MAT FAQs

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) is a 39 semester-hour professional degree program designed to prepare students for initial teacher certification.  It is an alternative, collaborative degree program offered by Salisbury University (SU) and the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (UMES).

The MAT is intended for students who have earned a non-teaching baccalaureate degree in an appropriate content area, who now wish to become teachers.

Students may prepare for teacher certification in the following State-approved programs at UMES (if you do not see your teaching area here, please go to Salisbury University MAT website):

Art
Biology
Chemistry
English
Family and Consumer Science
Social Studies

Full-time candidates take 17 months. Candidates in the MAT program are expected to complete the program as a cohort.  The program begins with one course in the winter term (3 credits), a full load in the spring semester (12 credits), one course in the first summer session (3 credits), a full load in fall semester (12 credits), and the candidate will finish with their student internship and seminar course the following spring semester (9 credits).  Students whose study is interrupted, or who have to take several courses in the content major, will be allowed to continue with a later cohort on a space-available basis. 

Candidate will matriculate at the campus  where there is a State-approved teacher preparation program in their intended teaching field. Applicants are admitted to the MAT program by a common SU/UMES admissions process.  Course work will be taken on both campuses and will be taught by both faculties.

For admission, applicants must:

• Possess a baccalaureate degree in one of the content areas listed above in question #3;
• Meet the requirements for regular admission to the UMES Graduate School;
• Possess an undergraduate grade-point average of at least 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program, or possess a prior graduate degree;
• Submit official transcripts from all institutions attended;
• Submit three letters of recommendation;
• Participate in the individual interview sessions. Submit scores from the appropriate Praxix Content Test (formally the Praxix II). Please go to https://www.ets.org/praxis/scores for the appropriate test.

Each MAT student must pass the full-time Internship, a comprehensive Portfolio Examination, take and pass appropriate subject area and the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 test (UMES applicants) prior to starting his/her Phase 2 internship.

Students must complete the program within five calendar years after advancement to candidacy.

MAT applications are processed once year.  All materials for admission to the MAT program must be submitted October 1^st, before the January session of the year in which you wish to matriculate.

Your transcript will be assessed by faculty in the department where your teaching content major is located.  Decisions regarding the currency and appropriateness of courses on your transcript will be made by the academic department.  If you must take current content course work, you will be informed.  It is your responsibility to work out this separate schedule with your advisor.

When your degree is more than five (5) years old, it may be necessary for you to take additional courses in the major that meet the teacher preparation course of study, before you take your methods course or are placed in an internship. 

After being matriculated to the UMES education program, undergraduate and graduate “students” are referred to as “candidates” or “teaching candidates.”  This is because we want the term “student” to apply to children in preschool to grade 12 schools.  This prevents a confusion between college candidates who are learning to become teachers and school aged children they are working with in P-12 settings.