Winston-Salem State University will begin offering a new Master of Arts in Teaching(MAT) degree starting January 2007. This is an alternative teacher certification program to initial teacher licensure for those with qualifying undergraduate degrees. It will address the teacher shortage in the Piedmont region and the state. The program providesadvanced preparation in the fields of Middle Grade Education and Special Education.
According to Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, dean of WSSU’s School of Education and Human Performance, this program will provide individuals an opportunity to enhance or redirect their careers to the teaching profession, in turn increasing the teacher work force in the Piedmont region and throughout the state.
The program is divided into two phases. The first will consist of coursework designed to address the competencies for beginning teachers. Those who complete the first phase will qualify for a North Carolina A-level (initial)teaching license. The second addresses the advanced competencies for an M-level(master’s) license.
The curriculum includes a minimum of 39 credit hours, and these graduate-level courses include course content and training consistent with guidelines prescribed by state and national accrediting agencies.
Although the target group for the program includes those with baccalaureate degrees in Middle Grades or Special Education related areas, candidateswho do not have prerequisite graduate-level courses will be able to complete thenecessary academic courses through a combination of undergraduate and graduatecoursework.
Once graduates have successfully completed the MAT program, they will be armed with the necessary knowledge and skills required to pass the Praxis II Specialty Area Examinations for North Carolina teaching licenses.