Master of Arts in Teaching English Education

Prepare for a rewarding career as a teacher with our Master of Arts (MAT) program in English Education. From drawing up lesson plans to managing the classroom, the MAT program will provide you with a rigorous and thorough foundation in the fundamentals of teaching. Our program pairs intensive coursework with student teaching opportunities to ready the next generation of English teachers.

Quick Facts

• Program Duration:  10 months over three terms (Summer, Fall, and Spring)
• Time Commitment: Full time
• Term of Enrollment: Summer II term (Begins in June)
• Course Requirements: 36 credits 
• Application Deadline: 
  • ​​Priority admission - January 15
  • Application deadline - March 1
  • Late applicants are encouraged to apply and will be considered based on available space in the program.
• Admissions Requirements: GRE Exam Not Required

Program Details

The Master of Arts (MAT) program in English Education offers students a rigorous course of instruction in teaching English topics in grades 7-12. The MAT satisfies the requirements for earning a Pennsylvania Instructional I Certificate and provides students with a Master’s in Teaching upon graduation.

Our program approaches pedagogy centered on dialogic, student-centered instruction that addresses literature, literary theory, and writing in the secondary ELA classroom. We also focus on issues of equity, justice, and engagement in today’s schools.

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Degree Requirements

Internship: During the school year, students complete an internship in a local public school. Students are placed for an entire school year under the supervision of a mentor. In the fall, students spend approximately 20 hours working with their mentor teacher. In the spring and summer sessions, students in the MAT program are full-time in their school sites, culminating in a full take-over of teacher responsibilities for two weeks in the late spring. Interns observe, analyze, and practice basic teaching skills in different grade levels and subject fields.

Certification

The MAT program satisfies the requirements for a Pennsylvania Instructional I Certificate, pending:

• earning a passing score on the national PRAXIS II Exam;
• completing the PA Statewide Evaluation Form for Student Professional Knowledge and Practice (PDE 430); and
• demonstrating satisfactory performance in courses and the student internship

Teaching Interns must take and pass the Content Knowledge (PRAXIS II) test either the summer before the program or during the first semester of the program in order to obtain their Intern Certificate.

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education certification website.

Prerequisites

The MAT program in English and Communications Education has prerequisite requirements for all applicants and requirements for each of the specializations within the program.

All applicants are required to have completed:

• 3 credits of Foundations of Special Education and 3 credits of Adolescent Development** (The requirement for Adolescent Development can be waived for those starting in summer 2023.)
   
• 12 credits of English Literature
  • This area requires a minimum of 4 three-credit courses. Courses must include reading, analysis, interpretation, and writing about literatures which reflect a diversity of genders, races, and cultural perspectives. A single course may satisfy more than one of these required foci. Examples include, but are not limited to literature courses such as, American, Women’s, African American, Native American, African, Latino/a, Caribbean, LGBTQ, Asian, World, British, or Adolescent.
     
• 3 credits of English Composition
  • This area requires a minimum of 1 three-credit course. This courses must have a composition or writing focus. Examples include, but are not limited to, Fiction Writing, Journalism, Poetry, or Prose.
     
• 6 credits of English Electives
  • This area requires a minimum of 2 three-credit courses. Courses should focus on writing, English language, or English-related areas. Examples: Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, Uses of Literacy, Fiction, Non-fiction, Journalism, Poetry, Media Studies, Theater Arts, Film Studies, Film Production, Film Analysis, or Rhetorical Studies.

In addition, applicants to the program are expected to provide documentation of 30 hours of experience working with K–12 children. These hours can be fulfilled by obtaining experiences with children through:

• summer camp;
• Sunday school;
• Hebrew school;
• tutoring; or
• other volunteer or paid work with children.

All applicants are encouraged to use the program’s online transcript review to track your progress online.