Designed for Massachusetts-based aspiring teachers and career changers, the Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education (MAT)1 offers an appreciation for and an understanding of the diverse educational needs, social concerns, and cultural values of today’s elementary and secondary schools. This graduate degree in teaching seeks to enhance your foundational skills, broaden your perspectives, and strengthen your ability to inspire and educate. The master’s degree, which includes a full term of student teaching and prepracticum experiential fieldwork, seeks to produce graduates well positioned to make a meaningful impact in their school, in their community, and in the lives of their students.
The Elementary MAT+ provides qualifying students with the opportunity to complete a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) with further study in a selected area of expertise. Currently, students can take additional coursework to earn either endorsement for an additional license in special education (Teacher of Students of Moderate Disabilities, PreK–8) or endorsement for an additional license in ESL (Teacher of English as a Second Language, Pre-K–6) to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Teacher candidates may also plan a program of study that allows for triple licensure in consultation with the program director.
A formal application for approval or placement of field-based experiences for prepracticum and practicum requirements must be filed with the Office of Licensure and Field Experience before a student may enroll in a course requiring fieldwork. Deadline for fall placements and approvals must be completed by April 1st (of the previous spring quarter), October 1st for winter placements and approvals, and February 1st for spring placements and approvals.
- 1
The MAT Elementary (grades 1–6) has been approved at the initial licensure level by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.
Required Courses
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
EDU 6051 | Introduction to Social Justice in Educational Settings | 4 |
EDU 6086 | Foundations of Literacy Development and Instruction | 4 |
EDU 6101 | Critical Issues in Education: Past and Present | 2 |
EDU 6102 | Reflection, Community Engagement, and Agency in Education | 2 |
EDU 6104 | Child and Adolescent Development, Learning, and Teaching | 4 |
EDU 6107 | Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity 1 | 4 |
EDU 6154 | Inquiry in the Sciences and Humanities | 4 |
EDU 6155 | Inquiry in Mathematics 2 | 4 |
EDU 6183 | Collaborative Strategies for Effective Classroom Management | 3 |
Complete one of the following: | ||
For students pursuing emergency elementary teaching licenses or ESL+ licensure in Massachusetts | ||
EDU 6513 | Sheltered English Immersion in the General Classroom | 4 |
For students not pursuing emergency elementary licenses and ESL+ licensure in Massachusetts | ||
EDU 6185 | English-Language Learners in the General Education Classroom | 4 |
EDU 6426 | Developmental Language, Literacy, and Writing: Assessment and Instruction | 4 |
EDU 6866 | Teaching Practicum and Seminar | 6 |
- 1
For students who do not pass their Gateway Performance Task I in this course, complete EDU 6995 to meet programmatic and endorsement requirements.
- 2
For students who do not pass their Gateway Performance Task II in this course, complete EDU 6995 to meet programmatic and endorsement requirements.
Program Credit/GPA Requirements
45 total quarter hours required (additional hours may be required for endorsement for Massachusetts licensure)
Minimum 3.000 GPA required
Elementary MAT+ Special Education
The special education course requirements are:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
EDU 6425 | Special Education: Role of Special Educators in an Inclusive School 1 | 4 |
EDU 6429 | Variations in Child and Adolescent Development | 4 |
EDU 6528 | Adaptive Learning/Behavior Management Strategies: Consultation and Collaboration | 4 |
EDU 6569 | Differentiated Instruction and Assessment in Mathematics | 4 |
EDU 6874 | Practicum, Portfolio, and Panel Review | 4 |
- 1
For students who do not pass their Gateway Performance Task I in this course, complete EDU 6995 to meet programmatic and endorsement requirements.
MAT+ in English as a Second Language (ESL)
This Commonwealth of Massachusetts-approved MAT+ program consists of five courses, some of which may be taken as electives in the MAT program.
The English as a Second Language course requirements are:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
EDU 6300 | Introduction to Language and Linguistics | 4 |
EDU 6310 | Literacy Development and the Academic Domains 1 | 4 |
EDU 6429 | Variations in Child and Adolescent Development | 4 |
EDU 6517 | Foundations of Teaching English as a Second Language: Research and Practice 2 | 4 |
EDU 6874 | Practicum, Portfolio, and Panel Review | 4 |