Admissions Process

Application for admission to MTCNE may be submitted at any time during the calendar year. Applications are considered active upon receipt of the application fee. Priority consideration will be given to all applications activated before or on March 15th each year. After this date, consideration for the course will be on a space-available basis.

The Primary Teacher Training Course is limited to a maximum of 30 students. When a course is filled, successful candidates will be placed on a waiting list in the order accepted with the option of deferring registration to the next available course.

Criteria for Admission

Acceptance into the Montessori Training Center of New England is based on evaluation of the application packet, previous academic record and a personal interview. The educational standards for the course is a bachelor’s degree in any field. Exceptions are considered on an individual basis.

Successful candidates will demonstrate qualifications and suitability for successful participation in the course, including:

• Academic skills for success in a comprehensive and rigorous course of study
• Clear oral and written communication
• Capacities for organization, time management and attention to detail
• Ability to collaborate within the community of the Center, its students and cooperating Montessori schools
• Commitment to alternative education
• The desire to support human development in positive and life-affirming directions

Who Trains to be a Montessori Teacher?

Montessori education attracts a diverse group of candidates for teacher training. They come from many backgrounds and vary in age from college students to retirees.

Some have always had the goal of becoming Montessori teachers, occasionally motivated by their own experiences as “Montessori children.” Others have been attracted to the teaching profession, but were disappointed and discouraged by
experiences in conventional forms of education. Discovering Montessori education rekindled their vision, inspiring them again to pursue work as educators.

For many applicants, Montessori teacher education represents a complete change in their professional goals – perhaps inspired by their own experiences as parents, relatives or friends of children.

Applicants come from a wide variety of careers and backgrounds, such as architecture, business management, engineering, homemaking, mental health, retail sales and social work.

Applicants also come from a host of academic fields. Some have pursued academic study without a specific career goal in mind, while others have constructed an academic background to support work with children and their families.

Students come to the Center with degrees in such varied fields as Anthropology, Art, Asian Studies, Biology, Child & Family Studies, Dance, English Literature, Ethnic Studies, Geography, Landscape Architecture, Mathematics, Music, Nursing, Philosophy, Psychology, Political Science, Theater, Women’s Studies and – yes, occasionally Education.

Whatever their background or age, all share a common desire to find work that is personally fulfilling and makes a positive difference in the world. And all find their previous knowledge and experience uniquely respected and valuable in support of the Montessori vision of Education for Life.