The MAT degree program offers practicing teachers the opportunity to acquire, enrich, and expand their professional knowledge so they will become effective agents for positive change in their classrooms, schools, and professional communities. The MAT degree is a 36-credit minimum program designed to be an enrichment degree tailored to the individual needs of the N-12 classroom teacher. The MAT program goals are to provide graduates with the philosophy, knowledge, competencies, experiences and self-awareness that will enable them to function effectively as teacher leaders.  These goals are informed by and aligned with the INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) Standards.  The Program will focus on developing teacher leaders who can apply best teaching practices, educational theory, research on teaching and learning, and subject knowledge to the preK-12 classroom.  The Program will promote competencies that will enable graduates to exemplify key values contained in the School’s Conceptual Framework:  fostering committed, knowledgeable, and reflective professionals.

The MAT program is highly individualized allowing candidates to tailor their own courses of study to blend pedagogy and discipline content knowledge.  The course of study is comprised of three complementary strands: 1) psychological, social, and philosophical foundations of education, 2) pedagogical content knowledge, and 3) content knowledge.  Secondary and elementary teachers will feel equally at home with the flexibility that the MAT program affords in selecting content courses from a wide range of disciplines.

Candidates will engage in action research to reflect on and analyze their own classroom teaching.  The MAT program provides the opportunity, framework, and mentoring necessary for the candidates to learn about and conduct action research.  By engaging in this research endeavor, MAT candidates are poised to become teacher leaders bridging the gap between research and practice.