(40 semester hours)
Prior to admission to the M.A.T. program with certification in Secondary/PK-12 Education all applicants must meet with the Chair of the School of Education or a designated department faculty member and the Director of Professional Field Experience.
The M.A.T. program in Secondary/PK-12 Education is designed for the teaching candidate whose goals include initial certification in Secondary/PK-12 Education and an M.A.T. degree. This program consists of a minimum of 34 hours of graduate work. Candidates with no education courses may need to take up to 49 semester hours. Credit totals do not include any work needed in the content area.
The courses include:
- Nine credits hours of coursework that give candidates an understanding of foundation of education, of human development and the psychology of the teaching/learning process.
- Seven credit hours that focus on general and specific teaching methodologies, practicum, and the reading process.
- Twelve credit hours that focus on developing candidates’ understanding of working with learners with special needs.
- Student teaching
- Six credit hours in core courses , providing the candidate with the opportunity to integrate theory and practice in both research and learning theory.
These courses are certification requirements for those students seeking both the degree and Pennsylvania Instructional I certification. Eligibility for certification is determined by fulfillment of state requirements, including Pennsylvania Education Certification Tests (PRAXIS) taken upon completion of the program. Courses in the M.A.T. in Secondary/PK-12 education program fulfill these requirements.
All candidates are required to fulfill field experience and student teaching requirements.
Field Experience – Education certification candidates in all programs must maintain continuous registration for field experience and sign up each semester in the Office of Professional Educational Field Experience. Clearances (Criminal Background, Child Abuse Clearance; FBI Fingerprints, Mantoux test, and others required locally) must be active and on file in the Field Experience Office throughout field placement and student teaching semesters.
Level I – A three-hour block of time each week is required at the assigned school. In the early field experience placements, the candidate performs tasks that are considered legally permissible for the teacher’s aide. (Minimum 20 hours required)
Level II – Candidates at this level are enrolled in supervised practicum courses. Second level field experience students are to engage in specific activities such as developing learning activities and participating in team teaching. Activities completed in this placement level are related to the objectives of the upper level methods courses in which they are currently enrolled. (Minimum 150 hours)
Candidates are required to spend seven weeks, three hours per week, in each of two pre-student teaching placements during the semester prior to student teaching. With a successful placement and teacher and district approval, the co-operating teachers would be the same for the pre-student teaching and student teaching placement.
Student Teaching – Candidates are assigned as full-time student teachers for one semester, usually during the last year of their program. This typically will include two placements representative of all content and levels of the certificate involved. Placements are made by the director of professional education field experience and are within an established radius from the University. Candidates seeking Secondary/PK-12 certification are required to take SPED 511: Curriculum Adaptations for Special Needs Learners during the student teaching semester. No additional coursework may be taken during student teaching.
Professional Education and Core Courses (21 semester hours)
| EDUC 000 | | 0 |
| EDUC 500 | Seminar: First Semester Graduate?Certification | 0 |
| EDUC 501 | Research Theory | 3 |
| EDUC 502 | Multidisciplinary Foundations of?Education | 3 |
| EDUC 523 | Seminar: Psychology of Education | 3 |
| EDUC 554 | Contemporary Learning Theories | 3 |
| PSYC 514 | Human Development | 3 |
| EDUC 591 | Graduate Level Student Teaching | 6 |
| EDUC 598B | Special Topics in Student Teaching | 3 |
Concentration (19 semester hours)
| EDUC 005E | | 1 |
| EDUC 411A | | 3 |
| RED 526 | Teaching Content Area Reading | 3 |
| SPED 507 | Characteristics of Students with?Disabilities | 3 |
| SPED 511 | Curriculum Adaptations for the?Special-Needs Learner | 3 |
| SPED 539 | Behavior Management Approaches | 3 |
| EDUC 561 | Methods Materials and Assessment in ESL?Teaching Esl | 3 |
Content Area Specialty
Semester hours vary by teacher certification program area.
NOTE: The requirements discussed in this section are subject to change based on guidelines established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.