What Can You Achieve With a Master of Arts in Teaching?
By: Cathy Kim, Coordinator of Professional Programs, and Kim Rohrbach, Director of Student Teaching, Muhlenberg College Monday, January 15, 2024 02:00 PM
If you want to become the best teacher for yourself and your students, achieving a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) may be your ideal path forward.
MAT programs have grown in popularity for undergraduate and graduate students over the years. At Muhlenberg College, you can earn your MAT degree and become a certified teacher in just five years. Already have a bachelor’s degree? Then, you can complete your MAT at the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies.
No matter your chosen path, a MAT program will let you expand your knowledge and gain practical experience inside the classroom.
MAT vs. Bachelor’s Degree vs. MEd: What’s the difference?
In general, achieving a master’s degree will take your teaching skills to a higher level than having a bachelor’s degree alone. But there are two types of master’s degrees: a MAT degree and a Master of Education, or MEd degree.
An MAT degree leads directly to teacher certification, making it a perfect option for students who want to become (or already are) classroom teachers. An MEd is for people who are already certified teachers and want to advance their careers beyond the classroom.
Three benefits of achieving an MAT degree
- You’ll improve your income potential. Teachers with master’s degrees often attract higher starting salaries than those with a bachelor's degree alone.
- You’ll make yourself more marketable. Earning a MAT can give you a competitive advantage against other teaching candidates. It can also broaden your geographic horizons. That’s because some nearby states (New York, Maryland and Connecticut) require all teachers to obtain a master’s degree (MAT or MEd) within a specific timeframe to remain licensed.
- You’ll gain deeper knowledge. This is especially helpful if you plan to teach within a particular niche, such as special education or English as a second language.
What makes the MAT program at Muhlenberg unique?
The Muhlenberg approach to an MAT degree is purposefully different from other schools’ programs in many ways. For one, Muhlenberg does not offer education as a major or minor. Instead, all of our students—no matter their certification level—major in related disciplines, such as English, mathematics, history or the sciences.
This makes our program both robust and challenging for students. As a college steeped in the liberal arts, we believe this approach creates more well-rounded teachers who feel empowered to make the most significant impact on their students.
How is fieldwork incorporated into the MAT program?
Our MAT students often say their classroom experiences are the most enriching part of their education. That’s why we believe in providing fieldwork opportunities early, often, and in as many different contexts as possible.
We provide about 150 fieldwork placements for our students each semester, starting in a student’s first year. Each placement is matched directly to a student’s interests. So, for example, a mathematics major will be placed in a math setting. Additionally, we offer students supervision once to twice each week. Our fieldwork supervisor is a mentor, coach and advisor, offering continual support.
How many student placements do you offer?
The final semester of our MAT program is devoted to student teaching. While many schools today offer only one student-teacher placement during their last semester, we continue to offer our students two placements. That means students will spend the first six weeks in one school setting and their second six weeks in a different school.
We work hard to ensure diversity in student teaching assignments. For example, you may spend the first six weeks in an urban setting and the last six weeks in a suburban school district. Additionally, we aim to give our student teachers experience at different grade levels. So, a student in our Pre-K to 4 program may spend six weeks in a kindergarten classroom and then six weeks in a 3rd Grade setting. A student in our Grades 7 to 12 program may spend six weeks in an 8th Grade setting and six weeks in a 12th Grade classroom.
Students benefit from our tight collaboration with local schools. We meet with our public school partners through our Teacher Education Committee every semester. It includes ten public school teachers and seven principals and assistant principals. Together, we share ideas and discuss how to make our fieldwork programs as valuable as possible for our students.
How do you keep your MAT degree curriculum current?
You can’t build a successful MAT program without getting considerable input from your students. That’s why we ask students to give us their feedback right after graduation and several years afterward. We also meet with our fieldwork supervisors four times a year to learn more about how our students are doing in the field and what challenges they are facing.
We then use all of this information to enhance our MAT program. Two recent examples:
- Our students asked us to share best practices about integrating technology into the classroom. So, we created an elective class in Educational Technologies for Teaching and Learning.
- After graduation, students wished they had spent more time learning specific teaching methods. We now offer an Advanced Methods Seminar as an elective course to meet their needs with future cohorts.
Take your teaching capabilities to the next level.
Teaching is an in-demand profession, and districts throughout our region recognize the quality of the MAT program at Muhlenberg College. Many ask us if we have other students who might be interested in working for them!
If you want to elevate your educational knowledge, explore our MAT program curriculum and contact us today.
Learn more by…
- Scheduling an Appointment with an advisor in Continuing Studies or Graduate Studies.
About the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies
The Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies offers a variety of post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees aimed at enhancing intellectual and career development through challenging coursework grounded in the liberal arts. With a mix of graduate certificate pathways and master’s degrees aligned with workforce and economic trends, the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies enables students to prepare for professional work and career advancement, with a focus on leadership and innovation.