Secondary Teacher Education (Alternative Route), M.A.T.

The Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education offers a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree. The degree plan 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: Biology, Business Education, Chemistry, English, French, Health, Home Economics, Library Media, Mathematics, Physical Education, Physics, Social Studies and Spanish.

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:

1. apply through the Graduate School using Hobsons Radius;
2. submit official transcripts indicating a bachelor’s degree in a major outside of education to the Graduate School;
3. have a 2.75 GPA on last 60 credit hours of bachelor’s degree;
4. pass the PRAXIS CORE or ACT at 21+ composite (all on same test date);
5. pass Praxis II. Official scores should be sent to the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Educator Licensure, a copy of the scores should be sent to Southern Miss, and a copy should be retained for upload
6. submit three letters of recommendation to the Graduate School; and
7. submit letter of intent to the Graduate School.

No GRE is required.

Once you have been accepted for admission, you will need to submit to a background check, and purchase Tk20 subscription.

The deadline for applying to this degree is as follows:

    For spring admissions, January1

    For summer admissions, April 25

    For fall admissions, August 1

The program is 33 semester credit hours. During the program, students will take the first 9 credit hours in the summer to earn an initial 3-year non-renewable license, 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 renewable 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.