Education, Middle School Education (Grades 6-8) Concentration, M.A.T.

Admission Criteria

To be considered for admission to the Middle Education M.A.T. degree program, candidates must have:

• Satisfied all requirements for admission to teacher education.
• Submitted Virginia passing Praxis Subject Assessment scores for at least one content area to the JMU Education Support Center prior to beginning more than six hours of M.A.T. graduate coursework.
• Submitted Virginia passing Praxis Subject Assessment scores in two content areas to the JMU Education Support Center prior to beginning more than 12 hours of M.A.T. graduate course work.
• Exhibited and demonstrated personal qualities and dispositions that reflect effective development as a professional educator.
• Satisfied all requirements for admission to The Graduate School, including:
  • Completion of a baccalaureate degree in IDLS from JMU or its equivalent
  • An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)
• Post-baccalaureate students must submit Virginia passing scores on the Praxis Subject Assessment for both intended licensure areas and passing scores on the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment upon application to JMU.

All candidates in the middle school education M.A.T. program must have an undergraduate major or its equivalent in interdisciplinary liberal studies (IDLS) from JMU. The IDLS program, with its expanded approach to the general education core, and its dual concentrations in English, social sciences, the natural sciences or mathematics, meets the licensure requirements for a two-subject endorsement for teachers licensed in middle school education.

Program Mission and Outcomes

The mission of the middle school education M.A.T. program is to prepare highly qualified professionals for educational roles in middle schools through advanced coursework and field experiences.

These school professionals will:

• design and deliver curricula that effectively impact student learning;
• integrate technology in learning settings;
• value diversity of faculty and students in the school;
• collaborate with colleagues, parents and others;
• be reflective practitioners who continually evaluate their actions; and
• value lifelong learning, engage in professional development and conduct educational research.

The Master of Arts in Teaching in middle school education is designed to lead to initial teacher licensure with endorsements in two content areas. The fifth-year format forms the last phase of the five-year teacher licensure programs. This format is designed to serve candidates who have completed the appropriate prerequisite requirements in an undergraduate education program at JMU. Candidates should check with their adviser frequently to be apprised of changes in the offerings and requirements listed that may affect them.

Degree Requirements

As undergraduates, candidates must first complete 37 credit hours of middle education pre-professional course work along with the IDLS major. All middle education pre-professional course work must be completed with grades of “B-” or better with the exception of PSYC 160 which must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. Candidates must apply to and be admitted to graduate school for the Middle Education M.A.T. program (see Admission Criteria). Finally, candidates must complete 32 hours of graduate course work which includes student teaching and a final research project.