Master of Arts in Teaching

For the MAT in Special Education, see the Special Education page.

[1] Objectives

The College of Education offers a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program created especially for individuals without teaching credentials who have earned baccalaureate degrees in specific content areas and want to become teachers in an expeditious fashion. The MAT is a 39-hour graduate degree program with three tracks: Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Education. Tailored to accommodate most working students’ schedules, this program involves a 33-hour core plus 6 hours of required courses within the selected track that can be completed in five semesters, including fall, spring, and summer sessions. Graduate School policy requires that students complete their program of study within six years.

[2] Admission, Retention, and Exit Requirements

[2.1] Program Admission Requirements

Candidates interested in pursuing the MAT program for Elementary, Middle, or Secondary education will need to be admitted to the UCA Graduate School by following the regular admission process (see https://uca.edu/graduateschool/admission-process/).

In addition, candidates will be required to

• Complete the MAT application found at https://uca.edu/mat/mat-admission-requirements/.
• Submit of a written statement of purpose (see guidelines).
• Have achieved a competitive grade point average on prior work.

[2.2] Program Retention Requirements

After admission to the graduate school and the MAT program, competitive standardized test scores to establish competency in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics must submitted to the program within the first semester of enrollment. Failure to submit these scores will result in the candidate being unable to move forward in their chosen program of study.

If you plan on teaching in your own classroom on a provisional license, while completing the MAT program you must meet the requirements for a provisional license. Those requirements can be found at this link: https://uca.edu/ocs/mat-provisional-license/. A provisional license will not be awarded until you have met the retention requirement of submitting the required standardized test scores.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program evaluates candidates in the MAT program at the following points in their programs of study:

1. Admission
2. Mid-program review (12-15 hours)
3. Application for internship
4. Graduation

Candidates must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Candidates are reviewed for their academic and dispositional performance throughout the program. Dispositional performance is evaluated using the disposition rubric designed by MAT faculty and implemented program-wide.

Candidates not meeting the required academic performance criteria (including minimum GPA and test scores) and/or not demonstrating appropriate dispositions will be counseled by a faculty committee to be comprised of the program coordinator, the candidate’s advisor, and faculty who have interacted with the candidate in class settings. Decisions regarding professional and ethical conduct will be guided by the professional and ethical conduct policy adopted by the professional education unit licensure programs and College of Education degree and licensure programs. These candidates may be required to complete professional growth plans. Failure to meet the guidelines of the professional growth plan may be cause for dismissal from the MAT program.

[2.3] Entrance into Internship Requirements

Upon completion of 33 hours and prior to Internship, candidates must submit passing Praxis II Content scores. Candidates must also have an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 in program coursework and have no dispositional issues that could impact their performance in internship. Elementary track candidates must have a job as the Teacher of Record before being allowed to enter Internship. Other professional development requirements for entrance to Internship can be found on the MAT program page.

[2.4] Program Exit Requirements

After successful completion of all required courses and model key assessments, candidates must submit passing scores on the Principles of Learning and Teaching exam (PLT Praxis exam).

Note: In order to apply for a standard teaching license in any K–12 content area, candidates MUST pass the Praxis II content assessment and the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) assessment.

[2.5] Continuous Enrollment Requirement

College of Education graduate students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment throughout their program of study until achieving program completion. Specifically, College of Education graduate students are expected to be enrolled in at least two of the three semesters in a given calendar year (Spring, Summer I or II, and Fall). If a student must take a time-out, the student is expected to notify his/her home department. If a student fails to register for more than one semester out of three in a given calendar year, he/she may be ineligible for readmission unless granted by the home department.

[3] Programs of Study

[3.1] MAT Core Courses (33 credit hours)

All candidates regardless of licensure level will complete the core courses. Candidates will then select Elementary (K–6) Track, the Middle-Level (4–8) Track, or the Secondary-Level (K–12, 4–12, or 7–12) Track and complete requirements for the selected track as indicated below.

[3.2] Elementary Level (2 courses – 6 hours)

[3.3] Middle Level (2 courses – 6 credit hours)

[3.4] Secondary Level K–12, 4–12, or 7–12 (2 courses – 6 credit hours)

[4] Graduate Course Links (MAT, ASTL)

Follow this link for MAT course descriptions: course link.

Follow this link for ASTL course descriptions: course link.