Program Overview

Master of Arts in Teaching

The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree is the initial certification program for students at the University of Arkansas and has two areas of emphasis: childhood education and secondary education. The M.A.T is a 33 semester-hour degree offered to a cohort of students in consecutive summer, fall, and spring semesters with initial enrollment in the summer semester.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the M.A.T. degree for initial certification are:

• Completion of an appropriate undergraduate degree program
• A minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 in the last 60 hours completed for the baccalaureate degree
• Admission to the Graduate School
• Admission to a Teacher Education program
• Completion of the pre-education core with a minimum of a "C" grade in all courses
• Completion of all prerequisite courses in the teaching field
• Successful completion of all required Praxis I and II exams
• Successful completion of the required criminal background check
• Payment of an internship fee

Program Requirements

The M.A.T. degree requires the completion of 10 to 12 hours of core courses to be selected from the following:

• CIED 5012, Measurement/Research/Statistical Concepts for Teachers
• CIED 5022, Classroom Management Concepts for Teachers
• CIED 5032, Curriculum Design Concepts for Teachers
• CIED 5042, Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum
• CIED 5052, Seminar: Multicultural Issues
• ETEC 5062, Teaching and Learning with Computer-Based Technologies In addition, students must complete course work in their areas of emphasis, and a six-hour internship is required. All M.A.T. students must successfully complete a comprehensive examination and one of the following: project, internship, directed research, and/or student portfolio.

Degree Requirements

To receive the degree, a candidate must present a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 on all graduate courses required for the degree. Students may not present for degree credit any course in which they earned a grade of D or F.

Teacher Licensure and Licensure of Other School Personnel

The Arkansas State Board of Education issues the regulations governing the licensure of teachers in Arkansas. The Board specifies minimum cut-off scores for the Praxis I and Praxis II exams. Each application for a teacher's license or a request to add an additional license or endorsement area requires completion of an approved program of study and documentation of passing the Praxis exams.

Admission Process for Initial Licensure

The admission process for initial licensure involves four stages:

Stage I: Enrolling in an Undergraduate Degree Program

Potential fields include:

• Art Education B.F.A.
• Career and Technical Education B.S.E.
• Elementary Education B.S.E.
• Human Environmental Sciences Education B.S.H.E.S.
• Kinesiology P-12 B.S.E.
• Middle Level Education B.S.E.
• Music Education B.M.
• Secondary Education B.A., B.S.

Stage II: Complete an Evaluation for Internship

Students must meet the following criteria to be cleared for internship:

• Successful completion of the PRAXIS I test by meeting or exceeding the Arkansas Department of Education cut-off scores
• Obtain a "C" or better in the following pre-education core courses: CIED 1002, CIED 1011, CIED 3023, CIED 3033, ETEC 2001, ETEC 2002L
• Complete additional licensure requirements

Stage III: Admission to M.A.T. Degree Program

The following minimum criteria are necessary to be eligible for consideration for admission:

• Meet all requirements in Stages I & II
• Complete an appropriate undergraduate degree program
• Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.70 or higher in all previous courses completed as part of a bachelor's degree program
• Obtain recommendation for admission from M.A.T. program area
• Obtain admission to the Graduate School

Stage IV: Graduation Requirements

Meet all requirements in Stages I III, earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00, complete a minimum of 33 graduate semester hours, satisfactorily complete an internship, pass the appropriate Praxis test, and successfully complete the comprehensive examination.