The MAT program is an accelerated teacher licensure program that is 100% online and leads to both an initial teaching license and a master’s degree in as little as a year-and-a-half (full-time).
You will be prepared to teach in any type of learning environment, including in-person, remotely or a mix.
In the MAT program, we expand our knowledge and impact, and continue to support teachers’ needs to integrate practice with theory as well as to experience today’s culturally diverse and technology-enhanced classrooms. The MAT provides an outstanding teacher preparation program at a reasonable cost.
Please note that the MAT’s focus is on preparation to teach in K-12 schools rather than an advanced credential for practicing teachers or a precursor to research-oriented doctoral studies in education.
Program Description
The Multilingual Education MAT program prepares candidates to teach Multilingual Learners (MLs) in grades K-12.
The program includes several methods courses, clinical work related to working with Multilingual Learners and an apprenticeship with an ESL specialist.
Successful completion of the program, including the PRAXIS II for ESL, results in a North Carolina ESL licensure in grades K-12.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from a college or university that holds regional accreditation from a recognized accrediting agency such as SACS
- 3.00 GPA or higher in prior work, as required by the Graduate School
- Minimum passing score of 100 on the TOEFL AND an official course-by-course evaluation from an accredited foreign credential evaluation service required for applicants with non-U.S. degrees*
- Meet the specific requirements of content area or grade level. See specialty coursework under curriculum for content standards.
In the absence of a content degree, 24 semester hours/credits in content relevant to the area in which you wish to teach are needed. Candidates who are missing content area courses can take them at a local college or university or as a PBS (post-baccalaureate student) at NC State prior to admission.
If an applicant does not have the 24 content area credits needed to be accepted into the program, he or she can still enroll in the first graduate classes as a Non-Degree student (NDS) while completing the full 24 content-specific hours and transfer those credits into the degree program. Up to 12 credit hours with a grade of “B” or better can be transferred into a master’s degree program (either from NDS studies or from partner institutions). See the NC State Graduate School policies at https://www.ncsu.edu/grad/catalog/transfer-credits.html
* Please note that the Master of Arts in Teaching is a Distance Education program, so students on university-sponsored visas are not eligible for this program. Please contact the Office of International Services with any questions.
Course of Study
MAT participants can undertake this program full-time or part-time. The program includes 10 courses (30 hours).
Curriculum
Course descriptions can be found in the university course catalog.
MAT Core Courses (Required for all MAT students):
- ECI 579 Behavioral Management of Inclusive Classrooms (3 hrs.)
- ED 508 Diversity in Classroom and Community (3 hrs.)
- ED 507 Developing and Interpreting Assessment (2 hrs.)
- ED 569 Full-semester Student Teaching Experience (4 hrs.)
Specialty Area Course Requirements (18 hrs.):
- FL 524: Linguistics for ESL Professionals
- ECI 527: Methods and Materials in Teaching English as a Second Language
- ECI 536: Perspectives on English as a New Language
- ECI 541: Reading in the Content Areas
- ELM 537: Teaching Children’s Literature
- ELM 572: Methods for Teaching Reading
Additional Info
Approximate total program cost (North Carolina residents) for the MAT in elementary education program: $1,599.21 per 3 hour course, or $15,992 total
Visit the NC State’s Graduate Distance Education Tuition rates page for detailed information about tuition and fees.