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Master of Arts in Teaching
(Elementary/Middle and Secondary)

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
PETERSON HALL
206-281-2214
GRADADMISSIONS@SPU.EDU

Be sure to read this important overview and information, including application information, about outcomes for graduate students in the master of arts in teaching degree program.

MAT IN TEACHING

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) combines a program for Elementary/Middle-level and Secondary Teacher Certification with an MAT degree. The degree is designed to be completed on a part-time basis. The Certification component is completed in two years. The master's component may be done concurrently with the Certification component, or it may be completed after you have begun a teaching career.

The MAT is designed to prepare students who already have a bachelor's degree to teach. Satisfactory completion of the Certification component of the MAT qualifies you to apply for a Washington State Residency Teaching Certificate. An additional 15 credits of non-certification classes will complete your master's degree portion of the MAT.

Note: If you hold a master's degree when entering the program, you only need to complete the certification component and EDU 6085 to receive a second master's degree.

Candidates in the MAT program learn the following essential knowledge and skills:

• Centering instruction on high expectations
• Demonstrating effective teaching practices
• Recognizing and responding to individual student needs
• Focusing on subject matter content
• Fostering and managing a safe and positive learning environment
• Using assessment data to modify instruction and improve learning
• Communicating with parents and the school community
• Exhibiting collaborative practices that lead to improvements in teaching and learning

You'll participate in three Field Experiences, including a full-time, 14-week classroom Internship beginning in the middle of February of the second year.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The MAT program begins once a year in September. Candidates must submit all application materials no later than March 15, and notifications of admittance are sent across May and June. Application materials include the following:

• A .
• A $50 processing fee. (Make checks payable to Seattle Pacific University.)
• An official transcript from each college/university where a degree was obtained, a professional certification program was completed, and where any graduate coursework was taken. These must be official transcripts and remain sealed in the original envelopes. Transcripts may be mailed directly to at SPU.
• A personal statement organized according to the School of Education’s conceptual framework, which focuses on four commitments, including service, leadership, competence and character. Candidates address development on each commitment as future teachers, in 500 words or less. Include significant experiences working with K-12 populations in educational settings, showing a brief description of each experience, including length of service. Paragraph narratives accompanied by seriated lists of information are appropriate.
• Two letters of recommendation.
• The Moral Character and Personal Fitness Policy.
• The Character and Fitness Supplement.
• Washington Educator Skills Test-Basic (WEST-B) scores. For students applying while living out of state, passing scores on reading, writing, and mathematics subtests of Praxis I or CBEST may be substituted for the WEST-B.
• Applicants are expected to complete WEST-E tests according to preferred endorsement areas before enrolling in MAT classes. Students seeking ELL, Bilingual, or Special Education endorsements must submit passing WEST-E scores by September 1 of the second year.

Application to the MAT program includes group interviews with School of Education Faculty.

In addition to the admission requirements shown above, you must complete content requirements for endorsements in preferred subject areas, according to standards established by the state of Washington.

ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO CERTIFICATION

An Alternative Route to Certification based on the MAT degree is also available. Contact Ted Hiemstra for program comparison.

APPLICATION AND ADMISSIONS QUESTIONS

Ted Hiemstra
Associate Director of Graduate Admissions

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3307 Third Avenue West, Suite 111
Seattle, WA 98119-1922

soe-grad-info@spu.edu
206-378-5478
800-601-0603

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