Department of STEM Education and Teacher Development - MAT and Teacher Licensure

UMass Dartmouth offers both licensure and professional certificates and degree programs for teachers.

Three certificates offer the sequences of courses approved by the Education Department of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for initial teaching licensure.

The Master of Art in Teaching (MAT) degree is a program approved by the Education Department of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for professional teaching licensure.

Teacher candidates who already hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited four year institution may earn an initial license by following a sequence of courses at the post baccalaureate level in preparation for the initial teaching license. To prepare for an initial license at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, Post-Baccalaureate students must successfully pass state tests and complete the sequence of education courses. The Post-Baccalaureate program includes content courses that require prepracticum assignments in local area schools and one full semester of student teaching. For those already teaching, a supervised practicum equivalent may be arranged.

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Beste Güçler Assistant Professor (Ph.D. - Michigan State University, 2010). Mathematics education.

Maureen Hall Associate Professor (Ph.D. - University of Virginia Charlottesville, 2003). English education, middle and secondary education, literacy, developmental teaching and language arts, K-12 curriculum design, professional development, community-making, innovation, and reform.

Stephen Hegedus Professor (Ph.D. - University of Southampton, UK, 1998). Mathematics education.

Sheila Macrine Associate Professor (Ph.D. - Temple University, 1994). School psychology, reading & special education, education reform, critical-feminism.

Chandra Orrill Associate Professor (Ph.D. - Indiana University, 1999). Mathematics education.

Joao J. Rosa Associate Professor (Ph.D. - University of Wisconsin Madison, 2006) Curricular theory, sociolinguistics, bilingual education and literacy.

Stephen Witzig Assistant Professor (PhD - University of Missouri, 2012). Science education.

Traci Almeida Graduate Admissions Coordinator.

Tyra Mendes Coordinator of Educator Supervision and Program Evaluation & Research

Armand Desmarais Professor Emeritus of Education

Cynthia Kruger Professor Emeritus of Education

MAT Advisors

All students will have an academic advisor appropriate to their teaching specialty.

MTEL Prep Assistance

Offered through Professional and Continuing Education regularly throughout the year is a short course to help one prepare for the MTEL test. For more information go to the PCE website: www.umassd.edu/pce or call 508-999-9202.

Post-Baccalaureate Program Initial License Content Areas

Because future teachers’ undergraduate majors provide much of the content and specialization knowledge that they will use as teachers, the choice of a specific major can be important for the prospective teacher. This is another reason why current undergraduate students considering a teaching career should contact the Education Department for individual advisement.

Certification areas offered through the UMass Dartmouth program are:

Teacher of Biology (8-12)
Teacher of English (5-8) (8-12)
Teacher of Foreign Languages-French (5-12)
Teacher of General Science (5-8)
Teacher of Foreign Languages-Portuguese (5-12)
Teacher of Foreign Languages-Spanish (5-12)
Teacher of History (5-8) (8-12)
Teacher of Mathematics (5-8) (8-12)
Teacher of Political Science /Political Philosophy (5-8)/(8-12)
Teacher of Physics (8-12)
Teacher of Visual Art (PreK-8) (5-12)

The above programs are offered by departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, with the following exceptions. Teacher of Physics licensure is offered through the Department of Physics in the College of Engineering. The College of Visual and Performing Arts offers Teacher of Visual Art licensure through academic programs at both bachelor’s and master’s levels and Teacher of Music licensure through an option in the Music BA program. (For Music and the BFA in Art Education, see the UMass Dartmouth General Catalogue; for the MAE in Art Education, see elsewhere in this catalogue.)

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to the teacher preparation program

All post baccalaureate candidates must have an appropriate bachelor’s degree and apply through the Graduate Admissions Office.
All candidates must submit a completed application, have a 2.7 GPA and a personal interview with a member of the Teaching and Learning Department.
Official transcripts showing date of graduation must be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office.
All candidates must pass the Communication and Literacy Skills Test, and appropriate content MTEL. The appropriate content for Elementary Education candidates is the General Curriculum. Elementary Education candidates must also pass the Foundation of Reaching MTEL. Middle and high school candidates must pass the appropriate content area exam.
At the conclusion of the program students completing the Initial Licensing Program will receive a University certificate; endorsed by UMass Dartmouth.

Requirements charts are shown for Elementary Education Initial License, Post Baccalaureate Students, Middle School Education Licensure, Post Baccalaureate Students or Secondary School Education Licensure, Post Baccalaureate Students.

Contact Information

Traci Almeida, Graduate Admissions Coordinator
(508)999-8098
talmeida@umassd.edu

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Statistics about our Teacher Preparation Program
2003-2004 Program Year

Massachusetts Teacher Test Program Completers = 64	UMass Dartmouth			State Pass Rate
	Tested	Passed	Pass Rate
Communications Literacy, Reading Communications Literacy, Writing Aggregate for these Basic Skills	55 55 55	55 55 55	100% 100% 100%	99% 99% 98%
Biology Elementary (General Curriculum) English History Music Reading Foundations Reading Specialist Visual Art Aggregate for Content Areas Business Aggregate for Content Areas	1 28 5 4 2 26 2 9 80 2 2	not shown 28 not shown not shown not shown 26 not shown not shown 80 not shown not shown	not shown 100% not shown not shown not shown 100% not shown not shown 100% not shown not shown	99% 97% 98% 99% 98% 94% 88% 98% 96% 100% 100%
Summary Totals and Pass Rates	5 5	5 5	100%	95%

Program Information	Students in Teacher Preparation Program = 268
Students in Supervised Student Teaching Student Teaching Supervising Faculty Education/Art Education Faculty Other UMass Dartmouth Faculty Part-Time Faculty Student/Faculty Ratio	56 8 3 1 4 7.00 to one	Avg. hours/week students spent in student teaching = 30 Total weeks of student teaching = 14 Total hours required = 42

Strengths of Our Program

An integrated approach to Teacher Certification based in the academic departments as well as an Education department
A close alliance with area school districts
Challenging pedagogical and content area courses based on national and state reform efforts, emphasizing both practice and theory
A faculty committed to a standards-based teacher certification program and to their students as individuals
Students must pass the Basic Skills test to enter the program and the Content test to enter student teaching.

Mission of Our Program

UMass Dartmouth offers education programs leading to elementary, middle, and secondary teacher certification. At middle and secondary levels students master an academic discipline and also achieve a solid intellectual foundation in professional education through both theory and hands-on practice. At the elementary level students complete an academic major and gain a general liberal education. They also gain a thorough understanding of the role of the elementary school and exposure to traditional as well as contemporary values in elementary school methodology.

Note: When fewer than 10 persons took the test, scores are not shown.