Accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)

Fast-track your career by earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in just five years, while becoming certified to teach grades 6-12

A portrait of University of Maine alumni Jarod Webb posing in front of his classroom at Orono High School.

NOTE: The accelerated MAT program is only open to current students from one of the seven University of Maine System campuses. If you are not a current UMS student or if you have a bachelor’s degree from a non-UMS institution, and want information on our regular MAT program, click here.

For more information, contact Bec Buchanan, rebecca.buchanan@maine.edu, program coordinator and associate professor of curriculum, assessment and instruction.

Program overview

The 4+1 Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree is an accelerated teacher licensure program that leads to initial teacher certification in a designated content area and a master’s degree. The program offers students throughout the University of Maine system the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in the student’s focus area and a master’s degree at the University of Maine in five combined years of study. After earning their master’s students will be certified secondary school teachers (grades 6-12).

A primary advantage to pursuing this program is the accelerated nature of the MAT. Students may complete MAT coursework as part of the undergraduate career, reducing the cost of earning their master’s because they pay undergraduate tuition for those credits. A total of 9 credits toward the MAT may be completed during their senior year. Content areas include: math, life science, physical science, English, social studies and world languages. The UMaine College of Education and Human Development’s teacher preparation programs are nationally accredited by CAEP, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

During your senior year as an undergraduate student, you can enroll in up to 9 credits of graduate-level course credits at the 500-level or above. Coursework will count toward the MAT and toward your undergraduate degree. Students must earn a B grade or better to be counted toward the MAT degree. Over the course of earning the MAT degree, students are permitted a maximum of two 400-level courses in their field or content area. Advisors will work with students to design an optimal program.

Example Program of Study

Fall semester (senior year)
  • Content Area Class 1 (3 credits)
Spring semester (senior year)
  • EDT 520: Digital Age Teaching and Learning Methods (3 credits)
  • Content Area Class 2 (3 credits)
Summer semester
  • EHD 501: The Social Context of Education (3 credits)
  • EHD 504: Teaching and Assessing for Student Learning (3 credits)
  • EHD 511: Prevention and Intervention in the Classroom, Promoting Positive Behavior and Increasing Academic Engagement (3 credits)
Fall semester
  • EHD 657: Educational Practicum (3 credits)
  • Discipline-based teaching methods course (3 credits)
  • SED 500: Adapting Instruction for Students with Disabilities (3 credits)
Spring semester
  • EHD 693: Educational Internship (6)
  • ERL 537: Literacy Across the Curriculum (3)

Faculty

  • Rebecca Buchanan, Program Coordinator, Associate Professor of Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction
  • Courtney Angelosante, PBIS Initiative Coordinator
  • Kamal Chawla, Assistant Professor of Education and Applied Quantitative Methods
  • Janet Fairman, Associate Professor of Education
  • Justin Dimmel, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education and Instructional Technology
  • Craig Mason, Professor of Education and Applied Quantitative Methods
  • Tammy Mills, Senior Lecturer of Education
  • Timothy Reagan, Professor Foreign Language Education
  • Shihfen Tu, Professor of Education and Applied Quantitative Methods

Staff

The MAT prepares graduates for secondary school teaching positions and certification by the Maine Department of Education. Students interested in teaching at the middle or high school grade levels in the subjects listed above (math, life science, physical science, English, social studies and world languages) will find the program an excellent path to a rewarding career in the classroom.

Our curriculum is designed to help our alumni achieve the following skills and professional standards:

The Learner and Learning

  • Learner Development: The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
  • Learning Differences: The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
  • Learning Environments: The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

Content Knowledge

  • Content Knowledge: The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
  • Application of Content: The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

Instructional Practice

  • Assessment: The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.
  • Planning for Instruction: The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
  • Instructional Strategies: The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

Professional Responsibility

  • Professional Learning and Ethical Practice: The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
  • Leadership and Collaboration: The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.

These professional learning outcomes are adapted from the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC), a group of state education agencies and national educational organizations dedicated to the preparation, licensing and ongoing professional development of teachers.

National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) statement

This program will prepare students to be eligible for licensure within the State of Maine. Visit the UMS State Authorization & Licensure page to learn more about the licensure requirements in other states and territories, in addition to the contact information needed to inquire further into the licensure requirements associated with this program.

For current information about tuition and fees, please visit the Bursar’s office.

Students apply for the 4+1 MAT during their junior year (at least 60 but no more than 100 completed credit hours applicable towards the undergraduate degree).

Before applying, students should contact program coordinator Rebecca Buchanan (rebecca.buchanan@maine.edu) to discuss their interests and plan of study for senior year, as well as the process for completing the Praxis Core Skills requirement. Students must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 to be admitted and must maintain that GPA through graduation in order to apply the graduate-level course credit earned as an undergraduate towards the MAT degree. Additional requirements:

  1. A statement of purpose. This statement should discuss anything that might be relevant to an admissions decision. This will be your opportunity to talk to the admissions committee directly. Ideally, your statement should address why you wish to be admitted to the accelerated MAT program, your preparation for the program and your future plans after receiving the MAT degree. This statement should be no more than two single-spaced pages.
  2. Two letters of recommendation. These letters must come from University of Maine System faculty or other education-related professionals from the State of Maine. They may be mailed or emailed directly to the program advisor, or they can be included along with the application in a sealed envelope.
  3. A current University of Maine System transcript. Only a University of Maine System transcript is needed.
  4. Passing scores in the Praxis Core Skills for Educators.

Please note that admission to the 4+1 option includes provisional admission to the University of Maine Graduate School. Formal application for admission to the MAT program (including payment of the application fee) must be made through the Graduate School and should occur no later than spring of a student’s senior year.

Students must matriculate in the MAT program by spring semester of their senior year (at the latest) in order to apply the double-counted credits towards the MAT degree. Students in the 4+1 option must complete the MAT curriculum within 15 months of matriculation (a student may petition to delay matriculation up to an additional 12 months under extraordinary circumstances).

Contact Us

For questions about applying to the program, please contact program coordinator Rebecca Buchanan. For general queries, coehd@maine.edu.

UMaine Graduate school Contact form