Building Teachers For Long-Term Career Success

Your journey through the Master of Arts in Teaching program is one that will not only prepare you to be an outstanding educator but also equip you with the means to have a longstanding career in education. All students begin with a selection of professional education courses which allow you to further develop your pedagogical knowledge, learn new strategies for student engagement, and broaden your instructional leadership skills. From there, your experience will vary based on the path you choose. All students work closely with an education faculty advisor to develop a plan of study.

Professional Education Courses

The plan of study consists of 18 hours of required professional education courses. Professional education courses include extensive study of the historical, political and philosophical backgrounds of American education; the structure, culture and curriculum of secondary schools and their diverse students; and the developmental psychology of children and adolescents. These courses and their related field observations serve as the foundation for the seminars in teaching and curriculum development, which not only offer instructional methods but also close examination of the epistemologies and ways of learning that characterize the subject.

For current Rice undergraduates, students earn their Bachelor’s degree while majoring in the subject(s) they plan to teach while also taking graduate-level professional education courses.

Courses include: Race, Class, Gender in Education, Assessment, Teaching Diverse Learners & Literacy Across the Curriculum.

After Professional Education Courses...

Each of the MAT paths has been carefully tailored to best meet the backgrounds, objectives and aspirations of our students.

Explore how each of the paths differ below.

MAT w/ Principal Certification For Experienced Teachers

By choosing this path, students not only demonstrate their preparation for educational excellence but also gain the transformational leadership skills required of successful education changemakers. At the conclusion of the program, students in this path will receive the Master of Arts in Teaching as well as a Texas Principal Certification.

Specialization Coursework (12 credit hours)

Focus on building the skillsets needed to be an effective school leader. This coursework includes Instructional Leadership, Organizational Leadership, and two electives. Students may choose to take additional professional education courses to support their academic content specialization.

Principal Practicum (6 credit hours)

The principal certification intern is in a fall-spring residency in a TEA approved school during the practicum. The intern participates in a year-long seminar course at the University and receives extensive support from the instructor, a field supervisor, and a site supervisor. The candidate logs in 80 clock hours of specific activities in the approved school that meet the Instructional Leadership Standards each of the two semesters with the site supervisor’s approval. The candidate also completes 135 hours of formal observation in residency under the field supervisor’s direction. The Education Program will approve the principal certification candidate for a standard certificate after a successful intern experience and the written recommendation from the field supervisor and school administrator.

MAT For Experienced Teachers

In this path, students are encouraged to deepen your knowledge of teaching pedagogy and enhance their teaching practice.

Specialization Coursework (12 credit hours)

Focus on building the skillsets needed to be an effective school leader. This coursework includes Instructional Leadership and three electives. Students may choose to take additional professional education courses to support your academic content specialization.

Capstone (6 credit hours)

The capstone, in conjunction with other course offerings, aims to deepen your knowledge and practice in a particular area and to prepare you to serve as educational leaders in a variety of contexts. This two-semester course is your demonstration of particular expertise. You will select a chairperson to help guide you through the preparation of the capstone. Upon completion, you will defend your work before an academic committee.

MAT For New Teachers

Students with less than 2 years of experience in the teaching profession or no previous teaching experience are best suited for this path. MAT students in this path are supported by a team of educators focused on establishing the foundations necessary to be an effective teacher.

Field-based Experience

Students engage in a two-semester, pre-service field-based experience. In the fall semester, students engage in Curriculum Development and Content Specific Theory and Methods. In the spring semester, students complete a field-based practicum in a Houston-area public school. Teacher candidates receive a support team of a field supervisor and a cooperating teacher to guide them through this year-long experience. Students will have extensive opportunities to hone their pedagogy skills during this experience.

Internship

During the internship year, the student is teaching in a Houston area school on a State of Texas probationary certificate as a full-time, salaried teacher (teacher of record) in the area and at the level of the certification being sought. The intern participates in a year-long seminar course at the University and receives extensive support from both a field supervisor and a mentor teacher throughout his/her entire first year of teaching. As part of the Seminar for First Year Teachers, all students are required to create a digital professional portfolio. The portfolio represents the culmination of experiences, chronicles the student’s growth in attaining the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful as a new teacher, and it reflects the students’ understanding of teaching and learning. A teaching internship requires a full school year at an accredited public school or other school approved by Texas Education Agency (TEA). The Education Program will approve the standard certificate after a successful internship experience and written recommendation from the field supervisor and school administrator.

5th-Year MAT For Rice Undergraduates

The Rice University Bachelor’s degree is conferred upon completion of undergraduate studies and the MAT and Texas Teacher Certification is awarded one year later after completion of the teaching internship. Students must complete the requirements for their bachelor's degree (at least 120 hours) and the MAT degree (30 hours) independently of each other (i.e., no course can be used simultaneously to satisfy both an undergraduate and a graduate degree requirement.)

We would welcome the opportunity to discuss with you how our program can complement your undergraduate studies and further your professional growth and career goals. Contact us by phone 713-348-4826 or email education@rice.edu to make an academic advising appointment.

Interested in the Rice MAT?

Join us at an upcoming information session or connect with us one-on-one to get started.

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Prepare for any classroom or campus-wide challenge you face while strengthening and stretching your skills with the Master of Arts in Teaching program at Rice University.