Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Degree, for Current Rice Undergraduates
Program Learning Outcomes for the MAT Degree
Upon completing the MAT degree, students will be able to:
- Foster culturally responsive pedagogy that uses the lives, culture, and community assets of the students.
- Facilitate teaching strategies for diverse learners.
- Assess students’ progress and content mastery to guide instruction.
- Guide instruction that incorporates digital learning and education technologies.
- Demonstrate instructional leadership.
Requirements for the MAT Degree, for Current Rice Undergraduates
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.
The MAT is a non-thesis degree program for students who want to qualify for secondary school teaching following the completion of a bachelor's degree. Most MAT degree candidates entering the program have had no professional education courses. MAT degree and Education program participants who wish to obtain Texas Teacher (TEA) Certification (for grades 7-12) must satisfy the following requirements:
- Students must begin two-semesters of work in assigned school with first semester curriculum development and theory and methods courses and a second semester full-day field-based study with a cooperating teacher (EDUC 521, EDUC 560, EDUC 561, EDUC 562, EDUC 563, EDUC 564, EDUC 565, EDUC 566, and EDUC 570).
- Students must complete a two-semester supervised teaching internship by acquiring and fulfilling all professional responsibilities of a teaching position in a local accredited secondary school and completing a seminar course (EDUC 540).
- Students must complete 75 hours of field-based experience in local secondary schools, in conjunction with satisfactory results on background check with participating school districts.
- Students must earn grades of B- (2.67 grade points) or better in all teaching field and education courses.
- Students must pass the appropriate TExES exams.
- Students must apply with the appropriate (Texas) state agency for Texas Teacher (TEA) Certification when all requirements are completed.
The internship is a full-time, paid teaching position in a Houston area school district.
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
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the MAT Degree, for Current Rice Undergraduates | 30 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements 1 | ||
| EDUC 504 | RACE, CLASS, GENDER IN EDUCATION | 3 |
| EDUC 505 | EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| EDUC 516 | ASSESSMENT | 3 |
| EDUC 520 | TEACHING DIVERSE LEARNERS | 3 |
| EDUC 521 | CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| EDUC 545 | EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES & DIGITAL LEARNING | 3 |
| Theory and Methods | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| THEORY AND METHODS: ART | ||
| THEORY AND METHODS: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS & READING (ELAR) | ||
| THEORY AND METHODS: LOTE | ||
| THEORY AND METHODS: MATHEMATICS | ||
| THEORY AND METHODS: PHYSICAL EDUCATION | ||
| THEORY AND METHODS: SCIENCE | ||
| THEORY AND METHODS: SOCIAL STUDIES | ||
| Senior Year, Full-time Practice Teaching | ||
| EDUC 570 | FIELD-BASED STUDIES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING | 3 |
| (Supervised Teaching) Internship | ||
| EDUC 540 | SEMINAR FOR FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS (2 semesters required, 1st semester) | 3 |
| EDUC 540 | SEMINAR FOR FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS (2 semesters required, 2nd semester) | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | At the discretion of the associate dean and academic advisor, some students may require additional courses to address deficiencies prior to seeking Texas Teacher Certification |
Fifth-Year MAT Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students
Rice students have the option to pursue the MAT degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four undergraduate years of study. For more information, please see the Opportunities tab.
Policies for the MAT Degree, for Current Rice Undergraduates
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 at least 12 to 15 credit hours in the content area before admission, scholarly ability, and a commitment to teaching, and SAT or ACT scores. Specific requirements include:
- Completion of a bachelor’s degree before the internship year (5th year).
- A minimum of 12-15 credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought before admission, depending on the certification sought:
- A minimum of 12 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought, if the certification sought is outside mathematics or science, or
- A minimum of 15 credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought, if the certification sought is for mathematics or science.
- Grades of B- (2.67 grade points) or better in all coursework attempted in the teaching field and a grade point average of 3.00 or better, both in courses for the teaching field and overall.
- Evidence that the applicant's knowledge, experience, skills, and aptitude are appropriate for the certification sought.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires candidates to undergo a criminal background check prior to field-based experience, prior to clinical training, and prior to being hired as a first-year teacher. Candidates may go through the fingerprinting process before applying for admission. If the results are unsatisfactory, the candidate may petition the TEA for reconsideration of the results. More information on this important rule is on the Education program website at: https://glasscock.rice.edu/degrees-certificates/degrees/master-arts-teaching/master-arts-teaching-new-teachers
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 Current Rice Undergraduates
Fifth-Year Master's Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students
In certain situations and with some terminal master's degree programs, Rice students have an option to pursue a master’s degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four years of undergraduate studies.
Advanced Rice undergraduate students in good academic standing typically apply to the master’s degree program during their junior or senior year. Upon acceptance, depending on course load, financial aid status, and other variables, they may then start taking some required courses of the master's degree program. A plan of study will need to be approved by the student's undergraduate major advisor and the master’s degree program director.
As part of this option and opportunity, Rice undergraduate students:
- must complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree and the master's degree independently of each other (i.e. no course may be counted toward the fulfillment of both degrees).
- should be aware there could be financial aid implications if the conversion of undergraduate coursework to that of graduate level reduces their earned undergraduate credit for any semester below that of full-time status (12 credit hours).
- more information on this Undergraduate - Graduate Concurrent Enrollment opportunity, including specific information on the registration process can be found here.
Rice undergraduate students have the option to pursue the Master of Arts Teaching (MAT) degree and apply to the master’s degree program during their sophomore year. Upon acceptance, they may then start taking some required courses of the master's degree program during their junior year. For additional information, students should contact their undergraduate major advisor and the MAT program director.
As part of this option and opportunity, Rice undergraduate students:
- must complete a minimum of 12-15 credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought before admission, depending on the certification sought:
- a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought, if the certification sought is outside mathematics or science at or above Grade 7, or
- a minimum of 15 credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought, if the certification sought is for mathematics or science at or above Grade 7.
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/.