The M.A.T. Secondary program has four distinct phases
See also UAS Academic Requirements for the M.A.T. Secondary program for program description and list of degree requirements.
Phase One: Two three-week summer sessions for six credits each conducted before the public schools open in the fall (July August).
Phases Two and Three: During the public school year (end of August through the end of May) the M.A.T. students serve as interns with their mentor teacher in a middle or high school classroom. Interns spend four days a week in the public schools and one day a week on campus taking nine graduate credits in both the fall and spring semester.
Rural Alaska or Overseas Teaching; Phase three, spring semester (optional): For interns who exhibit exemplary teaching skills during the fall semester, we offer a program which will allow the intern to practice his/her teaching skills in a rural Alaskan or overseas setting. The overseas program enables the intern to practice teach for approximately seven weeks in an English speaking school in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Kenya, or India. An intern wishing to participate in this program must be recommended by the host teacher and University Supervisor and is responsible for all travel and living expenses. The Rural Practicum program is funded by a grant from the UA President’s office and is meant to encourage prospective teachers to accept positions in bush Alaska. A recommended intern will spend approximately one week in a rural Alaskan school working with the rural students. All travel costs are provided by the grant.
Phase Four: A one-month summer session for six credits that will draw on students' recent experiences and extend their professional knowledge
At the end of Phase Four interns will have completed all the coursework required for the M.A.T. To complete the degree requirements students must:
- Pass a Master's Portfolio that provides evidence that the student meets all program goals and outcomes,
- Praxis I exam scores meeting Alaska cut scores,
- Praxis II content area exam score(s) meeting Alaska cut scores, and
- 3.0 GPA.
Upon successful completion of the degree requirements, students receive a Master of Arts in Teaching and a recommendation for an Alaska Initial Teaching Certificate, grades 7-12, in the content area(s) they are prepared to teach. Certification is granted by the Alaska Department of Education.
Tuition: The Secondary M.A.T. Program comprises 36 graduate semester hours of credit. Out of state students will pay out-of-state tuition costs for the first 21 of these credits (Summer and Fall semesters). All students will pay in-state tuition for the remainder of the program.
For an explanation of the program in an outline form, refer to the M.A.T. Timeline.
This is an intensive, immersion-type program with high quality learning experiences in coursework and internship. It is designed to provide future educators with an up-to-date professional preparation through innovative approaches.
All education programs through the School of Education at University of Alaska Southeast are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, a performance-based teacher accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education recognized by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.