A combined BA/BS-MAT five-year program is a second pathway available for students who wish pursue teacher certification. Applicants to secondary certification programs for grades 7-12 must have a major or significant coursework in one of the following certification areas: biology, chemistry, English, mathematics, physics, or social studies. Applicants to certification programs for grades PK-12 must have a major or significant coursework in one of the following certification areas: art, French, Spanish, or music. Students who are not elementary education majors but wish to pursue certification in grades 1 – 6 may have a major in any area but must meet the following pre-requisites: 9 credits in English/Language Arts, including a literature course; 9 credits in social studies, including U.S. history; 9 credits in mathematics, including statistics, and 10 credits in science, including a laboratory. Elementary education majors are not eligible for this program.

Students submit an application to the Office of Graduate Admission by March 15th of the junior year and take three graduate-level education courses in the senior year.

Students must earn a grade of B or better in each of the three courses in order for the courses to advance to the graduate program. Graduate courses taken during the senior year are included in the undergraduate tuition and fulfill undergraduate electives.

A minimum QPA of 3.000 through the fall of the junior year is required for full acceptance to the MAT. Probationary acceptance may be granted for students with a QPA between 2.750 and 3.000.  One professional academic recommendation, standardized test scores, and a personal essay based on a writing prompt are required. It is highly preferable for candidates to ask their references to submit the recommendation on the MAT Recommendation Form which contains a listing of teacher qualification characteristics. A personal interview may be required. For unconditional acceptance, students must have a 3.000 GPA or submit evidence of a passing score (based on the Maryland cutoff level) on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) Test (Reading, Math, and Writing).  Consistent with regulations for teacher certification set forth by the state of Maryland, qualifying scores on the SAT, ACT, or GRE may be substituted for Praxis Core (please refer to http://www.marylandpublicschools.org for details on Basic Skills). Under provisional acceptance, students with a GPA of 3.000 are required to submit evidence of a passing score on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) Test (Reading, Math, and Writing) before the start of their senior year. Any student who does not maintain a 3.000 GPA will be required to submit these scores prior to beginning the MAT program.

In order to complete the requirements for graduation from the MAT program, candidates must submit official passing scores on the appropriate licensure exams to the Teacher Education Department by May 1. Testing requirements are listed on the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) website: http://www.marylandpublicschools.org. Failure to meet the stated deadlines for receipt of licensure exam scores will result in the student not graduating. The student will be required to file a subsequent graduation application.