Master of Arts in Teaching
Education leads to opportunity, and that’s exactly what our Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education (MAT) program is all about—sending highly-qualified teachers into our schools so they can help provide opportunities for the next generation.
At Lees-91探花, you will be taught by full-time faculty and experts from the field who model dedication and passion every day. They will make sure you leave not only with a certificate or degree, but also with the knowledge and drive to be a great teacher.
With an existing bachelor’s degree you can take what you already know and love, pair it with graduate-level instruction in education, and find or continue a teaching career. Current Lees-91探花 students may also choose to pursue a master's degree along with their undergraduate degree as "bridge" students.
The flexibility of our MAT program—with traditional classroom or online options—means you can start your education on campus, get a teaching job, and finish the degree without any interruption! It’s truly a degree that meets you where you are and starts on your schedule.
How the Program Works
Our long history of educating teachers in western North Carolina and beyond means that we have strong partnerships with school districts for student-teaching opportunities, class observations, and more. You will experience a term-length supervised field experience—directed student teaching—in an accredited school setting in the subject and grade levels of the licensure specialization. Lateral entry teachers may even use their classrooms to complete their directed student-teaching component.
Upon completion of the program, students receive a license in secondary education with a specialization in one of the following areas: history/social studies, biology, English, business, or marketing.
Want to combine undergraduate and graduate studies?
With an early start, you can save on tuition and earn both a bachelor's degree and a master’s degree in approximately five years! Current 91探花 students planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree in history, biology, English, business, or marketing can bridge their undergraduate and graduate education. Students accepted to join their degrees must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher through the first four semesters to begin graduate coursework. These students are referred to as “bridge” students.
Requirements
To be considered for admission to the MAT program, applicants must submit an online application. Additional document requirements are listed below based on the applicant type (general or bridge). Once your file is complete, you will be notified of your admission decision within two weeks.
General applicants already holding a bachelor’s degree must have:
- BA or BS from an institution accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 (and a commensurate minimum GPA in content-area undergraduate coursework).
- Statement of purpose describing your teaching philosophy, career goals, and any special circumstances regarding your academic and/or personal background.
- Praxis Subject Assessments passed by the end of the first semester with Content Knowledge minimum scores of 150 in Biology (Science), 167 in English Language Arts, 158 in Social Studies (History), 154 in Business, or 169 in Marketing.
- Three formal letters of recommendation.
- Official transcript for all undergraduate and graduate level coursework.
- Successful background check before observational work begins.
“Bridge student” applicants must have:
- Completed a minimum of 75 hours of undergraduate coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- A completed “Letter of Intent” submitted to the Director of Teacher Education and the Program Coordinator for the MAT. The letter of intent should describe the candidate’s career goals and teaching philosophy.
- A recommendation letter from the student's academic advisor submitted to the Director of Teacher Education and the Program Coordinator for the MAT.
- Praxis Subject Assessments passed by the end of the first semester with Content Knowledge minimum scores of 150 in Biology (Science), 167 in English Language Arts, 158 in Social Studies (History), 154 in Business, or 169 in Marketing.
- Successful background check before observational work begins.
Conditional Admission
The Office of Admission and the teacher education faculty may accept an applicant with pending prerequisites on the condition that they complete and pass those courses with a grade of C or better in the semester they are admitted. Once all conditions have been met, the applicant will be reevaluated for full admission into the MAT program.
Praxis Subject Assessment Scores
Contact
Teresa Santis, PhD
Dean of Education and Social Sciences, Education Professor
Program Coordinator of Master of Arts in Teaching and Undergraduate Teach Education, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education
Kim Simmons, MA
Director of Teacher Education, Education Instructor
Scott Huffard, PhD
Program Coordinator for History