine Dept. of Education to inquire about the procedure for obtaining a conditional teaching certificate.
  • Praxis Testing Requirements for All 50 States
  • Link to Certification Requirements for All 50 States

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