Education, M.A.T

Scott Hewit, Ed.D., Director

Rollins College offers courses of study for teacher certification and recertification, and the following graduate degree programs: the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6) with the Reading endorsement, the Master of Arts in Teaching in Education, the Master of Education (M.Ed.). The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) is designed for students pursuing initial teacher certification. The Master of Education (M.Ed.), with an emphasis in Elementary Education, is designed for professionally certified teachers who desire the professional enrichment represented by a master’s degree. For specifics regarding these programs, see the appropriate program descriptions.

Students who complete the required academic course and field work, maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have their Expanded Teacher Education Portfolio (ETEP) approved before AND during Student Teaching will meet the requirements for the M.A.T in Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6) or Music. The M.A.T. in Education provides the Education coursework required for Florida teacher certification in secondary education.

The M.A.T. in Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6) with the Reading endorsement at Rollins College is approved by the Florida Department of Education. Florida requires that students have a passing score on the General Knowledge test (GK) of the Florida Teacher Certification Exam (FTCE) to be admitted to any state-approved program. Students who meet the requirements for the M.A.T in Elementary Education/ESOL/Reading (K-6) or Music (K-12) AND submit passing scores on the General Knowledge (GK) test, Professional Education (PED) test, and Subject Area Exam (SAE) prior to graduation will be Florida State Approved Program completers, and immediately eligible for Professional Teacher Certification in Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6) with the Reading endorsement in the state of Florida.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Education provides Education coursework required to meet certification requirements for teaching in Florida. The M.A.T. in Education focuses on the mastery of content specialization, the teaching/learning process, and the application of educational research to classroom activities. The program requires a minimum of 31* graduate semester hours; however, additional hours may be required to meet certification requirements. An individual plan of study will be developed for each student. Students who complete the required Education coursework can apply for teacher certification in secondary education.

Education Coursework Requirements

EDU 501 - Sociological Foundations of Education Credit(s): 3
EDU 504 - Psychological Foundations of Education Credit(s): 3
EDU 513 - Curriculum and Assessment with Diverse Learners Credit(s): 3
EDU 517 - Teaching (Particular Subject) in Secondary Schools Credit(s): 3
EDU 517L - Field Experience in Secondary Education Credit(s): 1
EDU 522 - Strategies for Instruction, Learning, and Classroom Management with Diverse Secondary Learners Credit(s): 3
EDU 534 - Student Teaching: Secondary Credit(s): 6
EDU 535 - Content Area Reading in Secondary Schools Credit(s): 3
EDU 540 - Seminar in Classroom Management Credit(s): 3
EDU 580 - The Multicultural Classroom: Issues in Cross-Cultural Communication and Understanding Credit(s): 3
*MAT music students must also complete EED 519 for a total of 34 credits
EED 519 - Integrated Arts in the Elementary School Credit(s): 3

Clinical Education Experience

The clinical education experience consists of one pre-internship in a middle school (EDU 517L ), one pre-internship in a high school (EDU 522 ), and a full semester student teaching experience (EDU 534 ).

One term prior to Student Teaching, students must show evidence that all subject prerequisites will be met by completing Student Teacher forms 2S (ETEP-Expanded Teacher Education Portfolio) and 3S (Approval to Apply for Student Teaching), in addition to the Application Form 1S (Admission to Rollins College Teacher Education Program Graduate Application). The application forms are available at the office of the Department of Education and on the department website. These forms are filed with and reviewed by the Director of Field Placements.

During the student teaching semester, the student must enroll in EDU 534 , Student Teaching: Secondary. The course is six (6) semester hours and is graded on a credit/no-credit basis. The student teaching experience consists of placement in an approved public school with a full-time teacher for a full semester. A weekly seminar (EDU 540 ) is required as part of the student teaching experience. Student Teaching represents the culminating experience in the professional preparation of teachers.

For current teachers with two or more years of successful public school teaching experience, the clinical experience requirement may be adapted to meet state requirements and program standards on a case-by-case basis.

To ensure placement, the Application for Student Teaching (Form 4S) must be completed and submitted to the Director of Field Placements by the following dates:

February 20 for Fall placement
September 20 for Spring placement

Any student not approved for Student Teaching has the right of appeal to the Education Review Committee.

Additional Information

Master of Arts in Teaching: Education Additional Information