Bachelor of Arts/Master of Arts in Teaching, BA/MAT

Overview

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The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is based on the idea that all students are powerful learners and deserve every opportunity to experience and develop the power of their minds, voices, and capabilities in meaningful learning. It begins in May after students complete their BA and extends through the following academic year. Students enter as part of a cohort team that is guided through the program by university and school mentors. They are placed with a teacher mentor in one of the Adam Institute partner schools at the beginning of the academic year and take the equivalent of 10 courses, including the teaching practicum, determined by and based on their prior course work and planned teaching level.

The MAT is an intensive, full-year program designed to qualify students interested in elementary, middle or high school teaching in urban settings for the Massachusetts Initial Teacher License. The program requires successful completion of ten or eleven courses, including two or three summer courses and a practicum in the spring of the fifth year. The initial Massachusetts teaching license supports teacher licensure in 31 other states.

 

Departmental Eligibility Requirements

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Students interested in the MAT must demonstrate effectiveness working with children and youth - a recommendation from a youth program supervisor is required as part of their graduate program application. An essay, written by the applicant, that addresses interest in urban teaching also should be included as part of their application

Additionally, students must pass the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure before the beginning of the M.A.T. program which starts in May of your graduation year. Students aiming to teach at the elementary level take the required Foundations of Reading test as soon as possible after they have taken the “Literacy Development” course.

The Education Department details these and other requirements (see also http://www.clarku.edu/programs/master-arts-teaching).

Program of Study

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The five-year program includes courses in Clark’s program of liberal studies, a liberal arts major, and a gradual immersion in education courses and field work beginning in the senior year.

Prior to the senior year:

EDUC 152 - Complexities of Urban Schooling   (required of all students interested in the MAT)

MATH 101 - Concepts in Elementary Mathematics I   & MATH 102 - Concepts of Elementary Mathematics II   (required of students interested in teaching Math at the elementary level)

Those interested in the elementary level are advised also to tailor their undergraduate course of study as much as possible to the state subject matter requirements, which call for specific background in the humanities, history, mathematics and the sciences (check with the Education Program Administrator for details.)

Those aiming to teach at the middle or high school level normally choose to teach in the subject area, such as history or mathematics, which corresponds to their major.

Senior year:

Seniors take 2-3 courses that apply to the MAT per department advising.

Fifth year:

The fifth year includes a set of summer courses, and an integration of several more courses with the full academic year internship in a Worcester partner school. All students in the M.A.T. program take the “Teaching and Learning” course sequence (three courses), regardless of their chosen teaching level.

EDUC 311 - Teaching and Learning, Part I   (Summer)

EDUC 359 - Teaching and Learning, Part II   (Fall)

EDUC 362 - Teaching and Learning, Part III   (Spring)

Teaching and Learning II and III are essentially “practice workshops” focused on the development of each student’s teaching practice, and support students in the development of their final reflective electronic portfolio (their “practice thesis”) illustrating their development as teachers and the progress of their students as learners.

Curriculum and Knowing summer institute course (in the visual arts, humanities, mathematics, physical and natural sciences, and/or social sciences)

Ways of Knowing  one or more courses in the arts, history, humanities, mathematics and/or physical and natural sciences

EDUC 361 - Human Development and Learning  

EDUC 360 - Literacy Development   (elementary level) or EDUC308Literacy Across the Curriculum (middle and secondary level)

EDUC 380 - Teaching English Language Learners    (qualifies students for the “Sheltered English Immersion” endorsement required for licensure in Massachusetts)

EDUC 388 - Practicum: Elementary Teaching/Learning  

Electronic portfolio presentation

Please note: Students are assigned to a cohort group with mentor teachers in one of the Adam Institute’s partner schools in the Main South neighborhood of Worcester for the entire academic year (from the beginning of the school year to late April/early May).  Students also have a dedicated university mentor.

Fees

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Students will pay a one-time program fee of $1,000 in the first semester of graduate study. Students also pay a $15 activity fee in the fall and spring semesters as well as a one-time enrollment fee of $100. Students are responsible for paying for housing, food, books, and other personal items.

Program Advisor

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Students are required to meet with the designated degree advisor and have them sign the Accelerated Degree Program Advisor Form.  The signed form confirms the student and program advisor have discussed the requirements of the program.  This form is also available on the Graduate Admissions website.

The designated program advisor is:

Andrea Allen, Education Program Administrator
Adam Institute for Urban Teaching & School Practice
508-793-7685
aallen@clarku.edu

Any students considering applying to the Accelerated Degree Program should read and understand the Accelerated Degree Program Policies and Procedures.