Degree – Master of Arts in Teaching, MAT
Concentration: Elementary Education

Description of Program

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program, commonly referred to as the Alternate Route Program, is designed for students who have obtained a bachelor’s degree in a field other than education and who are not eligible for teacher licensure. The MAT program is also designed to meet teacher licensure requirements at the graduate level in the State of Mississippi. The Mississippi Department of Education requires unlicensed degree holders who are interested in the teaching field to enroll in the MAT program or other alternate route programs. The two Concentrations are structured to give students experience in achieving learning outcomes that will prepare them to teach elementary students or a specialized area at the secondary level.

Learning Outcomes

  • To understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.
  • To understand how children learn, develop, and to provide learning opportunities that support a child’s intellectual, social, and personal development.
  • To understand and use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
  • To plan instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.
  • To understand and use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.
  • To use knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
  • To use educational technology as an instructional and management tool.
  • To collaborate with colleagues, parents/guardians, and other members of the community to support student learning and well-being and demonstrate knowledge of the role of the school in the community.
  • To understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

Admission Requirements:

Students applying for entrance to the Master of Arts in Teaching are required to submit an application for admission, Apply Online (2h1w.9416hd44.com/academics/graduate-studies).

  • Core Academic Skills for Educators (C.A.S.E.)
  • Praxis II in the Content Area
  • Foundations of Reading
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Minimum GPA 2.75
  • Official transcript from an accredited school (if a student has attended more than one school, transcripts must be submitted from all schools attended). At least one transcript must document the student has a bachelor’s degree.

Decisions are made only after receipt of all credentials by the Department of Education and Psychology admission committee. The department uses an admission formula to accept students. The entire application packet, including all supporting materials, must be submitted to the Graduate School.

Standardized Tests:

  • Core Academic Skills for Educators (C.A.S.E) sometimes referred to as Praxis Core or ACT (Minimum Score 21)
  • Praxis II test in the Content Area. Students are advised to check the Mississippi Department of Education website for and changes or updates for subject area test code. (Elementary Education 116, 117, and 120 Grades 4-6.
  • Foundations of Reading (Passing score 229)

Program requirements:

Elementary Education – The curriculum requires 33 credit hours of coursework: six hours of Pre-Teaching Required Courses, six credit hours of required courses during the first year of teaching, six credit hours of Internship, 12 hours of Core Courses for AA licensure, and nine hours of coursework on the secondary track (three hours must be taken in a specialized content area at the secondary level).

Secondary Education – The curriculum requires 33 credit hours of coursework: six hours of Pre-Teaching Required Courses, six credit hours of required courses during the first year of teaching, six credit hours of Internship, 12 hours of Core Courses for AA licensure, and nine hours of coursework on the elementary track.

Academic Track: Exit Exams

Students pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education must pass a Core Examination and Area Examination to exit.

Master Degree Audit:

Before candidacy for graduation can be confirmed, each student’s progression to degree completion will be evaluated to determine if the student has met all academic requirements for course work and other aspects of the student’s course of study and Graduate School requirements. When these requirements are met, the student is cleared for graduation.

Time to Degree Completion

pg电子下载’s time to degree completion policy allows 6 years to complete the MAT program. Degree completion depends on the pace a student completes the curriculum. If the time exceeds six years, the student must petition the Graduate School to consider an appeal for more time to degree completion.

See the Student Academic Appeals Policy for Expiration of Timeline for additional requirements

Degree Plan and Course Sequence
Pre-Teaching Required Courses
ED 521 Management Techniques for the Classroom
ED 527 Evaluation and Measurement in Schools

Required Courses During First Year of Teaching
ED 583 Educational Internship I
ED 584 Educational Internship II

Core Courses for AA Licensure
CS 513 Complication Application in Instructions
ED 514 Methods of Educational Research
ED 519 Basic Skills in Reading
PH 525 Psychology of Exceptional Children

Elementary Track
ED 524 Problems in Teaching Arithmetic
ED 525 Recent Methods and Materials for Teaching Elementary Reading
ED 595 Seminar in Elementary Education

For More Information Contact:
Dr. Tabitha Smith ▪ 601.877.4097 ▪ [email protected]