Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Teaching is a professional graduate degree designed for those with a bachelor's degree to complete the professional pedagogical coursework required for recommendation for initial licensure to teach in Montana or Wyoming's public elementary or secondary schools.

The degree is designed to be completed in as little as 5 to 7 semesters, depending on cohort availability. Additionally, the Master of Arts in Teaching degree at MSU is also available to support candidates working as teachers-of-record on a Class 5 license. The MAT at MSU-Bozeman is distinguished from other similar programs in that it has an intentional focus on place-conscious pedagogy and approaches to teaching with an emphasis on teaching in rural school districts.     

Program Requirements

The Master of Arts in Teaching degree (MAT) requires (MAT) requires 36 credits of pedogogical courseworkand includes early field experience with the Middle School Mentoring and Leadership Experience, and two semesters of in-school experiences each, including either one semester of part-time practicum and one full-time semester of classroom Student Teaching or while hired as a teacher-of-record in the approved content area. Successful completion of all coursework, in-school experience, and required tests (Praxis) are required for graduation and recommendation for a Montana Class 1 Teaching License. 

Summer Camp Dates (tentative) for 2025: July 27 - Aug 1, 2025

Application Deadline for Spring 2025 Start Date: Contact Hailey Hancock today

Please reach out to Hailey Hancock for more information at: haileyhancock@montana.edu for more information regarding the MAT curriculum schedule.

 Curriculum

 
Courses
Credits 

EDCI 552: Human Development and the Psychology of Learning

EDCI 521: Content Literacy

EDCI 553: Inclusive Strategies for Classroom Organization

EDCI 538: Supporting SEL in Diverse Learners (field experience)

EDCI 543: Introduction to Curriculum Design and Assessment

EDCI 554: Methods of Secondary Teaching 

EDCI 555: Technology, Instructional Design, and Learner Success

EDCI 556: The Legal, Social, and Practical Basis of Schooling

EDCI 598: Practicum 

EDCI 598: Student Teaching

EDCI 519: Addressing Equity in Linguistic and Cultural Diversity

EDCI 569: Reflective Inquiry in Rural Education 

3 cr

3 cr

3 cr

3 cr

1 cr

5 cr

2 cr

3 cr

1 cr

6 cr

3 cr

3 cr

Program Total Credits
36 

**Course Descriptions found in in the MSU Catalog through this link

Endorsement Areas

Secondary MAT students are required to qualify for one of following Endorsement Areas:

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • General Science Broadfield
  • Social Studies Broadfield
  • Modern Languages - French, German, or Spanish

Applications will learn more about the endorsement areas by clicking on the area in which they are interested. 

Admissions

Interested candidates for the MAT program should begin by reaching out to the MAT office by emailing Hailey Hancock at haileyhancock@montana.edu. Next, begin a review and self-assessment of the endorsement area in which  you are interested. Note the content specific requirements and guidelines for admission outlined on our Endorsements page.  Applicants will also need to take and pass the appropriate Praxis Content Area exam prior to application. Be sure to allow enough time to study for the test, and allow 2-5 weeks prior to the application deadline to receive official test scores. 

The MAT program will offer teaching endorsement areas in:

  • English 
  • Mathematics
  • General Science
  • Social Studies
  • Modern Languages - French, German, or Spanish

Please see our Endorsement Area page for detailed information about our endorsement areas offered an qualifications for those areas. 

  • Minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher for both Bachelor's degree, and for all graduate level coursework
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