Teaching, STEM Teaching and English Language Learning, 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 individual in an educational or social agency who can attest to the applicant’s ability to work with persons 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

Selection Process

For those seeking specific 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.

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 13 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

The STEM and English Language Learning Master of Arts in Teaching program is an innovative and rigorous teacher education program for teacher candidates seeking preliminary licensure with endorsements in mathematics (foundational or advanced), and/or science (foundational integrated science, biology, chemistry, or physics), and a specialty endorsement in English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). 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.

It is expected that candidates seeking specific endorsements will have completed an undergraduate major or equivalent that qualifies teacher candidates to meet the content knowledge requirements for desired single subject endorsement(s) in math and/or science.  Content area examination(s) or other work may be needed to meet the content knowledge requirement. All candidates must also pass the ESOL exam required by TSPC in order to be endorsed in ESOL.