Master of Arts in Teaching (Archived 2016-17 Graduate Catalog)

The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree is for individuals planning to continue a teaching career. The program is available only to individuals who hold a valid teaching license.

M.A.T. degree candidates may major in the following fields: Biological Sciences, French, German, History, Mathematics, Physics, and Spanish. Specific admission procedures and degree requirements are outlined in the major field descriptions. To locate major field descriptions, consult Graduate Programs Offered section of this Catalog.

The M.A.T. is designed to meet the needs of classroom teachers who:

1. may not require the type of academic preparation currently provided in programs leading to the Master of Arts or Master of Science degrees in their teaching area;
2. desire to pursue course work in a discipline in order to improve teaching proficiency;
3. can profit from additional professional course work in pedagogy, curriculum development, and educational foundations;
4. want to update their knowledge and proficiency in the use of research as it relates to their teaching areas.

Applicants to the M.A.T. degree program must have had at least one year’s teaching experience and must hold a valid teaching certificate from the state in which they are teaching.

Degree Requirements
The M.A.T. degree requires candidates to:

1. complete 21 to 27 semester hours in a major field. In certain cases these hours may be an interdisciplinary major. At least one of the courses in the major must be a seminar at the 6000 level or above;
2. complete eight to 13 semester hours in professional education, including one course in pedagogy. Candidates who wish a strong supporting area in reading may elect appropriate courses at the 6000 level in education;
3. complete 35 semester hours of acceptable graduate course work with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better;
4. accumulate not more than seven semester hours for course work with grades less than “B”; and
5. pass final capstone experience or experiences (e.g., written comprehensive examination, research paper, portfolio, academic equivalent).  See your program handbook for specific requirements.

See discipline specific handbooks for details of degree program requirements.