Master of Arts in Teaching
The M.A.T. program is designed to prepare exceptionally qualified teachers who are responsive to the needs of diverse learners. It provides professional coursework and experience that lead to initial teacher certification for students who have completed a baccalaureate degree. Student transcripts will be reviewed to determine if content area qualifications are met for the type of certification sought. Candidates for elementary certification must meet course requirements in English, math, science, and social studies. For certification in secondary teaching, 27-30 credits are required in the area of certification. Secondary education certification programs focusing on grades 7-12 are offered in biology, chemistry, earth/space science, English, mathematics, physics, and social studies. Secondary education certification programs focusing on grades PK-12 are offered in art, French, music (both instrumental and vocal), and Spanish.
Admitted students will meet with an advisor to outline a sequence of courses that meets their needs. In addition to required courses, the program includes two school-based field experiences and an internship that meets certification requirements for the state of Maryland. Students complete an internship in a professional development school that includes one semester of a full-time student teaching and a performance-based portfolio assessment. Students in the program who hold teaching jobs in the area of certification register for the Professional Growth Experience option and complete their internship requirements in the school where they are employed. Students must teach within a designated commuting time from the Baltimore Campus.
In addition, the M.A.T. program requires students to demonstrate proficiency in technology skills for teaching that can be accomplished through the student's previous coursework, passing a technology skills assessment offered by the department (an administration fee is charged), or by passing the one-credit foundation course, Introduction to Educational Technology (ET 605 ).
In order to complete the requirements for graduation, candidates must submit passing results for the Praxis II: Content Knowledge test and provide proof of taking the Praxis II pedagogy test related to the certification area. In place of Praxis II tests, candidates for certification in French or Spanish are required to provide proof of taking the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview and the Writing Proficiency Test.
The M.A.T. program has been approved by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Maryland State Department of Education using recognized state and national standards and includes the Maryland approved reading courses.
Return to: