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USC  THIS SITE

MAT - Master of Arts in Teaching

• Admission
• Advisement
• Curriculum

Admission

Because the MAT is a joint degree of the Department of English and the College of Education's Department of Instruction and Teacher Education, prospective students must apply separately to each graduate program. If admitted by both programs, MAT students must satisfy the requirements for teacher certification in order to receive the degree.

MAT applicants must have completed a standard undergraduate English major, including at least 18 semester hours of 400-level courses or their equivalent in African American literature, contemporary literature, Shakespeare's tragedies, non-Western literature, survey of English literature, and survey of American literature. Applicants without a standard English major should expect to fulfill the 18-hour undergraduate requirements by taking only those upper-division courses approved by the Department of English's MAT Advisor.

Applicants for admission to the MA program must have completed a minimum of 24 semester hours of upper-division undergraduate courses in English or an appropriate related discipline, with grades indicating ability for successful graduate work. Successful applicants to the MA program typically have GRE verbal scores at or above the 75th percentile and an undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or better.

The following must be sent directly to The Graduate School:

• at least two letters of recommendation from teachers familiar with your academic achievement,
• transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions, and
• satisfactory scores on the GRE general test.

Applicants should follow the other procedures noted on the Admissions page. Ensure that also you send the following directly to the Department of English:

• a sample of academic writing (approximately 8-10 pages) and
• a statement of purpose.

Your application is not complete until all materials are received by The Graduate School and the Department. Admission decisions are based on all parts of an application, with especially close attention given to writing samples.

The recommended deadline for application is December 15, although applications received through April 15, will be considered.

Advisement

New MAT students will be assigned academic advisors in both the Department of English and the Department of Instruction and Teacher Education. Prior to registering for classes each semester, you should make an appointment to talk with both advisors. MAT Advisor in English is Dr. Edward Gieskes. Professor Gieskes will help you plan and file a program of study, and will monitor your progress toward the degree.

Curriculum

The curriculum for this program is given below.

• 15 hours of graduate courses in the College of Education: EDRD 518 or 730, EDSE 728, EDPY 705, EDFN 749, and EDSE 786
• 15 hours of graduate courses in the Department of English (5 courses at the 700-800 level, covering English literature before 1660, English literature after 1660, and American literature)
• 18 hours of courses in the College of Education, constituting the teaching core English methods: EDSE 547 (3 hours, offered only in the fall semester); teaching internship: EDSE 776A (3 hours) and EDSE 776B (9 hours); student teaching seminar: EDSE 584 (3 hours)
• 18 hours of certificate-related English courses at the undergraduate or graduate level: modern grammar, literary criticism, adolescent literature, history of the English language, advanced composition (ENGL 460 and ENGL 461, or the equivalent).

The MAT degree does not require a thesis, a foreign language, or a written comprehensive exam. However, MAT advisors will conduct a final evaluation, which may include an oral exam.

Click here for information about residency, language competence, and time limit for degrees.