Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program Requirements

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Faculty

  • Spencer Bagley, Associate Professor
  • Peggy Cain, Professor
  • Marilee Coles-Ritchie, Professor
  • Chante Jimenez, Assistant Dean
  • Lowell K. Oswald, Associate Professor and MAT Program Director
  • Rebecca Penerosa, Associate Professor

View Master of Arts in Teaching Courses

Admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching Program

Program Description

The Master of Arts in Teaching is an integrated degree program that leads to licensure for students who already have earned a bachelor’s degree. The program combines classroom instruction and extensive experience in diverse K–12 classrooms throughout the program. Students in the program will study:

  • Learners and their Development
  • Impactful Curriculum Design
  • Effective Assessment Methods
  • Classroom Management
  • Reflective Teaching Practice
  • Culture and Society

A unique focus of the program prepares graduates to teach all students using effective, differentiated teaching strategies. Graduates will know how to design curriculum that connects to the knowledge and skills of students and their families.

Note: Current federal regulations require that a criminal background check and fingerprint assessment be passed before applicants can be recommended for licensure. Should the Utah State Board of Education change its requirements for teaching licensure, the MAT Program will change accordingly.

Admission to the Program

See the Admission to the College section for admission requirements.

Entrance to a teacher education program requires a transcript demonstrating a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Note: Formal admission to the MAT Program does not guarantee a recommendation for licensure. Recommendation for licensure is made only upon successful completion of the MAT degree requirements, achieving a passing score on state-mandated assessments, and completing all state-mandated educator endorsement requirements.

Student Teaching

Students must successfully complete all courses in the MAT before they are eligible to student teach. Student teaching is a full-time, 12-week experience. Prior to student teaching, students must:

  • Submit the completed Request for Student Teaching form by the first Monday in March to student teach in the Fall semester or by the first Monday in October to student teach in the Spring semester.
  • Be approved to student teach by the MAT faculty.
  • Obtain a Student Teaching License on the USBE website.

Appeal Process: A student has the right to appeal a decision denying admission to the MAT program or denying the opportunity to student teach. The student has fifteen days after receiving a denial letter to petition the Dean, in writing, for reconsideration.

Retention in the Program

School of Education courses may only be repeated once. The student must:

  • Maintain a grade point average of 3.00. Courses in which a grade of C- or lower is awarded do not count toward graduation requirements.
  • Complete the program within six years, or begin to lose credit for courses older than six years.

Graduation Requirements

Candidates for graduation should apply to the Registrar’s Office approximately two regular semesters prior to planned completion of graduation requirements. Applications for December graduation are due in March and applications for May and August graduation are due in September. Please see the Academic Calendar for more specific dates. Candidates are notified of remaining degree requirements within four weeks after applying for graduation. To be eligible for the MAT degree, students must satisfy the following conditions:

  • Meet all credit hour and other course requirements.
  • Maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above.
  • Be enrolled at Westminster University during the semester in which they wish to graduate.
  • Maintain good academic standing.
  • Earn a grade of C or higher in all graduate courses.

Note: Only graduate-level coursework may be applied toward degree requirements. The final responsibility for being informed about, and adhering to, graduation requirements rests with the student.

Elementary Education: Licensure to teach grades K-6

MAT in Elementary Education (Grades K-6)

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Courses 45  
MAT 600 Culture, Family and Community 3  
MAT 602 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society 3  
MAT 605 Teaching Exceptional Learners in Inclusive Classrooms 3  
MAT 607 Student Teaching Seminar 1 consent of instructor
MAT 630 Elementary Instructional Design, Practice, and Policy: DLL Emphasis 3  
MAT 631 Math for ELED Teacher 2  
MAT 632 Science Methods 3  
MAT 633 Math Methods 3 MAT 630, 631
MAT 636 Social Studies Methods 3  
MAT 637 Creative Arts Methods 3  
MAT 639 Elementary Student Teaching  6 consent of instructor
MAT 640 Elementary Classroom Management 3 MAT 600
MAT 642 Elementary Classroom Assessment 2  
MAT 663 Literacy Foundations, Assessment and Instruction 3 MAT 630
MAT 664 Teaching Methods: Reading and Language Arts 3 MAT 630
MAT 669 Literacy Assessment & Intervention 1 MAT 663
Total Hours for the MAT in Elementary Education 45  

Recommended Plan of Study for MAT in Elementary Education

Students begin the Elementary MAT program in the Summer semester. The program can be completed in four semesters. To be recommended for licensure, students must pass the Foundations of Reading Assessment prior to student teaching and the Praxis® Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT) during student teaching.

First Semester (Summer)
Second Semester (Fall)
Third Semester (Spring)
Fourth Semester (Fall)
MAT 600
MAT 602
MAT 605 
MAT 630		 MAT 631
MAT 632
MAT 636
MAT 642
MAT 663
MAT 669		 MAT 633
MAT 637
MAT 640
MAT 664 		 MAT 607
MAT 639

Accelerated MAT in Elementary Education Program Requirements

The Accelerated MAT program is open only to graduates of Westminster University who have completed the following courses as part of their undergraduate studies:  EDUC 302 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society and EDUC 312 Specialized Education Services.  Students who are considering applying for the Accelerated MAT program should meet with the Program Director early in their undergraduate career, preferably before their junior year.

Completion of the Accelerated MAT in Elementary Education requires admission to the program and the following coursework:

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Courses 39  
MAT 600 Culture, Family and Community 3  
MAT 607 Student Teaching Seminar 1 consent of instructor
MAT 630 ELED Methods & Management 3  
MAT 631 Math for ELED Teachers 2  
MAT 632 Science Methods 3  
MAT 633 Math Methods 3 MAT 630, 631
MAT 636 Social Studies Methods 3  
MAT 637 Creative Arts Methods 3  
MAT 639 Elementary Student Teaching  6  
MAT 640 Elementary Classroom Management 3 MAT 600
MAT 642 Elementary Classroom Assessment 2  
MAT 663 Literacy Foundations, Assessment and Instruction 3 MAT 600
MAT 664 Teaching Methods: Reading and Language Arts 3 MAT 630
MAT 669 Literacy Assessment & Intervention 1 MAT 663
Total Hours for the Accelerated MAT in Elementary Education 39  

Secondary Education: Licensure to teach grades 6-12

The Secondary Education Program is for those who would like to teach at the middle or high school level. Secondary Education candidates must have a major or minor in their baccalaureate degree from the list below. If they do not have such a major or minor they may consult the MAT Program Director. Students who are seeking their MAT must satisfactorily complete all the requirements of the program.

  • Art
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Chinese
  • Computer Science
  • Earth Science
  • English
  • French
  • History
  • Mathematics
  • Music
  • Physical Science
  • Physics
  • Social Science
  • Spanish 
  • Theater

MAT in Secondary Education (Grades 6-12)

Requires admission to the program and the following coursework:

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Core Courses 33  
MAT 600 Culture, Family and Community 3  
MAT 602 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society 3  
MAT 605 Teaching Exceptional Learners in Inclusive Classrooms 3  
MAT 607 Student Teaching Seminar 1 consent of instructor
MAT 610 Managing the Inclusive Classroom 4 MAT 600
MAT 611 Curriculum Design & Management 3  
MAT 612 Secondary Methods Seminar 2 MAT 600
MAT 613 Secondary General Methods & Assessment 4 MAT 611
MAT 614 Content Literacy for Diverse Language Learners 4 MAT 600
MAT 615 Secondary Student Teaching 6 consent of instructor
II. Content Methods Courses 3–6  
Students must register for the content methods course chosen from the following that reflects their expected area of licensure. Students seeking licensure in a second content area must take a second methods course that reflects the area of licensure for their second content area of interest.    
MAT 616 Methods of Teaching Secondary School History/Social Science 3 MAT 600
MAT 617 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Science 3 MAT 600
MAT 619 Methods of Teaching Secondary School English 3 MAT 600
MAT 621 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Art 3 MAT 600
MAT 622 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Mathematics 3 MAT 600
MAT 624 Methods of Teaching Secondary School World Languages 3 MAT 600
MAT 625 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Fine Arts 3 MAT 600
Total Hours for the MAT in Secondary Education Program 36-39  

Recommended Plan of Study for MAT in Secondary Education

Full-time MAT students may begin the program in the Summer or Fall semester. Students who begin in the Summer take foundations courses in the Summer, methods courses in the Fall, and student teach in the Spring semester. Students who begin in the Fall take foundations courses in the Fall, methods courses in the Spring, and then student teach the following Fall semester.

First Semester (Summer or Fall) Second Semester (Fall or Spring) Third Semester (Spring or second Fall)
MAT 600
MAT 602
MAT 605
MAT 611
MAT 614		 MAT 610
MAT 612
MAT 613
Subject Methods
(MAT 616-625)		 MAT 607
MAT 615

Part-time students develop a schedule in consultation with an advisor to take additional semesters to complete the program.

Accelerated MAT in Secondary Education Program

Program Requirements

The Accelerated MAT program is open only to graduates of Westminster University who have completed the following courses as part of their undergraduate studies: EDUC 302 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society and EDUC 312 Specialized Education Services.  Students who are considering applying for the Accelerated MAT program should meet with the Program Director early in their undergraduate career, preferably before their junior year.

Completion of the Accelerated MAT in Secondary Education requires admission to the program and the following coursework:

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Courses 27  
MAT 600 Culture, Family and Community 3  
MAT 607 Teaching and Research Seminar 1 consent of instructor
MAT 610 Managing the Inclusive Classroom  4 MAT 600
MAT 611 Curriculum Design & Management 3  
MAT 612 Secondary Methods Seminar 2 MAT 600
MAT 613 Secondary General Methods & Assessment 4 MAT 611
MAT 614 Content Literacy for Diverse Language Learners 4 MAT 600
MAT 615 Secondary Student Teaching 6 consent of instructor
II. Content Methods Courses 3–6  
Students must register for the content methods course chosen from the following that reflects their expected area of licensure. Students seeking licensure in a second content area must take a second methods course that reflects the area of licensure for their second content area of interest.  

 
MAT 616 Methods of Teaching Secondary School History/Social Science 3 MAT 600
MAT 617 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Science 3 MAT 600
MAT 619 Methods of Teaching Secondary School English  3 MAT 600
MAT 621 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Art 3 MAT 600
MAT 622 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Mathematics 3 MAT 600
MAT 625 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Fine Arts 3 MAT 600
Total Hours for the Accelerated MAT 30-33  

Recommended Plan of Study for Accelerated MAT in Secondary Education

Full-time MAT students may begin the program in the Summer or Fall semester. Students who begin in the Summer take foundations courses in the Summer, methods courses in the Fall, and student teach in the Spring semester. Students who begin in the Fall take foundations courses in the Fall, methods courses in the Spring, and then student teach the following Fall semester.

Undergraduate Years  First Semester (Summer or Fall) Second Semester (Fall or Spring) Third Semester (Spring or second Fall)
EDUC 302
EDUC 312		 MAT 600
MAT 611
MAT 614		 MAT 610      
MAT 612     
MAT 613
MAT Methods course		 MAT 607
MAT 615

Part-time students develop a schedule in consultation with an advisor to take additional semesters to complete the program.

 

MAT in Secondary Arts Education (Grades K-12) with K-6  Arts Endorsement Extension 

Program Requirements

Completion of the Accelerated MAT in Secondary Arts Education with a K-6 Arts Endorsement requires admission to the program and the following coursework:

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Courses 33  
MAT 600 Culture, Family and Community 3  
MAT 602 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society 3  
MAT 605 Teaching Exceptional Learners in Inclusive Classrooms 3  
MAT 607 Teaching and Research Seminar 1 consent of instructor
MAT 610 Managing the Inclusive Classroom  4 MAT 600
MAT 611 Curriculum Design & Management 3  
MAT 612 Secondary Methods Seminar 2 MAT 600
MAT 613 Secondary General Methods & Assessment 4 MAT 611
MAT 614 Content Literacy for Diverse Language Learners 4 MAT 600
MAT 615 Secondary Student Teaching 6 consent of instructor

II. Content Methods Courses

 6  
Students must take MAT 637 and either MAT 621 or MAT 625    
MAT 621 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Art 3 MAT 600
MAT 625 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Fine Arts 3 MAT 600
MAT 637 Creative Arts Methods 3 MAT 600
Total Hours for the MAT Secondary Arts Education Program 39  

 

Recommended Plan of Study for Accelerated MAT in Secondary Education

Full-time MAT students may begin the program in the Summer or Fall semester. Students who begin in the Summer take foundations courses in the Summer, methods courses in the Fall, and student teach in the Spring semester. Students who begin in the Fall take foundations courses in the Fall, methods courses in the Spring, and then student teach the following Fall semester.

First Semester (Summer or Fall) Second Semester (Fall or Spring) Third Semester (Spring or second Fall)
MAT 600
MAT 602
MAT 605
MAT 611
MAT 614		 MAT 610      
MAT 612     
MAT 613
Methods: MAT 621 or MAT 625		 MAT 607
MAT 615
MAT 637

 

Accelerated MAT in Secondary Arts Education (Grades K-12) with K-6  Arts Endorsement Extension 

Program Requirements

The Accelerated MAT program is open only to graduates of Westminster College who have completed the following courses as part of their undergraduate studies: EDUC 302 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society, EDUC 312 Specialized Education Services, and EDUC 344 Creative Arts Methods.  Students who are considering applying for the Accelerated MAT program should meet with the Program Director early in their undergraduate career, preferably before their junior year.

Completion of the Accelerated MAT in Secondary Arts Education with a K-6 Arts Endorsement requires admission to the program and the following coursework:

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Courses 27  
MAT 600 Culture, Family and Community 3  
MAT 607 Teaching and Research Seminar 1 consent of instructor
MAT 610 Managing the Inclusive Classroom  4 MAT 600
MAT 611 Curriculum Design & Management 3  
MAT 612 Secondary Methods Seminar 2 MAT 600
MAT 613 Secondary General Methods & Assessment 4 MAT 611
MAT 614 Content Literacy for Diverse Language Learners 4 MAT 600
MAT 615 Secondary Student Teaching 6 consent of instructor
II. Content Methods Courses 3  
Students must take either MAT 621 or MAT 625    
MAT 621 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Art 3 MAT 600
MAT 625 Methods of Teaching Secondary School Fine Arts 3 MAT 600
Total Hours for the Accelerated MAT 30  

 

Recommended Plan of Study for Accelerated MAT in Secondary Education

Full-time MAT students may begin the program in the Summer or Fall semester. Students who begin in the Summer take foundations courses in the Summer, methods courses in the Fall, and student teach in the Spring semester. Students who begin in the Fall take foundations courses in the Fall, methods courses in the Spring, and then student teach the following Fall semester.

Undergraduate Years  First Semester (Summer or Fall) Second Semester (Fall or Spring) Third Semester (Spring or second Fall)
EDUC 302
EDUC 312
EDUC 344		 MAT 600
MAT 611
MAT 614		 MAT 610      
MAT 612     
MAT 613
Methods: MAT 621 or MAT 625		 MAT 607
MAT 615

 

Master of Arts in Teaching to Master of Education Tracks

This program is designed for graduates of Westminster’s Master of Arts in Teaching Program who pursue an endorsement and an MED degree or a general MED degree. The following admissions policies apply to these MAT graduates only. All other MED policies apply to these students.

Admission to the Program

The requirement for admission is completion of Westminster University’s Master of Arts in Teaching degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0.  A candidate for admission must submit the following materials to the Admissions Office:  A completed Application for Graduate Admission form with the application fee.  Westminster transcript showing successful completion of the Westminster University Master of Arts in Teaching degree with an overall GPA of 3.0.  Upon completion of these steps, the individual’s application materials are submitted to the Graduate Education Admissions Committee.

MAT to Traditional MED

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. MAT Required Courses 9  
MAT 600 Culture, Family and Community 3  
MAT 602 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society 3  
MAT 605 Diversity and Learning 3  
II. Elective Courses 15  
Students may choose classes from the following:      
MED 613 Theories of Adult Learning and Development 3  
MED 615 Education, Schools and Politics 3  
MED 621 Foundations of Multilingual Education 3  
MED 622 Language Acquisition and Development 3  
MED 634 Teaching Adults 3  
MED 635 Adult Ed Program Planning & Evaluation 3  
MED 639 Neuroscience of Trauma 3  
MED 460 Trauma-informed Schools 3  
MED 641 Restorative Justice in Schools 3  
MED 642 Foundations of Restorative Justice  3  
MED 660 Directed Studies 1-3  
III. Project 8  
MED 650 Introduction to Research Methods  2 Consent of instructor
MED 679 Research Methodologies 3 MED 650
MED 680  Research Project 3 MED 679
Total Hours for the MAT to Traditional MED 32  

MAT to MED with Trauma, Resilience, and Restorative Justice Emphasis

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. MAT Required Courses 9  
MAT 600 Culture, Family and Community 3  
MAT 602 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society 3  
MAT 605 Diversity and Learning 3  
II. Trauma and Restorative Justice Coursework 15  
This program is designed for students who already hold Westminster's MAT degree and are seeking to become qualified as specialists within educational settings with expertise in trauma and restorative practices. Students must be admitted to the M.Ed. program.    
MED 639 Neuroscience of Trauma 3  
MED 640 Trauma-informed Schools 3  

MED 641 or 

MED 642

Restorative Justice in Schools or

Foundations of Restorative Justice 		 3  
MED 643 Research in Risk and Resilience 3  
MED 644 Arts and Movement for Trauma 2  
MED 645 Self-Care for Secondary Trauma  1  
III. Project 8  
MED 650 Introduction to Research Methods  2 Consent of instructor
MED 679 Research Methodologies 3 MED 650
MED 680  Research Project 3 MED 679
Total Hours for the MAT to MED with Trauma, Resilience, and Restorative Justice Emphasis 32  

MAT to MED with Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Endorsement with an MAT in Elementary Education

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. MAT Required Courses 9  
MAT 600 Culture, Family and Community 3  
MAT 602 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society 3  
MAT 605 Diversity and Learning 3  
II. English as a Second Language Endorsement (ESL) 15  
This program is designed for students who already hold a teaching license and a bachelor’s degree, and are seeking to become qualified to be a TESOL teacher at the elementary or secondary level. Students must be admitted to the M.Ed. program.    
MED 621 Foundations of Multilingual Education 3  
MED 622 Language Acquisition and Development 3  
MED 623 Instructional Methods for Diverse Language Learners  3 MED 622 as pre or co-requisite
MED 624 Content Instruction for Diverse Language Learners  3 MED 622
MED 625 Assessment for Diverse Language Learners 2 MED 622
III. Project 8  
MED 650 Introduction to Research Methods  2 Consent of instructor
MED 679 Research Methodologies 3 MED 650
MED 680  Research Project 3 MED 679
Total Hours for MAT to MED with Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Endorsement 32  

MAT to MED with Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Endorsement with an MAT in Secondary Education

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. MAT Required Courses 9  
MAT 600 Culture, Family and Community 3  
MAT 602 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society 3  
MAT 605 Diversity and Learning 3  
II. English as a Second Language Endorsement (ESL) 12  
This program is designed for students who already hold a teaching license and a bachelor’s degree, and are seeking to become qualified to be a TESOL teacher at the elementary or secondary level. Students must be admitted to the M.Ed. program.    
MED 621 Foundations of Multilingual Education 3  
MED 622 Language Acquisition and Development 3  
MED 623 Instructional Methods for Diverse Language Learners  3 MED 622 as pre or co-requisite
MED 625 Assessment for Diverse Language Learners 3 MED 622
III. Elective Courses 3  
Students choose an elective class from the following:    
MED 630 Literature and Info Texts K-12 3  
MED 634 Teaching Adults 3  
MED 635 Adult Ed Program Planning and Evaluation 3  
MED 639 Neuroscience of Trauma 3  
MED 640 Trauma-informed Schools 3  
MED 641 Restorative Justice in Schools 3  
MED 642 Foundations of Restorative Justice  3 Consent of instructor
IV. Project 8  
MED 650 Introduction to Research Methods  2 Consent of instructor
MED 679 Research Methodologies 3 MED 650
MED 680  Research Project 3 MED 679
Total Hours for the MAT to MED with Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Endorsement 32