Dr. Wei Pan
Professor of Teacher Education
Assigns first-year advisors and approves program changes (Graduate Handbook §4.1, §2.9).
School of Education · Master's degree
Master of Arts in Teaching
The MAT prepares college graduates who majored in a teaching subject for initial teacher licensure in secondary schools. Students take coursework in learning, pedagogy, and subject-area methods, complete field experiences in local schools, and finish with a full semester of student teaching.
MAT · 36 credits
Program Overview & Curriculum
The MAT prepares college graduates who majored in a teaching subject for initial teacher licensure in secondary schools. Students take coursework in learning, pedagogy, and subject-area methods, complete field experiences in local schools, and finish with a full semester of student teaching.
Program requirements, the Graduate Program Director, and tuition for this degree are set out in Graduate Handbook §12.13: Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT).
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Foundations: educational psychology, adolescent development, inclusive and special education, and literacy across the content areas | 15 |
| Secondary content-area methods and assessment | 9 |
| Student teaching and the capstone teaching portfolio | 12 |
| Total | 36 |
Culminating experience
Student teaching semester and a capstone teaching portfolio.
At a glance
- Degree
- MAT
- Credits
- 36
- Pathway
- Non-thesis
- Format
- Full-time in three semesters, including a semester of student teaching
- Delivery
- Daytime classes
- Time limit
- 5 years from matriculation
Program: Graduate Handbook §12.13 · Time limits: Graduate Handbook §3.5
Graduate Program Director
Department
36 credits
Courses
The courses that count toward each part of the MAT curriculum, with the terms each is usually offered.
Foundations: educational psychology, adolescent development, inclusive and special education, and literacy across the content areas
15 creditsEDUC 510 Educational Psychology 3 credits Summer
Reviews research on how adolescents learn, remember, and stay motivated, and what those findings mean for classroom practice. Students apply learning theories to lesson plans for their teaching subject.
EDUC 515 Adolescent Development 3 credits Summer
Covers the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of students in grades 6 through 12. Students connect developmental research to classroom management and student support.
EDUC 520 Inclusive and Special Education 3 credits Fall, Spring, Summer
Introduces special education law, individualized education programs, and strategies for teaching students with disabilities and English learners in general classrooms. Students adapt a unit plan for a range of learners.
EDUC 525 Literacy Across the Content Areas 3 credits Fall, Spring, Summer
Teaches reading and writing strategies for vocabulary, textbook comprehension, and disciplinary writing in secondary subjects. Students design literacy supports for their own teaching subject.
EDUC 530 Field Experience in Secondary Schools 3 credits Fall
Placement in a local middle or high school for supervised observation and short teaching episodes, with a background check completed before the placement. Students keep a reflective log and meet with a university supervisor.
Secondary content-area methods and assessment
9 creditsEDUC 540 Assessment and Grading in Secondary Classrooms 3 credits Fall, Spring
Covers designing tests, performance tasks, and rubrics, and using assessment data to adjust instruction. Students build and score an assessment for their subject.
EDUC 541 Secondary Teaching Methods 3 credits Fall
Covers unit and lesson planning, questioning, discussion, and classroom management for grades 6 through 12. Students teach short lessons to peers and receive feedback.
EDUC 542 Content-Area Methods Seminar 3 credits Fall
Subject-specific methods taught in sections by teaching field: English, social studies, mathematics, science, and world languages. Students plan a unit, choose texts or materials, and teach a short lesson to the section.
Student teaching and the capstone teaching portfolio
12 creditsEDUC 590 Student Teaching in the Secondary School 9 credits Spring
A full-time semester of student teaching in a local middle or high school under a licensed cooperating teacher and a university supervisor. Students take over a full teaching load by the end of the placement.
EDUC 595 Capstone Teaching Portfolio Seminar 3 credits Spring
Weekly seminar taken during student teaching on professional ethics, licensure requirements, and reflective practice. Students complete the capstone teaching portfolio and present it to faculty.
Sample Roadmap
Sample Plan
A representative term-by-term sequence for the MAT. “Elective” is one 3-credit course chosen from the program's elective list above, with your advisor.
Summer 1
- EDUC 510 Educational Psychology 3 cr
- EDUC 515 Adolescent Development 3 cr
- EDUC 520 Inclusive and Special Education 3 cr
- EDUC 525 Literacy Across the Content Areas 3 cr
Term total 12 credits
Fall 1
- EDUC 530 Field Experience in Secondary Schools 3 cr
- EDUC 540 Assessment and Grading in Secondary Classrooms 3 cr
- EDUC 541 Secondary Teaching Methods 3 cr
- EDUC 542 Content-Area Methods Seminar 3 cr
Term total 12 credits
Spring 1
- EDUC 590 Student Teaching in the Secondary School 9 cr
- EDUC 595 Capstone Teaching Portfolio Seminar 3 cr
Term total 12 credits
Graduate Handbook
Milestones & Academic Standards
Every master's program at Alkimi follows the same Graduate School milestones. Each links to the handbook section that governs it.
- 1
- 2
Format review and ProQuest submission
Graduate Handbook §5.6: Thesis and Dissertation Format Review and ProQuest Submission
- 3
Intent to Graduate and degree audit
Graduate Handbook §11.1: Filing the Intent to Graduate and Degree Audits
The 3.0 rule
Graduate students must keep a cumulative GPA of 3.000 or higher to stay in good standing and to graduate (Graduate Handbook §3.1).
Advisor
The Graduate Program Director or a designated capstone coordinator is your permanent advisor (Graduate Handbook §4.1).
2026–27
Tuition & Funding
Graduate tuition
$1,450
Per credit hour, plus $300 in mandatory fees per semester. 36 credits come to $52,200 in tuition at 2026–27 rates.
Assistantship stipend
$21,000
9-month stipend for a master's teaching, research, or graduate assistant.
Rates: Graduate Handbook §6.2
Assistantships in this program
Full-time students are considered for graduate assistantships in the School of Education.
A 20-hour assistantship includes a full tuition waiver of up to 12 credits per semester and covers mandatory fees (Graduate Handbook §6.3).
People
Faculty & Contacts
Department of Teacher Education
27 faculty →Chair: Dr. Monique Jefferson
Teacher Education prepares elementary and secondary teachers through coursework and supervised classroom experience in local schools.
The Graduate School
- Where
- Founders Hall 240
- Phone
- (555) 555-0138
- gradschool
@university.alkimi.ai - Hours
- Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
- Lead
- Dr. Victor Huang, Dean of the Graduate School