MAT FAQs

What is an MAT Program?

MAT stands for Master of Arts in Teaching. Participants in the Mississippi Teacher Corps earn an MAT degree during their two-year commitment to the program. At most universities, an MAT program is an alternate-route to teacher licensure. People in an MAT program take graduate coursework to gain a teaching license and to learn how to be an effective classroom teacher.

WHat Does it take to get an initial MS teaching license through an MAT program?

Initial coursework in the Mississippi Teacher Corps happens during the first summer. Students take three graduate MAT courses (EDCI 613, EDCI 615, and EDSP 601). Coursework focuses on lesson planning, assessment, and classroom culture/management. Once participants complete the coursework, they are eligible to receive a 3-year non-renewable Mississippi teaching license. This allows them to sign a contract with their placement school and thus receive full teacher pay and benefits from the school district.

What does it take to get a 5-year regular MS teaching license?

Once program participants complete the initial coursework and receive their 3-year license, they continue to take courses for the rest of the two year commitment. Program graduates receive their Master of Arts in Teaching degree at the end of their two year experience, which entitles them to a five-year regular Mississippi teaching license. Because graduates now have a master’s degree, their 5-year license can be upgraded to a AA level license, which allows them to receive a pay increase.

What can someone do with an MAT degree?

If a person earns an MAT degree and continues teaching, they receive a pay increase because their Mississippi teaching license goes from an “A” to a “AA.” If someone is looking to continue their graduate studies and work on a specialist or a doctorate degree, this degree is helpful in showing their capacity for graduate-level work. People with master’s degrees are eligible to teach undergraduate courses, but they must have 18 graduate-level hours in the subject they wish to teach. An MAT focuses on preparing teachers, and the coursework relates specifically to that.

What is MAT Coursework like?

Here at the University of Mississippi, initial courses focus on the basics of teaching: lesson planning, assessment, and classroom climate/management. As students move through the program, they take coursework that expands on these concepts while also looking at technology integration, exceptional students, diversity in the classroom, educational research, and teacher leadership. A complete list of the required coursework can be found here.