The program leading to the MAT degree in comprehensive education requires a minimum of 36-42 semester hours of graduate study. The difference in semester hours is a function of the teaching experience that the candidate brings to the program. A full-time, semester-long internship or the equivalent is required. The MAT consists of a professional core of 15 semester hours, 12-18 hours of teaching methods and clinical experiences, and 9 semester hours in the concentration. Pending satisfactory completion of state-required licensure examinations, the program leads to a recommendation for an advanced license from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Completion of degree requirements includes satisfactory completion of Praxis II tests, technology portfolio, the Teacher Work Sample and the comprehensive portfolio.
Professional core, 15 hours: EDCI 604 or 605, EDCI 602, SPED 620, PSY 621, and EDCI 613.
Teaching Methods and Clinical Experiences, 12-18 hours:
- Secondary (Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics and Social Sciences) and Special Subjects (Art, Music, Physical Education): 6 semester hours of teaching methods (EDCI 617, and one 3-hour content specific methods course*); and 6-12 semester hours of clinical experiences (EDCI 689) and seminar (EDCI 695) for secondary education and special subjects candidates. Students must enroll in EDCI 695 concurrently with EDCI 689, Internship.
-Middle Grades Education: 6 semester hours of teaching methods (EDMG 501, 502, 503, or 504; EDMG 511, 512, 513, or 514; EDMG 521, 522, 523, or 524; one 3-hour content specific methods course; and 3-9 semester hours of field experience (EDMG 589).
-Special Education: SPED 505, 566, 630, and 687. Field experience or additional course hours will vary, up to a total of 18 semester hours in special education, depending on prior courses and/or experiences of candidates.
Concentrations, 9 semester hours selected upon the advice of the department faculty in the following concentrations: Art, Biology, Chemistry, Middle Grades, Music, Physical Education, and Social Sciences.
-English concentration, 9 semester hours of graduate coursework selected jointly by the student and his English graduate advisor based on the student's undergraduate curriculum, professional plans, experience, and interests. The program involves a specialized teaching focus, emphasizing rhetoric and composition, ESL/TESOL, and traditional literary studies, including, especially, a graduate World Literature course. ENGL 517 Methods of Teaching Literature and ENGL 618 Literary Research and Bibliography are required. The comprehensive examinations given by the English Department are based on the Shorter Reading List, which is contained in the 2002 Guide to Graduate Studies in English. Neither a thesis nor foreign language proficiency is required.
-Mathematics concentration, 9 semester hours including MATH 500, 672, and one of the following: MATH 511 or 512.
-Special Education concentration, 9 semester hours - SPED 555, 567, and 631.
*Methods courses: (Art) ART 564; (Biology) SCI 612; (Chemistry) SCI 612; (English) ENGL 514; (Mathematics) MATH 509; (Music) MUS 695, MUS 592 or MUS 640; (Physical Education) PE 655; (Social Sciences) HIST 633.
Admission requirements for the Master of Arts in Teaching:
Applicants must have a grade point average of B or higher on all upper-level undergraduate coursework and a satisfactory score on the GRE. Three letters of recommendation from persons who are in a position to judge the applicant’s aptitude for graduate study and potential as a graduate-level classroom teacher are required. A personal interview is required. An application for Graduate School is available online.
Applicants for the MAT in Comprehensive Education concentration in Art must submit a letter of intent to the department head and a portfolio of their work.
Applicants for the MAT in Comprehensive Education concentration in English must submit a writing sample (such as an undergraduate paper).
Applicants for the MAT in Comprehensive Education concentration in Music must contact the Music Department to conduct an interview or schedule an audition.
In addition, candidates must have an undergraduate degree in the major of the concentration and must meet the prerequisite requirements of the department housing the concentration.
Candidates with an undergraduate degree in a major other than the MAT concentration may not qualify for the MAT and are subject to prerequisite course requirements as determined by the faculty in the department of the concentration. Prerequisite requirements will vary by department and depend on the credentials presented by the candidate.
For information about any prerequisite courses that may be required, contact the program coordinator.
For more information, please visit the MAT page.
Dr. Dale Carpenter, Associate Dean
College of Education and Allied Professions
222 Killian Building
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 28723
carpenter@email.wcu.edu
828-227-7311