Education, Secondary Education (Grades 6-12) Concentration, M.A.T.

Admission Criteria

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

Satisfied all requirements for admission to teacher education.
Submitted Virginia passing Praxis Subject Assessment scores to the JMU Education Support Center prior to beginning more than 12 hours of MAT 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:
- Completed requirements for a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college/university
- Achieved 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 the intended licensure area and passing scores on the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment upon application to JMU.

This program is intended for JMU candidates continuing from the undergraduate pre-professional secondary education program. The secondary education Master of Arts in Teaching degree is designed to enable candidates to develop a strong professional education on a foundation of undergraduate preparation in General Education, an appropriate major and introductory professional education experiences.

Program Mission

The secondary education Master of Arts in Teaching degree emphasizes the preparation of effective and reflective teachers who are knowledgeable in the content they are preparing to teach and cognizant of the characteristics of adolescents, ages 12-18. The licensure areas for which individuals are prepared include English, mathematics, natural sciences (biology, chemistry, earth and space science, physics), and history and social sciences (includes licensure to teach history, economics, geography and political science).

Undergraduate candidates and post-baccalaureate candidates planning to teach at the secondary level (grades 6-12) should consult with a secondary education adviser to ensure completion of the required prerequisites. Candidates should visit the departmental office in 3200 Memorial Hall to be assigned a secondary education adviser. A specific arts and sciences major or equivalent course work and experiences may be required for admission to some programs of the M.A.T. and for licensure to teach in certain disciplines and grade levels. Candidates should check with their adviser frequently to be apprised of changes in the offerings and requirements listed that may affect them.

The fifth-year licensure programs build on the extensive foundational course work and experiences candidates have completed in their undergraduate programs. Candidates will have completed the prescribed course work to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors needed for successful completion of the M.A.T.

Candidates interested in the requirements for the M.A.T. program in physical and health education (PreK-12) should refer to the description for that program in the Department of Kinesiology. Candidates interested in the requirements for the secondary licensure program in foreign languages should refer to the description for that program in Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures in the undergraduate catalog.

Degree Requirements

Although individual candidate’s programs of study will vary depending upon major and licensure area, the following represents the breakdown of the required credits in a typical program of study. The program of study for secondary education is as follows.

Undergraduate Requirements

Undergraduate candidates in the secondary education pre-professional program must complete an arts and sciences major or equivalent in a specific discipline related to the teacher licensure area of intent. Majors related to approved licensure areas at JMU include biology, chemistry, English, Earth-science, history or political science, mathematics and physics. Candidates with majors in history or political science must also complete course work in the interdisciplinary social science minor. Students must earn grades of “C-” or better in all academic major content courses.

Undergraduate Prerequisites

Minimum requirement is 120 credit hours.

General Education 41-44 Credit Hours
Major field of study 36-60 Credit Hours
Undergraduate pre-professional studies 23 Credit Hours

Total: 100-127 Credit Hours

Undergraduate Prerequisites – First and/or Second Year

PSYC 160. Life Span Human Development 3 Credit Hours
MSSE 101. Introduction to the Profession 1 Credit Hours
EDUC 300. Foundations of American Education 3 Credit Hours (must be completed with a grade of “B-” or higher) 3 Credit Hours

Total: 7 Credit Hours

Undergraduate Prerequisites – Third and Fourth Years

The following courses must be completed with grades of “B-” or higher:

EDUC 310. Teaching in a Diverse Society 3 Credit Hours
MSSE 370. General Instructional Methods for Grades 6-12 3 Credit Hours
MSSE 371. Clinical Experience in Adolescent Education 1 Credit Hours
(EDUC 310, MSSE 370, and MSSE 371 are corequisites)
MSSE 470. Content Methods for the Middle School 3 Credit Hours
MSSE 471. Field Experience in the Middle School 3 Credit Hours
READ 440. Literacy-Based Learning in Secondary Education 3 Credit Hours
(MSSE 470, MSSE 471 and READ 440 are corequisites)

Total: 16 Credit Hours

Graduate Course Requirements

The following courses must be completed with grades of “B-” or higher:

EDUC 540. Educational Technology 3.00
EXED 512. Behavior Management in the Classroom 3.00
EXED 520. Differentiation of Instruction and Assessment to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners 3.00
MSSE 570. Content Methods Course for High School
MSSE 571. Content Area Field Experience in High School
(MSSE 570 and MSSE 571 are corequisites)
MSSE 607. Middle and Secondary Curriculum and Co-Curriculum 3.00
MSSE 625. Assessment in Secondary Education 3.00
MSSE 630. Research for Practitioners 3.00
MSSE 650. Internship Seminar 3.00
MSSE 675. Internship in Middle and Secondary Education 4.00 (x2 = 800)
(MSSE 650 and MSSE 675 are corequisites)

Total: 35 Credit Hours

The Post-Baccalaureate Entry Option

This program is for candidates who hold a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in an appropriate academic content area and wish to be licensed to teach in that area.

Additional Admission Criteria

Candidates admitted to this program of study are expected to have completed an arts and sciences undergraduate major from an accredited college or university with a 2.7 grade-point average or above (on a 4.0 scale). Candidates are required to provide transcript evidence that they have completed liberal studies and specialty area courses comparable in content and total hours to those expected of an undergraduate major at JMU. Those applicants not having such course work will be required to complete any specifically required undergraduate-level general education and/or subject matter content courses under terms of provisional admission to graduate study as a non-degree-seeking candidate.

Candidates must also apply to and be admitted to teacher education at JMU. Candidates must initiate their application by contacting the Department of Middle, Secondary and Mathematics Education. Criteria for admission to Teacher Education are described in the undergraduate catalog, available online. Candidates must also submit Virginia passing scores on the Praxis Subject Assessment in the intended licensure area and passing scores on the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) and meet all requirements of admission to The Graduate School. Candidates must complete undergraduate secondary education and content area prerequisite course work prior to enrolling in MAT graduate course work.