June 30, 2021–A new master鈥檚 degree beginning this fall at 含羞草社区 will address the region鈥檚 teacher shortage. Students who successfully complete the Master of Arts in Teaching-Secondary (M.A.T.) will be certified to teach a secondary school subject in Missouri.
鈥淭he Master of Arts in Teaching provides a great opportunity for college graduates who might be looking to make a career change to enter the field of education,鈥� said Dr. Susan Bashinski, interim dean of the Graduate School at Missouri Western. 鈥淕raduates of our program will earn initial State of Missouri teacher licensure in secondary school subject areas along with their master鈥檚 degree.鈥�
The Master of Arts in Teaching-Secondary program is designed for college graduates with degrees in a secondary school curriculum area. It equips students to be effective teachers, professionally prepared to educate a diverse student population. Graduates can be certified to teach grades 9 through 12 in biology, business, chemistry, English, health, mathematics, social studies and speech and theatre, or grades K through 12 in art, music-instrumental, music-vocal, physical education and Spanish.
鈥淪tudents in the new program will have already acquired knowledge of their content areas as an undergraduate, so the M.A.T. coursework will focus on education techniques and methods,鈥� said Dr. Adrienne Johnson, associate professor and chair of Missouri Western鈥檚 Department of Education. 鈥淥ur students will learn about and have the opportunity to practice lesson planning, learning assessment, classroom discipline and other tools required to be an effective teacher.鈥�
The M.A.T. is a 38-credit hour program: 28 class credits (100% online), 9 student teaching credits and one additional field experience credit hour.聽
For more information, visit , email graduate@missouriwestern.edu or call the Graduate School at 816-271-4394.聽
含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .