In Washington, DC, Relay offers Master of Arts in Teaching programs with an option to pursue DC teacher certification.

Join our community of practitioners focused on achievement, and well-being of students and teachers

The Relay Approach

Since Relay Washington DC opened its doors to both aspiring and experienced teachers in summer 2017, we have graduated over 450 teachers. We are proud of the work that our faculty have done with teachers to support their development both in and out of the classroom, as we have invested in the social-emotional health and wellbeing of our students. DC is a dynamic place to teach!

Faculty

Relay faculty are experienced classroom teachers who blend theory with real-world application and build supportive communities of adult learners.

State Requirements

Each state has its own admissions requirements for students applying to Relay Graduate School of Education. This section will help you understand what's needed for the program you're interested in, so you can feel prepared and confident as you begin your application.

Understanding your GPA admissions requirements
All students must be admitted to Relay Graduate School of Education in order to enroll in coursework.
If you plan to pursue teacher licensure, you will also need to meet the admissions criteria for Relay's Educator Preparation Program (EPP) — requirements that are separate from Graduate School admissions and based on state-specific certification guidelines.

In short:

• If you are pursuing a degree only, you must meet Graduate School admissions requirements.
• If you are pursuing a degree with licensure, you must meet both Graduate School and Educator Preparation Program requirements.

The sections below explain what this means for each program option.

Requirements for admission to our Master of Arts in Teaching Program: Elementary, English, Mathematics, Science

To be eligible for our Master of Arts in Teaching Program with or without licensure, you will need to:

• Complete your application
• Complete your admissions checklist
• Submit your official, degree-conferred transcript with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher (Relay offers limited exceptions for applicants with a GPA below 2.5 who meet other criteria. Email support@relay.edu for details.)‍
• Obtain a program-aligned instructional role prior to beginning clinical practice coursework

If you are planning on pursuing licensure, you will also need to:

• Complete Transition Point 1 requirements for the program, which will be added to your admissions checklist
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher (Relay offers limited exceptions for applicants with a GPA below 3.0 who meet other criteria. Email support@relay.edu for details.)

In Washington, D.C., the Educator Preparation Program for Master of Arts in Teaching candidates pursuing Elementary, English, Mathematics, or Science is the Washington DC Teacher Licensure Program (Non-Residents) or the Washington DC Alternative Teacher Licensure Program (Residents).

GPA Requirements

Requirements for admission to our Master of Arts in Teaching Program: Social Studies, Special Education, Early Childhood Education

To be eligible for our Master of Arts in Teaching Program with or without licensure, you will need to:

• Complete your application
• Complete your admissions checklist
• Submit your official, degree-conferred transcript with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher (Relay offers limited exceptions for applicants with a GPA below 2.5 who meet other criteria. Email support@relay.edu for details.)‍
• Obtain a program-aligned instructional role prior to beginning clinical practice coursework

If you are planning on pursuing licensure, you will also need to:

• Complete Transition Point 1 requirements for the program, which will be added to your admissions checklist
• Have a GPA of 2.5 or higher (Relay offers limited exceptions for applicants with a GPA below 2.5 who meet other criteria. Email support@relay.edu for details.)

In Washington D.C., the Educator Preparation Program for Master of Arts in Teaching candidates pursuing Social Studies, Special Education, or Early Childhood Education is the Colorado Traditional Teacher Licensure Program. Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay) is recognized as an approved, out-of-state educator preparation program in the location of Washington DC. Your certification will be issued through the educator preparation program in the state of Colorado, which you may then use to apply for a license in Washington D.C. Learn more about this pathway to certification here.
‍

GPA Requirements

Requirements for admission to our Licensure Only Programs 

To be eligible for our Licensure Only Programs, you will need to:

• Complete your application
• Complete your admissions checklist
• Submit your official, degree-conferred transcript with a cumulative GPA of 2.5
  
  • Relay requires a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher for the graduate school, however the educator preparation program in Washington D.c. requires a GPA of 2.5
  • Relay offers limited exceptions for applicants with a GPA below the requirements who meet other criteria. Email support@relay.edu for details.
• Obtain a program-aligned instructional role prior to beginning clinical practice coursework
• Complete Transition Point 1 requirements for the program, which will be added to your admissions checklist

In Washington, D.C., the Educator Preparation Program for Master of Arts in Teaching candidates is the Colorado Traditional Teacher Licensure Program. Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay) is recognized as an approved, out-of-state educator preparation program in the location of Washington DC. Your certification will be issued through the educator preparation program in the state of Colorado, which you may then use to apply for a license in Washington DC Learn more about this pathway to certification here.
‍

GPA Requirements

School & District Partners

Here are some of the school system partners we work with in DC:

• District of Columbia Public Schools
• Learn D.C. Public Charter School
• EL Haynes Public Charter School
• AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter Schools
• Friendship Public Charter School