Ed Bengtson
Chair, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
206 Peabody Hall
479-575-5111
Email: egbengts@uark.edu
Chris Goering
Program Coodinator
479-575-4270
Email: cgoering@uark.edu
Department of Curriculum and Instruction Website
Degrees Conferred:
M.A.T. in Teacher Education (EDUC)
See Curriculum and Instruction for full departmental faculty listing.
The Master of Arts in Teaching program in Teacher Education prepares students for teaching English, mathematics, science, and social studies at the secondary licensure level, and world languages, and speech/drama at the multi-level licensure areas. The program offers two concentrations:
- Multiple Level Education
- Secondary Education
Students in the program learn and practice pedagogy appropriate to the concentration.
Requirements for M.A.T. in Teacher Education
Students seeking admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching in Teacher Education Program at the University of Arkansas must be aware of the deadlines and admissions policies. Once all admission requirements are met by each candidate, a committee will review all applications and notify accepted and denied candidates by April 1. Each of the five content areas (English and Speech/Drama, foreign languages, mathematics, science and social studies) has a maximum number of 12 students admitted each year and up to 60 students in the overall program. If spaces remain in a particular content area and the overall program capacity has not yet been met by April 1, admissions for that area will be considered on a rolling basis until the beginning of the first summer session. These deadlines and limitations are designed to ensure that all students have a high quality experience and reflect current need for teachers in any particular content area.
Admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching in Teacher Education requires the following steps:
Step One: Pre-MAT Requirements
- Undergraduate Courses: CIED 4131, CIED 4023 or CIED 3023, and any other content specific courses required for licensure by the Arkansas Department of Education
- Completion of appropriate undergraduate degree program
- Transcript Evaluation by content area professor
- Admission to the Office of Teacher Education
Complete the application for teacher education through the Teacher Education Office by October 1 (see the Teacher Education Application Fee). This includes passing scores on the Math, Reading and Writing sections of the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators, or the equivalent scores on the ACT, SAT or GRE as defined by the Arkansas Department of Education and successful completion of the Arkansas Department of Education background checks.
Step Two: Application to Graduate School
- File an application for admission to the Graduate School by December 30.
- Hold a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of the completed undergraduate degree.
- Provide three letters of recommendation before the admission interview to the Graduate School.
- Provide scores on the Praxis II Content Area test for admission to the program; foreign language students must also provide scores for the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI).
Step Three: Application to Education MAT
- Schedule and complete an admission screening interview in February.
- Submit a portfolio at the interview.
At the time of the interview, candidates must have a GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework, have passed the PRAXIS CORE exam or provide equivalent scores, submitted three letters of reference, taken the Praxis II Content Area test and the OPI for foreign language students, and submitted a portfolio.
Once the program has received all application materials from the Graduate School, an admission decision will be made based on the criteria described in the admissions policy statement. The probationary status will include the content specific courses of the spring semester term. The number admitted into specific teaching fields will be determined by both availability of internship spaces in the public schools with Cohort Partnership agreements and job market potential. However, meeting or exceeding minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the M.A.T.
At the completion of the first 9 hours of MAT courses (which are taken in the summer semester), the education faculty will review the status of all the students in the program. Students with unsatisfactory performance (grade C or lower) in the summer courses will not be allowed to continue with the remainder of the program.
Students should also be aware of Graduate School requirements with regard to master's degrees.
Requirements for the Master of Arts in Teaching Degree in Teacher Education: (Minimum 33-34 hours.)
- Computer competencies will be demonstrated by the candidate in the admission interview portfolio or by taking an approved course.
- CIED 4131 Practicum for Secondary and Multilevel Tracks in Education . Candidates for the M.A.T. Teacher Education program will register for this course. The requirement for this course is 60 hours of experience with children in grades K through 12. A minimum of 30 of these hours will be in a secondary school with the remaining hours in elementary or middle schools or other youth settings. These hours must be documented by the appropriate organization.
- Students will take CIED 3023 Survey of Exceptionalities or CIED 4023 Teaching in Inclusive Secondary Settings. CIED 4023 is the preferred course.
- Students in French, German, and Spanish will take CIED 4013 Capstone Course for Foreign Language Licensure. Students will compile a portfolio in the target language with several pieces of evidence from their content classes. In addition, students must obtain a minimum passing score of Intermediate High on the Oral Proficiency Interview prior to admission into the fall field experience.
Requirements for the Multiple Level Education Concentration
| Summer Courses | ||
| CIED 5223 | Learning Theory | 3 |
| CIED 5333 | Curriculum Theory and Development for Educators | 3 |
| CIED 5553 | Social Justice and Multicultural Issues in Education | 3 |
| Intersession | ||
| CIED 5022 | Classroom Management Concepts | 2 |
| Fall Courses | ||
| Pedagogy | ||
| CIED 5063 | Disciplinary LIteracies in Education | 3 |
| CIED 5263 | Assessment, Evaluation, and Practitioner Research | 3 |
| CIED 5953 | Second Language Assessment | 3 |
| Methods I | ||
| Choose one for content area specialty: | 3 | |
| Issues and Trends in Literacy | ||
| Methods of Teaching Foreign Language K-12 | ||
| Field Experience | ||
| CIED 528V | Teaching Experience | 3 |
| Spring Courses | ||
| Research | ||
| CIED 5461 | Capstone Research Seminar | 1 |
| Methods II | ||
| Choose one for content area specialty: | 3 | |
| English Language Arts/Speech & Drama Methods of Instruction | ||
| Instructional Practices in Teaching Foreign Language | ||
| Field Experience | ||
| CIED 528V | Teaching Experience | 3 |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Requirements for the Secondary Education Concentration
| Summer Courses | ||
| CIED 5223 | Learning Theory | 3 |
| CIED 5333 | Curriculum Theory and Development for Educators | 3 |
| CIED 5553 | Social Justice and Multicultural Issues in Education | 3 |
| Intersession | ||
| CIED 5022 | Classroom Management Concepts | 2 |
| Fall Courses | ||
| Pedagogy | ||
| CIED 5063 | Disciplinary LIteracies in Education | 3 |
| CIED 5263 | Assessment, Evaluation, and Practitioner Research | 3 |
| CIED 5953 | Second Language Assessment | 3 |
| Methods I | ||
| Choose one for content area specialty: | 3 | |
| English Language Arts/Speech & Drama Methods of Instruction | ||
| Introduction to Teaching Secondary Science | ||
| Methods of Teaching Secondary Social Studies I | ||
| Teaching Secondary Mathematics | ||
| Field Experience | ||
| CIED 528V | Teaching Experience | 3 |
| Spring Courses | ||
| Research | ||
| CIED 5461 | Capstone Research Seminar | 1 |
| Methods II | 3 | |
| Issues and Trends in Literacy | ||
| Teaching Secondary Science: Theory to Practice | ||
| Teaching History, Government and Economics | ||
| Theories of Learning Mathematics | ||
| Field Experience | ||
| CIED 528V | Teaching Experience | 3 |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Students should also be aware of Graduate School requirements with regard to master's degrees.
Dismissal based on Unethical or Unprofessional Behaviors from M.A.T. (secondary teacher education) program
The University of Arkansas’ teacher preparation programs adhere to the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession as established by the National Education Association as described in NEA Code of Ethics, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Code of Ethics, as well as discipline specific codes of ethics and standards found in program handbooks. Violation of these principles may result in probation, suspension, or dismissal of the internship as described:
- Any incident of ethical misconduct or concern will be documented by the faculty member(s), discussed directly with the student and their mentor, and referred to the program’s coordinator or supervising faculty. It may also be reported to the Teacher Candidate Professional Review Committee.
- The Teacher Candidate Professional Review Committee evaluates the concerns and recommends a course of action, which may range from a zero score on the academic and/or internship work, a failing grade for the course, probation, up to dismissal from a teacher education program.
- Any candidate may be suspended by a Teacher Education Program Coordinator for extreme, unforeseen circumstances such as endangerment of students or others, disruption of schools or classes, felonious behaviors, or ethical violations (i.e. Arkansas Code of Ethics, Code of Student Life). Such suspensions will be referred to the Teacher Candidate Professional Review Committee for review and may become permanent.
The Program Coordinator, in consultation with the Teacher Education Professional Review Committee and the Graduate School, has the authority and responsibility to dismiss a student from the teacher education program for unethical or unprofessional behavior and/or not recommend the student for licensure.
More detailed guidelines about the policies, supports, and other requirements are provided in the program’s handbook, as well as on the Office of Teacher Education website.
Students who have been dismissed by the program on the basis of unethical or unprofessional conduct may appeal the decision following the procedures outlined under the Unethical and Unprofessional Conduct policy contained in the Graduate Catalog of Studies.
