Many people graduate with degrees unrelated to education only to discover later that they wish they had taken a different path…teaching. Kentucky is experiencing a critical teacher shortage and more than ever, schools need YOU.
How to get started
If you are ready to make a change and start a rewarding new chapter in your career a Master of Arts in Teaching or MAT degree can help you reach your goals. An MAT degree is a graduate degree program for individuals who already hold a non-teaching bachelor’s degree and are interested in becoming a teacher.
Choose from a wide variety of content areas
The MAT requires that you specialize in either Middle, Secondary or P-12 teaching and that you have a degree (or a minimum of 24 hours of coursework) in specific content. Below are some of the many options in Middle, Secondary and P-12:
- Middle Grades content prepares you to teach grades 5-9 in mathematics, science, social studies or English/language arts. You may select one area of content or up to two if you are eligible.
- Secondary content prepares you to teach grades 8-12 in biological sciences, chemistry, earth sciences, English, mathematics, physics or social science (history). You may select one area in which you are eligible.
- P-12 programs prepare you to teach in one of 11 content areas including physical education, agriculture, business and marketing, art, engineering and technology, family and consumer science and many more!
The MAT program provides you with the knowledge on how to teach what you already know about the content. For example, a person interested in teaching Spanish (P-12 certification) would need to have either a degree in Spanish or a minimum of 24 hours of college credit in Spanish.
There are other subject area areas that do not require you to have a previous degree or hours in content. This is because the content is built into the program. The following content areas will not only teach you how to teach, but they will also teach you what to teach.
- Elementary Education content prepares you to teach language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies for Kindergarten through 5th grade: If you enjoy interacting with ages 6-12, then elementary teaching is for you.
- Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) content prepares you to work with our youngest population with and without special needs, ages birth through kindergarten. Teaching in preschool, kindergarten and early intervention (birth to three) are just a few of the career opportunities available.
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) content prepares you to teach students who are deaf or hard of hearing across all grades (P-12) and a variety of educational settings.
Teach in Kentucky while you study
Kentucky residents who have been fully admitted to the MAT program, are eligible for Kentucky’s “Option 6.” This allows you to teach, with mentorship and support, while completing the program and clinical hours within your own classroom giving you an opportunity for hands-on, real-life experience. This option provides you with the ability to earn an income while working toward not only a master’s degree and new career, but a higher salary as the MAT leads to a Rank II in Kentucky.
If you are passionate about supporting the next generation of learners, there has never been a better time to step into the field of education, through the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program at EKU.
By: Julie Rutland, Ph.D., assistant professor, MAT coordinator, EKU College of Education and Applied Human Services