The Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education offers a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree. The program of study at the master’s degree level is designed to increase the professional competency of the classroom teacher and to provide the coursework necessary to meet standards of alternate route teaching licensure. Recipients of this degree are eligible for licensure in the following content areas: Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Chinese, Economics, English, French German, Health, Home Economics, Latin, Library Media, Marketing, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Physical Science, Physics, Social Studies, Spanish, and Speech Communications.
Admission Requirements
The MAT is an option for a student who has a bachelor’s degree in an area other than education, and who is seeking an initial license to teach in a secondary content area and earn a masters’s degree. For admission, students are expected to:
- apply through the Graduate School using Admissions Pro;
- submit official transcripts indicating a bachelor’s degree in a major outside of education to the Graduate School;
- have a 2.75 GPA on last 62 credit hours of bachelor’s degree;
- pass the CORE or ACT at 21+ composite with no scale score below 18 (all on same test date);
- pass Praxis II. Official scores should be sent to the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Educator Licensure and a copy of the scores should be sent to Southern Miss;
- submit three letters of recommendation to the Graduate School; and
- submit letter of intent to the Graduate School.
No GRE is required.
Once you have been accepted for admission, submit to a background check and purchase a subscription to Tk20, a teacher education assessment software.
The program has two admissions cut off dates, per term. The deadline for applying to this degree is as follows:
For fall admissions, May 15 and July 15
For spring admissions, October 1 and December 1
For summer admissions, February 25 and April 25
Plan of Study. Students must submit their signed, official Plan of Study form to the Graduate School by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. The Plan of Study forms are available at www.usm.edu/graduateschool/planofstudy.php - click on the “Plans of Study” link. The program is 36 semester credit hours. During the program, students will take the first 9 credit hours to earn an initial 2-year licensure, obtain full-time employment with a Mississippi public school district, and be supervised by Southern Miss faculty. Once all other coursework is successfully completed, students can apply for a five-year license and earn their degree.
Research and Scholarly Integrity Education
All faculty holding regular or associate graduate faculty status, must complete CITI training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments. All graduate students must complete the CITI training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments the first semester they are enrolled in graduate school. The RSIE policy and training information are found on the Graduate School web page –www.usm.edu/graduate-school. Contact the dean of the Graduate School if you have any questions regarding the policy of training information.
Comprehensive Exam
A comprehensive exam is required for all master’s students.
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