Teaching, General Education and Special Education, MAT

Additional Admission Requirements

• Completed checklist of TSPC character questions.
• Strong evidence of academic content
• Three recommendations, including one from each of the following:
  • A university or college professor with direct knowledge of applicant’s academic abilities
  • An employer with direct knowledge of applicant’s professional habits
  • An immediate supervisor in an educational or social agency who can attest to the applicant’s competence and enthusiasm to work with school-aged children or youth in volunteer or paid work experiences
• Ability to write clearly and cogently as demonstrated in a 2-3 page essay on an educational issue or topic of the candidate’s choice

Application deadlines and Program Start Dates

Selection Process

For those seeking the general education elementary multiple subject endorsements, preference is given to applicants who have taken a broad range of courses as part of their undergraduate experience. Preferred courses include, but are not limited to, literature, writing, science (preferably biology), U.S. history, cross-cultural courses, mathematics sequence for elementary teachers, and courses in art and music.

For those seeking specific general education content endorsements to teach in middle school and high school settings, preference is given to applicants who have completed a major in the subject area in which they wish to teach. Other majors closely aligned to specific content endorsements may be considered.

For the Special Educator program, preference is given to candidates who have a background in working with individuals with disabilities in either a school-based setting or non-school setting, or who have taken coursework related to working with persons with disabilities (e.g., psychology, sociology) as a part of their undergraduate experience. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work as a member of a team in an educational setting are a must.

Initial selection is based on the minimum requirements for admission and the following criteria: depth and breadth of undergraduate preparation, experience with children or youth, strength of recommendations, written communication skills as assessed in essay, and critical thinking skills as assessed in essay. Selected applicants are invited for a personal interview and asked to complete a timed writing sample at that time. Applicants are notified of their status by email or mail.

Transfer of credits into a preliminary licensure program is considered and evaluated on a case-by-case basis, although typically not more than 10 will be accepted for transfer. Only graduate credits qualify for transfer.

Policies

Master of Arts in Teaching students in the College of Education are held to the policies listed in the School of Learning & Teaching Policies section of this catalog, the College of Education handbook, as well as those immediately below.

Continuation in the Program

Candidates must satisfactorily:

• maintain good academic standing
• maintain a 3.00 minimum GPA at the end of each term in all professional education coursework with no grade lower than a C; a C- does not fulfill degree requirements
• pass all required coursework and all tests required for licensure before student teaching
• complete required practica and/or full-time student teaching with a grade of Pass
• complete requirements for edTPA and Teacher Inquiry Project

Degree Requirements: General Education, MAT

The Master of Arts in Teaching program is an innovative and rigorous teacher education program for teacher candidates seeking preliminary teacher licensure for service in PreK12 schools. During the program, teacher candidates complete academic requirements for the Oregon Preliminary Teaching License while also completing the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree. Students may pursue the M.A.T. through the Full-Time Program or the Hybrid/Part-Time Program.

All teacher candidates may become qualified for endorsements in one or more of the following areas: elementary -multiple subjects, art, business education (high school only), drama, world languages (French, Chinese, German, Spanish Japanese* and Russian*), health, language arts, marketing, mathematics (basic and advanced), music, physical education, science (biology, chemistry, integrated science, and physics), and social studies. It is expected that teacher candidates seeking specific endorsements will have completed an undergraduate major or equivalent that enables passing the appropriate subject test(s) required by TSPC.

If teacher candidates wish to earn an endorsement in Russian or Japanese, their transcripts will be evaluated during the admissions process to determine if they will be allowed to pursue the endorsement. In addition, in order to establish speaking and writing proficiency prior to licensure for Russian and Japanese endorsements, TSPC requires that teacher candidates  seeking these endorsements to take the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) tests Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) administered by Language Testing International (LTI). The minimal level of proficiency required for both the Russian and Japanese tests must be Advanced Mid or Higher. Tests must be passed prior to student teaching.