Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Degree, for Current Rice Undergraduates

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. 

MAT Degree, for Current Rice Undergraduates

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, . Students pursuing MAT degree must complete:

• A minimum of 50 courses (30 credit hours) to satisfy degree requirements.
• A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at 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 non-thesis master’s degree with a minimum grade of B- (2.67 grade points) in each course.

MAT is a non-thesis degree program for students who want to qualify for secondary school teaching following completion of a bachelor's degree. Most MAT degree candidates entering program have had no professional education courses. MAT degree and Education program participants who wish to obtain Texas Teacher (TEA) Certification (for grades 7-52) must satisfy 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 525, EDUC 560, EDUC 565, 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 appropriate TExES exams.  
• Students must apply with appropriate (Texas) state agency for Texas Teacher (TEA) Certification when all requirements are completed.

cooperating school districts pay a regular salary for internship teaching.

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

The English Language Proficiency Requirement may be waived for an international student who received a degree from an institution in which English is the official language of communication. Contact the admitting program for more information.

The following language proficiency tests are accepted by Rice graduate programs and will be used to assess English language proficiency. Please note the below scores are the minimum requirement, though some program requirements will be higher.

• The TOEFL IBT Home. A minimum score of 90 is required
• IELTS Indicator. A minimum score of 7 is required.
• Duolingo. A minimum score of 115 is required.

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