Relay students are full-time educators who demonstrate a willingness to work hard, a commitment to improving their practice, and a belief that all students can learn, grow, and achieve. In order to be eligible to apply for admission to a degree and/or educator preparation program at Relay, applicants must meet the following admissions criteria:
- Applicants must have an official, degree-conferred transcript that shows proof of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
- Some Relay programs require a bachelor’s degree from a regionally or institutionally accredited institution of higher education. Applicants can check their institution’s accreditation here.
- In order to apply for Relay's teacher programs, prospective students must secure a program-aligned instructional role or, where applicable, secure an intent-to-hire commitment.
- Applicants must meet the GPA criteria for admission to their intended programs.
- Relay applicants who are not seeking certification/licensure through Relay and whose undergraduate GPA is 2.50 or higher are eligible for admissions to Relay.
- If applicants are not seeking certification/licensure through Relay and their undergraduate GPA is less than 2.50, Relay may admit a small portion of applicants with an undergraduate GPA below a 2.5 who have:
- Earned a 2.50 GPA in their last 60 credit hours of their undergraduate program, or
- Earned a 2.50 GPA in their major coursework in their undergraduate program, or
- Earned a master’s degree or higher with a GPA of 2.50 or higher.
- Applicants who do not meet the above criteria may be prompted to have a secondary recommendation submitted that will be used to evaluate their eligibility for admissions to Relay.
- Relay applicants who intend to seek certification/licensure through their Relay programs must also meet state-and/or program-specific GPA criteria, which may be higher than Relay’s GPA requirement for admission and/or allow for different exceptions.
- Educator Preparation Program Admissions: Prospective students who intend to seek certification/licensure through a Relay program must also typically meet state- and/or program-specific EPP admissions requirements. EPP admissions requirements may include, but are not limited to: minimum GPA, credit hours or a major in specific subject area(s), passing basic-skills and/or content exams, and immunization requirements. For details follow the link for programs in Appendix E: Educator Preparation Program Transition Points.
- Additional State- and Program-Specific Admissions Requirements:
- Applicants seeking admission to a hybrid program in New York must:
- Submit proof of MMR immunization, and
- Submit a meningitis immunization acknowledgement form.
- Applicants seeking admission to an advanced certificate program must provide evidence of holding a valid teaching license/certificate.
- Applicants to the accelerated track of the Master of Arts in Teaching program in Washington, D.C., must provide the following:
- At least one year of qualifying prior teaching experience
- School-leader recommendation
- Original lesson plan demonstrating a clear design of learning
- Supplemental essay reflecting on how your prior instructional experience has prepared you for this master’s degree program
Only applicants who successfully demonstrate meeting these admissions criteria will be admitted to Relay. Applicants will be notified that Relay has made an admissions decision via email.