Teaching, MAT

Program Description

For the Master of Arts in Teaching Program, Columbia College and the Education Faculty have endorsed national certification of teachers, and have adopted the core proposals of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as goals of the program. When conducting best practice, teachers:

1. Are committed to students and their learning;
2. Know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students;
3. Are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning;
4. Think systematically about their practice and learn from experience; and
5. Are members of learning communities.

To help students reach these goals, Columbia College believes that truly effective teaching must be modeled, not just taught. Therefore faculty are encouraged to engage students in active learning, problem solving, interactive dialogue and questioning, and constant exploration of what is and what could be. Students are supported in their efforts: to identify and evaluate relevant issues as they relate to various aspects of teaching and learning; to engage in critical and creative thinking with colleagues, peers and professors; to develop as whole persons, valuing individualism, uniqueness and diversity of others; to consistently use reflection and research as the foundation for decision making; and, to value and promote professionalism and a commitment to learning that is never ending.

Students who are seeking teacher certification and do not meet graduate admission requirements may qualify for the Undergraduate Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program offered at select campuses. Note that teacher certification is not available online.

Add-On Certificates

Mild/Moderate Cross Categorical Special Education, Gifted Education, and Reading Specialist certificate programs are available at select campuses to students who are certified teachers. Students wishing to pursue an add-on certificate need to work closely with their academic advisors to fulfill certificate requirements.

Columbia College offers Teacher Certification Programs in:

Art Education K-12 
Music Education K-12 
Special Education K-12 
Elementary (grades 1-6) 
Middle School (grades 5-9) 
(Content areas: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Speech/Theatre)
Secondary (grades 9-12) 
(Content areas: Biology, Business (non-vocational), Chemistry, English, General Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Speech/Theatre)

Click here  to view additional information about our certification programs.

MAT Degree Program Requirements

1. Students must meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements of the College.
2. Students must complete a minimum of thirty-six graduate semester hours. The program is comprised of a core of three courses and three courses in each of the three areas of curriculum and instruction, psychological and philosophical foundations, and measurement and evaluation.
3. Transfer credit for courses already completed before admittance to the program may be substituted for required courses upon recommendation of the Education Department. After being admitted, the student must complete all course work at Columbia College, unless specific permission is obtained from the MAT Graduate Program Coordinator. A maximum of nine graduate hours may be accepted in transfer. Petitions for consideration of transfer credit must be made prior to the successful completion of 12 hours of graduate course work at Columbia College.
4. To complete the program, students are expected to do the following:
   1. Within the first session on campus, meet with an advisor to discuss course selection and plans for degree completion.
   2. Complete EDUC 500 - Research Design , and EDUC 504 - Curriculum Design and Evaluation  as early in the program as possible.
   3. Students may not register for EDUC 508 - Integrative Project  until they are within one session of completion of the MAT and have the approval of their advisor and course instructor. Students who register for EDUC 508, but do not complete the course in one session, will receive a grade of Incomplete. Subsequently, students must enroll in EDUC 508E - Integrative Project Extension  each session with the fee of $100 per enrollment until the project is completed and accepted. Continuous enrollment in EDUC 508E is mandatory and is capped at the maximum extension of three consecutive terms.
   4. Clinical experiences are available for a maximum of six hours of graduate credit. The purpose of clinical experiences is to provide an opportunity to do field research or to conduct professional practice; the experience must not duplicate previous experience or be a part of a regular teaching assignment. This is an option at select campuses only.
5. Completion of the degree means more than the accumulation of the required course hours. Students must be aware that the integrative project requires acceptance as demonstrated by a satisfactorily written portfolio and oral presentation.

Assessment

The five core propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) provide the goals for the Master of Arts in Teaching Program. These core propositions are:

1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring students learning.
4. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
5. Teachers are members of learning communities.

Students completing the MAT program document their professional growth and accomplishment of the propositions through a portfolio. The portfolio is evaluated by a committee of two faculty members. The portfolio must also be presented orally to the committee. A grade of B or better is required. Outcomes data are collected in an exit interview. These data are used to guide appropriate changes and improvements in the MAT program in order to better meet students’ needs for course scheduling, course offerings, learning activities for the accomplishment of course objectives, use of technology, etc.