Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Degree, for Experienced Teachers with Principal Certification

Program Learning Outcomes for the MAT Degree

Upon completing the MAT degree, students will be able to:

1. Foster culturally responsive pedagogy that uses the lives, culture, and community assets of the students.
2. Facilitate teaching strategies for diverse learners.
3. Assess students’ progress and content mastery to guide instruction.
4. Guide instruction that incorporates digital learning and education technologies.
5. Demonstrate instructional leadership. 

Requirements for the MAT Degree, for Experienced Teachers with Principal Certification

The MAT degree is a non-thesis master's degree. For general university requirements, please see Non-Thesis Master's Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Students pursuing the MAT degree must complete:

• A minimum of 10 courses (30 credit hours) to satisfy degree requirements.   
• A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at the 500-level or above).
• A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken at Rice University.
• A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken in standard or traditional courses (with a course type of lecture, seminar, laboratory, lecture/laboratory). 
• A minimum residency enrollment of one fall or spring semester of part-time graduate study at Rice University.
• A maximum of 2 courses (6 graduate semester credit hours) from transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
• A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework.
• A minimum program GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies requirements for the non-thesis master’s degree with a minimum grade of B- (2.67 grade points) in each course.

This MAT degree program is offered for experienced teachers that have a minimum of 2 years experience teaching and desire a route toward Texas Education Agency (TEA) principal certification. 

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the department or program's Official Certifier. Additionally, these course substitutions must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Degree Requirements

Policies for the MAT Degree, for Experienced Teachers with Principal Certification

Department of Education Graduate Program Handbook

The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, Education publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: https://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2024_25/Education_Graduate_Handbook.pdf.

Admission

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree, scholarly ability, and a commitment to teaching. Specific requirements include:

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree before admission to the program.
• A minimum of two years of teaching experience.
• A valid classroom teaching certificate.
• Grades of B- (2.67 grade points) or better in all coursework and a grade point average of 3.00 or better overall.
• Evidence that the applicant's knowledge, experience, skills, and aptitude are appropriate for the certification sought. 

Education team members review each application. Limited tuition assistance is available. See Admission to Graduate Study. 

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content) and by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.

Program Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the MAT degree should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guideline:

• No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the degree.

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Education program website: https://glasscock.rice.edu/departments/education-department/.

Opportunities for the MAT Degree, for Experienced Teachers with Principal Certification

Requirements for Visiting Post-Baccalaureate (VPB) Certification

A non-degree (Visiting Post-Baccalaureate) plan leading to secondary teacher certification or principal certification is available for those who have earned a BA and/or an MA degree, but who do not choose to pursue a Rice University graduate degree. Candidates complete all requirements for the state of Texas secondary teacher certification or principal certification, including professional education courses. Interested students should contact the Education Program. 

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Education program website: https://glasscock.rice.edu/departments/education-department/.