Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) - Secondary
This program is designed for individuals who have earned an undergraduate degree in Biology, Business, Chemistry, Earth Science, English, French, Math, Physics, Social Studies, Spanish, or a closely related field. It offers an opportunity for candidates to earn Professional Teaching Certification while completing a Master of Arts in Teaching degree. The degree provides candidates who have been granted a Temporary Provisional Certificate with a mechanism for refining and demonstrating their teaching skills and competencies during participation in the MAT program.
A Master's degree with Professional Certification is the end result of successful completion of the Praxis Tests and the 36-hour program.
Admission Requirements
- Submit an application for Graduate Study, official transcripts, and test scores ACT 21 or GRE 750 or pass content area required PRAXIS exam(s) to Enrollment Services and Undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale or an earned graduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (minimum of nine credit hours), or an admission index (GRE verbal + GRE Qualitative) x Undergraduate GPA of at least 2050.
- Complete and submit a MAT Application (including copy of transcripts and test scores) to the MAT Office.
- Complete an entrance interview with a MAT advisor.
- Baccalaureate degree must be from an accredited institution and may be a major in the content area or a related content area; or when there is a concentration of coursework in the major, the content area faculty or chair may review and approve.
- Documentation of work experience in the field, when appropriate.
Eligibility to enroll in coursework
Candidates may enroll in classes required for the Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary Education or Business or French or Spanish Program when they have fulfilled all of the admission requirements.
Eligibility to Continue in the Program
The following conditions must be met to determine eligibility to continue taking courses for credit toward the MAT degree:
- Successfully completed all required Praxis content area exams.
- Achieved and maintained a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Exit Requirements
Candidates must:
- Have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0; no credit is awarded when the grade earned is below a "C."
- Successfully complete the Supervised Teaching Experience courses (EDUC 650 and 651).
- Pass the Praxis Specialty test(s) in the content major prior to the KTIP experience. Students must pass the Principles of Teaching and Learning exam (PLT) and the Praxis Specialty exams for degree completion.
- Successfully complete program-required portfolio (EDUC 650 and EDUC 651).
- Students must file an application for degree completion in the Graduate Office, no later than the beginning of the semester during which they plan to complete all degree requirements.
Other Program Procedures and Requirements
- Once accepted into the MAT program candidates seeking employment in a public/private school may secure, along with the school district and the MSU Master of Arts in Teaching Program, a Temporary Provisional Certificate. Candidates may accomplish this through the completion of a TC-TP form available at the school system where employment is desired. The candidate completes pages 1 and 3 and then must obtain signatures of the school district superintendent and the MST MAT coordinator. Finally the form must be submitted to the Education Professional Standards Board.
- Candidates who are not employed as full-time teachers must be available for supervised student teaching in a public school for a minimum of two semesters.
- No credit will be given toward completion of required coursework for any MAT Program for correspondence courses.
- Candidates who fall below a 3.0 GPA will be placed on probation. Candidates on probation will be allowed to repeat MAT required courses or to take graduate courses that do not count for credit in the MAT Program to raise their GPA to a 3.0. If after that semester, candidates fail to achieve a 3.0 GPA they will be dropped from the MAT Program.
- Candidates employed via Temporary Provisional Certification whose employment is terminated by the employing district for unethical practices will be suspended from the MAT Program until the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) rules on the district's allegation. When a decision is rendered, the candidate will either be expelled from or reinstated in the program, based on EPSB's decision.
|
Sem. Hrs. |
Professional Core |
17-18 |
EDF 610 - Advanced Human Growth and Development |
3 |
EDSE 634 - Secondary School Curriculum (required) |
3 |
EDSE 633 - Effective Classroom Instruction or |
|
EDEL 640 - Contemporary Inst. Practices |
3 |
EDEL 677 - Reading in the Content Area or |
|
EDEL 628 - Materials and Methods in Reading Inst. or |
|
EDEL 626 - Investigations in Reading |
3 |
EDUC 652 - Applied Classroom Practice Modules I (required) |
2 |
EDUC 653 - Applied Classroom Practice Modules II (required when officially recommended by MSU supervisor) |
1 |
*EDSP 601 - Survey of Exceptional Children or |
|
EDF 680 - History and Philosophy of Education |
3 |
Total Hours |
17-18 |
* This course is required when a student has not successfully completed at least one course in the area of Special Education. The need to take this course will be determined at the Program Entrance and Design Interview.
Supervised Field Experience |
12 |
EDUC 650 - Supervised Practice in Teacher Education I |
6 |
EDUC 651 - Supervised Practice in Teacher Education II |
6 |
Total Hours |
12 |
Content Area graduate courses |
6 |
TOTAL HOURS REQUIRED |
35-36 |
Extending Certification
Students who complete the MAT in Secondary Education and wish to obtain certification in the same middle grade content area must complete the following:
- Submit graduate application for admission.
- Submit substitution forms if applicable.
- Must successfully complete EDMG 636.
- Must successfully complete one teaching methods course: EDEL 622, EDEL 623, ENG 612, MATH 631, SCI 691, or SCI 690.
- Apply for completion of the program.