Master of Arts in Teaching

The Master of Arts in Teaching is a fifth year graduate program that builds on the successful undergraduate Teacher Education Program (TEP) at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. The program is designed to be completed in one academic year, during which students continue their liberal arts studies at the same time they prepare for teacher certification. At the conclusion of the program, students are eligible to apply for Initial New York State Teacher Certification, which may be raised to the Professional level after three years of full-time teaching.

Requirements of the MAT Program

The MAT program consists of nine graduate course credits. Candidates must pass all of the courses in the program with a grade of B- or better and maintain a 3.0 GPA during the graduate year. In the spring semester of the senior year, students take EDUC 420 Research in Education. In the fall semester of the graduate year, students carry out their student teaching and take an accompanying seminar. In the spring of the graduate year, students take EDUC 820 Graduate Seminar in Education Research, complete a masters project through EDUC 801 & EDUC 803, and take two elective courses in liberal arts disciplines or programs.

Eligibility for Admission

The MAT program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges combines with the work students complete during their undergraduate years in the Colleges’ Teacher Education Program to convey all of the credits and experiences needed for teaching certification in New York State. The MAT program is open on a competitive basis only to students who are enrolled in one of the eligible teacher certification programs at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Eligible certification programs include Childhood Education (grades 1-6); dual Childhood Education and Students with Disabilities (grades 1-6) ; and Adolescent Education (grades 7-12 in the subject areas of biology, chemistry, earth science, English, French, Latin, mathematics, physics, social studies, or Spanish). The MAT program has not yet been expanded to include the three newer certification programs: Art, Music, and TESOL.