Yes! The MAT program is fully online and mostly asynchronous. While the program is fully online, some instructors may require a few synchronous online meetings. Dates for these meetings will accessible through the course information when registering for the course.
Please visit the MAT Admission Requirements page on our website. If you are interested in the MAT in Special Education, please go to MAT Special Education page.
Yes. There are deadlines for applications, which are also listed on the MAT Admission pages. General Track Program (Elementary, Middle, or Secondary) admits for Summer I, Fall, or Spring semesters. General Track Admission Page Special Education Program admits for Summer (I or II) or Spring only (no Fall admission). Special Education Track Admission Page You can see semester start dates by visiting the UCA Academic Calendar webpage.
Yes. The MAT program requires a 2.7 cumulative undergraduate GPA for acceptance into the program. You must have a 3.0 GPA in any graduate work you may have already completed. The UCA Graduate School must receive official transcripts from all of your prior institutions, and they will complete an official evaluation and calculation of your GPA. Once admitted, you must maintain a 3.0 GPA to stay in good standing and avoid probation or suspension from the program. See this page for more information about General Requirements for graduate study at UCA.
You will need a full and clear Arkansas State Police background check, as well as a child maltreatment check, before you can be admitted into the program. We now offer this service at UCA through the Office of Candidate Services, or you can have this completed at your local education cooperative.
All of the classes you are required to take in the MAT General Education program are listed on the Program of Study page. Classes for the MAT Special Education program are listed on this Pacing Guide page. Graduate school considers 9 hours to be full time; however, it is recommended that MAT candidates take 6 hours per semester, especially if they are working or teaching full time.
You may choose one of the following options for licensure:
No. The Arkansas Department of Education and the MAT Program no longer require the Core or GRE at any point. One or more Praxis subject assessments will be required. See below.
Praxis Subject Area Assessment https://www.ets.org/praxis/ar/test-takers/plan-your-test/licensure/requirements.html Current state regulations require all MAT candidates to pass the Praxis content subject assessment(s) required for their chosen licensure path before they may take any classes beyond the first two classes in their program of study (more than 6 credits). This means if you have not passed your Praxis subject assessment(s) prior to admission to the MAT, you must pass during your first term if taking 6 credits/2 classes or before you want to take more than the first two classes in your program of study (6 credits/2 courses). The short answer is you must submit passing scores soon after admission to the program. You get to take only two classes before passing scores are required. If you are in K-6 (Elementary) or Special Education, you are also required to take the Foundations of Reading assessment but not until close to the end of your program of study. The timeline for this test is during your internship semester OR AFTER you have taken all of the literacy courses and elementary courses. Those in the Special Education program need to attempt the FoR prior to entering their final internship. Anyone on the Elementary or Special Education track not passing the FoR prior to graduation will not earn their initial teaching license until UCA receives their passing score. Pedagogy Assessment: The state recently removed the Praxis Principles of Learning & Teaching (PLT) exam as a requirement for licensure. Instead, they are allowing preparation programs to use their own assessments to show pedagogical knowledge. For UCA MAT programs (general ed. & special ed.) this pedagogical summative assessment is included in the internship assignments. Please keep in mind that you may still want to take the PLT if you think you may want to eventually pursue an administrative position or district specialist/interventionist position.
A provisional license is a teaching license that allows you to be hired as and work as a teacher in Arkansas while you are still in the MAT program and completing the MAT program requirements. Before applying for a provisional, you must have passed any required Praxis subject assessments, be enrolled in an MAT program in good standing, and you must have a job offer from an accredited school. Once granted, a provisional license lasts for two years, by which time you need to have completed all of the MAT program requirements. For information on the Provisional license, visit the Provisional License web page. MAT candidates teaching under a provisional license MUST maintain enrollment in the MAT program, remain in good standing with the MAT program (3.0 GPA or higher), and stay employed as a teacher of record for the same school that recommended them for the provisional license. MAT candidates who move schools from year 1 to year 2 of their provisional license must notify the MAT program office by having their new district complete the Provisional License Recommendation letter.
Yes. The state of Arkansas currently requires all teacher candidates to complete a one semester internship (student teaching) to be eligible for a standard teaching license. This is a full-time, 16-week commitment that must take place in either the Fall or Spring semester. The one semester requirement ends in Fall 2026. This will be replaced by a state-required year-long residency/internship experience (fall/spring or spring/fall). UCA MAT programs will transition to the year-long residency/internship experience as of the 26-27 academic year. We strongly encourage all of our candidates to find a position teaching in their own classroom, prior to their internship experience. However, this isn’t always an option. Note: IF you need to be placed for your internship, we can place you in a mentor teacher’s classroom (this will be an unpaid two semester experience). You may start teaching on a provisional at any point in the program, if you have met all of the requirements. Some schools will hire you without a provisional, but most will want to verify that you are at least pursuing a program that will lead to licensure. Teaching positions in a public school, accredited charter school, or an accredited private school are acceptable, as long as you are teaching in your intended licensure area/grade level(s) and the position matches your program track. Having your own classroom also allows you to earn a salary while taking courses!
For the most up-to-date information, please visit the Student Accounts website. Currently the MAT program has a flat-rate tuition of $336/credit hour (includes tuition and fees).
Yes. Begin by exploring the UCA Office of Financial Aid website for all of the basics. There is also a link on the COE webpage to any graduate scholarships available in the UCA College of Education. Another excellent resource is the UCA Office of Candidate Services website. From the horizontal menu near the top of the page, select Resources and then Financial Aid for Teachers. Check out the state’s Arkansas Teacher Academy Scholarship. This opportunity could potentially pay for a UCA MAT degree in full: https://uca.edu/education/teacher-academy-scholarship/ Teacher education candidates in some licensure areas can now receive the federal TEACH grant to help pay for their college expenses. Those who receive funds must agree to a four year service agreement to teach in one of these high need content areas. You may also look at the STEP options for repayment: State Teacher Education Program (STEP) Additional eligibility requirements are described on the website below. High need areas change each year. The UCA Office of Student Financial Aid has added information about the TEACH grant to their website https://uca.edu/financialaid/federal-teach-grant/.
While you have 6 years to complete the program, most candidates take 5-6 semesters to finish all the required coursework or about 2 years. Please note that if you elect to work on a provisional license (see above), you must complete the program within 2 years of securing that license.
No. Every state controls their own licensing requirements. However, once you have a license in Arkansas, you can apply for reciprocity to other states for a transfer of your license.
Once you have a standard teaching license, you may add additional content areas by passing the appropriate Praxis subject assessment(s). If you are seeking to add areas such as Special Education, Administration, Gifted, ELL, Counseling, Coaching, etc., then that will require taking additional coursework in an approved program of study (not the MAT program) and meeting the ADE guidelines for those areas.
If you currently hold a teaching license (provisional or standard) and/or have completed a student teaching internship at this or any other institution, you are ineligible for admission into the UCA MAT program.