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Master of Arts in Teaching

(MAT degree)

Purpose

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is designed to provide a future teacher with the content and methods necessary to be an effective teacher. Thematic strands such as critical thinking, curriculum, classroom management, cultural proficiency, action research, and technology are integrated throughout the curriculum. The themes add qualities to the program that are not reflected in single courses but are interwoven throughout the curriculum. The form of the teacher education program includes a purposeful use of current research findings on the education of teachers as translated into practical experiences and methodologies.

The Master of Arts in Teaching program may be completed in one of three ways:

1. MAT Fulltime: a three-semester full-time format;
2. MAT in Your Community: a two-semester part-time, plus two-semester full-time format; or
3. MAT @ Night: a five-semester part-time format (the last semester is full time).

The program is available to individuals who have completed an undergraduate BA or BS degree in a field other than education.

Program Objectives

Educational Objectives

To enable students to:

• Build on their knowledge of subject matter as they develop pedagogical skills and research methodologies
• Gain knowledge about the psychological, sociological, historical, and philosophical foundations of education
• Apply these understandings in early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary classrooms
• Successfully meet the challenges of classroom teaching

Professional Objectives

To enable students to:

• Meet the federal government's "No Child Left Behind" definition of a "highly qualified teacher"
• Receive an Oregon Initial Teaching License upon completion of the program and passing scores on the appropriate standardized measures (Praxis Specialty Examination for secondary and middle-level licensure, ORELA for elementary licensure and middle-level authorization, and California Basic Educational Skills Test)

The Initial Teaching License may bear endorsements in the following areas: advanced mathematics, agriculture, art, basic mathematics,* biology, business, chemistry, drama,* family/consumer sciences, French, German, health education, integrated science,* Japanese, language arts, marketing, music, physical education, physics, Russian, social studies, speech communications,* Spanish, and technology education.

* These subjects may be added to another endorsement for high school applicants; integrated science and basic math may stand alone for elementary/middle school applicants.

Admission Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the MAT program must hold a four-year baccalaureate degree program from an accredited college or university, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last two years of course work. In addition, applicants must complete the following to be considered for admission to the program:

• Master of arts in teaching application form and application fee
• Submit one official transcript from each college/university attended
• Passing scores on the CBEST exam, Praxis I, or PPST (see below)
• Completion of the character reference statement required by Oregon TSPC
• Three recommendations
• A group assessment with the MAT Admission Committee

If accepted into the program, a $200 tuition deposit is required. Deadline for application is February 1 for the full-time format, June 1 for the MAT @ Night format, and October 1 for MAT in Your Community. Applications may be reviewed after those dates on a space-available basis. Preference will be given to those candidates who have had experience in schools working with students in their desired authorization level as well as to those candidates who have passed either ORELA (early childhood, elementary, middle school) and the appropriate PRAXIS specialty exam.

All graduate candidates are required to have taken and passed the CBEST or Praxis PPST and ORELA prior to being admitted in the program. Secondary graduate candidates are required to have taken and passed the appropriate Praxis Specialty Exam. Middle-level graduate candidates are required to have an appropriate undergraduate degree in the desired content area and/or have passed the appropriate Praxis Specialty Exam. Candidates failing to meet this deadline may apply for an exception and be "conditionally admitted." Prior to full-time student teaching, students in the graduate elementary through middle-level program must have taken and passed the ORELA, and students in the graduate secondary education and middle-level program must have taken and passed the Praxis Specialty Exam for the discipline as necessary. If a student has not completed this requirement, she/he may apply for an exception; however, if an exception is granted and the student does not pass the required exams prior to graduation, the director will not sign any official documents recommending the student as a candidate for licensure in Oregon or any other state.

Transfer Credit

No transfer credit is allowed toward the MAT program. Transferability of credits earned at this institution and transferred to another is at the discretion of the receiving institution. Consult the Registrar's Office for information on eligibility of transfer credit.

Residence Requirements

All 36 hours must be taken in resident study at George Fox University. Reinstatement to the program after withdrawal requires Admissions Committee action and may subject the student to additional requirements for the degree.

Course Requirements

The Master of Arts in Teaching program is generally 1-2 years in length with 36 semester hours of course work required as a minimum for graduation. Of those hours, 21 are in prescribed core education courses, 5 in area of specialization, and 11 practicum hours.

Other Degree Requirements

The program structure will be characterized by:

Cohort Model
Students will work in cohorts of 15 to 18 students. Cohorts will include early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary levels. Cohorts are both blended- and authorization-specific. Although they are separate cohorts, they will be blended together for certain experiences and courses.

Theory-Into-Practice Links
Practicum experiences will be a large component of the program, beginning with either an enrichment program planned and implemented by the students or a specific volunteer experience. The involvement in a variety of practicum experiences will provide preservice teachers with opportunities to apply learning from course work. University faculty, cooperating teachers, and administrators from local districts will be involved in collaborative efforts to plan links between course work and application in classrooms.

Action Research
A research strand will be woven throughout the program. Students will design an action research project that will be shared at an action research symposium at the completion of the program.

Thematic Strands
Major strands, such as cultural proficiency, values, action research, and decision making, will be incorporated throughout the professional courses. Other topics such as classroom management and technology will also be integrated in several of the professional courses.

Study of the Subject Matter Knowledge and Structure
Students will research and discuss the nature and structure of the subject areas while concentrating on their major subject. They will engage in interdisciplinary discussions that will allow them to discern relationships between the subject areas.

Reflection
The ability to reflect on learning about teaching and on the practice of teaching will be developed in small- and large-group discussions, in journal entries, in papers, and in conferences with supervisors and cooperating teachers.

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate with the Master of Arts in Teaching degree students must:

• Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 36 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Achieve no grade lower than a B in all core courses. If a grade of a B- or lower is received in a designated course, that course must be retaken (for more specific information, please refer to the student handbook).
• Pass appropriate exams to be recommended for licensure.

Curriculum Plan

†Secondary/Mid-Level Authorization students will enroll in EDUG 556 Secondary Content Pedagogy according to their specific content area: art, biology, business, chemistry, family and consumer science, mathematics, music, integrated science, physics, social studies, technology education, German, Japanese, or Russian.

Graduate Teacher Education Course Descriptions