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(Click here to see the 2007 class and here to read their Philosophies of Education)
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The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program of study in the Division of Educational Studies (DES) at Emory University is designed for the individual who is interested in earning a master's degree while preparing to become a classroom teacher. A strong undergraduate academic record and an undergraduate major appropriate for the anticipated teaching field are required for admission. Programs are available in 11 teaching fields.

Middle Grades (Grades 4-8)
Secondary English (Grades 6-12)
Secondary Mathematics (Grades 6-12)
Secondary Economics (Grades 6-12)
Secondary History (Grades 6-12)
Secondary Political Science (Grades 6-12)
Secondary Biology (Grades 6-12)
Secondary Chemistry (Grades 6-12)
Secondary Physics (Grades 6-12)
Secondary Earth/Space Science (Grades 6-12)
Secondary Broad Field Science (Grades 6-12)

With emphasis placed on excellence in teaching, these programs are designed to develop knowledge and skill in the processes of instruction and competence in the subject matter of instruction. Each program strives to provide the experiences necessary for developing reflective professional educators, who are competent and committed to working with diverse student populations and are able to envision schools as they might become rather than preserve schools as they presently exist.

• Programmatic continuity. The socio-cultural contexts for teaching and learning and the role of reflectivity in professional growth are emphasized throughout the program.
• Mentorship continuity. DES faculty expert in a teaching field (or primary concentration in the case of middle grades interns) serves as the MAT candidate's program advisor and faculty mentor.
• Emphasis on national content standards. The standards for the initial preparation of teachers, established by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS), and the National Middle School Association (NMSA), are the content area prerequisites for the program.
• Preparation for diversity. Three semesters of supervised and mentored field experiences across a range of differing student populations provide the MAT intern opportunities for study and practice in a variety of school situations.
• Development of a professional teaching portfolio. A professional teaching portfolio provides data for the exit assessment to document each candidate's demonstration of the Interstate New Teacher Support Consortium (INTASC) standards. Candidates begin preparing personal professional teaching portfolios during the first semester and collect appropriate materials each subsequent semester.
• Technological competence. A combination of a separate technology course and ongoing emphasis in each of the curriculum and instruction courses enables the candidate to develop competence in implementing technology to assist in teaching and learning.
• A supportive cohort group approach. Each cohort group consists of approximately 15-20 MAT candidates who begin their programs in the summer and graduate May of the following year. The collective enterprise of collegial learning is valued and respected.

MAT students with Professor Hahn at the Georgia Social Studies Conference, 2007

Applicants should have a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university, a strong academic record (as indicated by a GPA of 3.0 or above in the junior and senior undergraduate years or in any graduate work previously attempted), competitive GRE scores (as indicated by scores above the 50th percentile in 2 of the 3 exam areas), and a degree appropriate for the anticipated teaching field. A statement of purpose for pursuing the MAT degree that is both well written and in line with the mission and commitment of the Division is also required.

All candidates matriculating through the MAT program will receive a 75% tuition scholarship. Additional financial aid requests will be considered on a case by case basis. Part-time graduate student work-study positions in the Division are also available on a limited basis.

Each MAT program consists of 50-54 semester credit hours of coursework spread across three semesters that include the following courses:

• Four foundation courses (16 hrs.):
  • EDS 500: Sociocultural Context of Teaching and Learning (4 hrs.)
  • EDS 502: Psychology of Teaching and Learning (4 hrs.)
  • EDS 507: Exceptionality (4 hrs.)
  • EDS 551: Educational Measurement (4 hrs.)

• Four or five courses in subject area and pedagogical content (16-20 hrs.):
  • These specific courses vary across the five different MAT programs. At the beginning of their programs, the DES provides candidates the matrix of outcomes for initial certification specified by the national teaching field organization in their teaching area (or two teaching areas in the case of middle grades) and copies of the university transcripts from their former academic work. Candidates then document in the matrix the outcomes they have achieved through prior coursework or life experiences. On completion of this self-evaluation, candidates meet individually with their program advisors who review and confirm the appropriateness of the documentation recorded. Based on these evaluations, the candidates and advisers plan the sequence of electives and individual study necessary during the three-semester MAT program to meet the appropriate national curriculum standards and state certification requirements.

• Three field experience courses (18 hrs.):
  • EDS 572: School Issues Seminar: Classroom Management (4 hrs.)
  • EDS 541: Teaching Practicum (6 hrs.)
  • EDS 542: Teaching Internship (8 hrs.)

• Field Placement Specifics
  • EDS 541: Teaching Practicum. Whenever possible, the Division places preservice teachers in either a school setting characterized by low SES demographics or with a high percentage of students from families who have recently moved to this country. This semester includes visits during preplanning as well as the first two days of school and involves approximately ten weeks (120 clock hours) during which preservice teachers gradually increase their involvement in classroom activities. Preservice Teachers are supported by weekly seminars on campus, regular meetings with their Cooperating Teachers and visits by University Supervisors.
  • EDS 542: Teaching Internship. The Division places interns in school classrooms corresponding to specific certificates sought by the candidates. This experience involves 10 weeks of daily, full-time work in the assigned school. Interns are supported by weekly teaching seminars on campus, regular meetings with their Cooperating Teachers, and visits by University Supervisors. For further support, interns enroll in the School Issues Seminar for their teaching field, either Science (EDS 572g), Social Studies (572h), Mathematics (572j), or English (572n). These support seminars entail visits by the Teaching Field Faculty to the intern's school placement site to provide focused help in planning for and teaching in the teaching field and reflective debriefings following classroom teaching observations. For that reason these seminars do not meet regularly on campus during the 10 weeks of the teaching internship.

The Division's programmatic commitment "to educate reflective teachers who are competent and committed to working with diverse student populations . . . " is operationalized through the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards included in our conceptual framework. A three-step process has been implemented to ensure the achievement of these INTASC performance expectations by the end of each candidate's program.

1. To ensure that each MAT program adequately addresses the entire range of INTASC standards, the course objectives listed in the syllabi of the individual courses in each MAT program are cross-referenced to the INTASC standards.

2. To obtain an interim evaluation of the candidates' confidence in being able to demonstrate the INTASC standards, a survey is administered at the end the second semester of the program. Results from this survey are tabulated, summarized and shared with the entire DES faculty. The curriculum committee then meets to decide if any programmatic adjustments during the last semester of the program seem indicated by the results from the interim survey.

3. To assess whether the intended desired outcomes are actually achieved, the following people review the following sources of evidence.
   • The Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisors observe the candidate's classroom and teaching performances during the Teaching Internship (EDS 542) and complete the End of Semester Evaluation Form that is tied to the INTASC standards.
   • The DES Teaching Field Faculty member reviews the evidence presented by the candidate related to the content competencies recommended by the national curriculum organization in the candidate's teaching field.
   • The Coordinator of Preservice Teaching and the DES Teaching Field Faculty evaluate the candidate's professional teaching portfolio which is keyed to national curriculum standards and to the INTASC standards.
   • The DES faculty as a committee-of-the-whole review data from a survey, administered to candidates after they have completed their teaching internships, that asks them to reflect on their relative confidence in being able to demonstrate the competencies listed as the INTASC Performance Expectations for graduates of the MAT program.

One of our former MAT classes.

MAT Programs are available in middle grades (grades 4-8) and secondary (grades 6-12) education in 10 content areas (English, Mathematics, biology, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Broad Field Science, History, Economics, and Political Science).  An undergraduate degree from an accredited college in a major appropriate for the anticipated teaching field is required to be considered for admission to each MAT program.  The undergraduate background requirement for each content area (teaching field) is noted below.

MIDDLE GRADES

Students need at least 15 semester hours in one content area and 15 semester hours in a second content area.  Content area choices:  English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies.  Students with majors in other areas (e.g., philosophy, art, language, environmental studies, African American Studies, women's studies, etc.) may choose middle grades teaching areas if they meet undergraduate background  requirements noted above.

SECONDARY ENGLISH

Students need a degree in English or its equivalent. Students also need a course or courses in American literature, British literature, literature of ethnic minorities and/or women, history and structure of the language, and writing.

SECONDARY MATHEMATICS

Students need a degree in Mathematics or its equivalent including one year of calculus/analysis and course work in at least five of the following six areas: 1) advanced calculus/differential equations/applied calculus; 2) modern and/or linear algebra; 3) geometry and/or topology; 4) probability and statistics; 5) computer science; 6) another area in discrete mathematics (e.g. graph theory, combinatorics, number theory, numerical analysis, etc.). Course work that examines elementary mathematics topics from an advanced standpoint is highly desirable but not currently required.

SECONDARY SCIENCE

Emory offers secondary biology, chemistry, and physics. Students need a degree in the science field in which they wish to be certified. For example, for biology certification, a student needs a degree in biology or its equivalent.

SECONDARY SCIENCE (BROAD FIELD)

Students need a degree or its equivalent in one of the major science fields–biology, chemistry, physics, earth or space science, or environmental science.  Further, students must have a minor in two of the other science fields.

SECONDARY SOCIAL STUDIES

Emory offers secondary history, economics, and political science. Students need a degree in the social science field in which they wish to be certified. For example, for certification in history, the student needs a degree in history or its equivalent.

Online applications may be obtained from the web site of Emory's Graduate School. Review of complete applications begins January 20, 2008. Students will begin the 2008 MAT program on May 30.

The M.A.T. programs of the Division of Educational Studies of Emory University are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

EMORY RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED PROGRAM AWARD Recently, the NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ACCREDITATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION (NCATE) and the GEORGIA PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMISSION (GAPSC) conducted a Continuing Accreditation Review of the Division of Educational Studies (DES) and our Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program. The visit dates were October 28 - November 1, 2006. In accord with recommendations of the joint NCATE/GAPSC Board of Examiners, these accrediting agencies decided to continue our DES unit and MAT program accreditation. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the NCATE Unit Accreditation Board and the GAPSC Evaluation Review Panel cited no official areas for improvement relative to any of the accreditation standards. GATE DISTINGUISHED PROGRAM AWARD The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program in the Division of Educational Studies at Emory was nominated and selected for the Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award for 2007-2008. This is an annual award sponsored by the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators (GATE) to recognize and honor outstanding teacher education programs which exemplify excellence in program development and administration. The Master of Arts in Teaching Program represents the highest quality as judged by a panel of reviewers from the GATE organization. (This paragraph is an excerpt from GATE Award Letter dated September 30, 2007) Drs. Cadray and Avant accepting the Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award for 2007-2008 from Dr. Julie Dangel, Awards Chairperson of the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators.

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Correspondence and Information

Dr. Glen Avant Senior Program Associate Division of Educational Studies Emory University Atlanta, GA 30322 Telephone: 404-727-0612 Fax: 404-727-2799 gavant@emory.edu

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