If your intentions are to earn a graduate degree in education, it is important that you review the prerequisites for a Master’s in Teaching while you are still studying for a Bachelor’s. A Master’s degree majoring in a subject like Teaching is specifically for professionals who want to master their teaching skills and gain hands-on experience.
Since you will cover subject-specific coursework on teaching a specific course, you can become more of an expert and much more marketable in the education arena. Students also become more of an expert in methodology and even stylistic approach. If this sounds like a degree that can benefit you based on your professional goals, it is time to learn what you must do before you can gain acceptance into an MAT program.
What Type of Degree Do You Need to Enter an MAT Program?
The very first requirement that you must fulfill is earning a Bachelor’s degree program that is regionally accredited and satisfies teaching certification requirements. It is important that you choose a major in an area where you will seek certification and will also need to show that you have content-related subjects under your belt. Since you will need to meet specific coursework requirements, be sure that you know what type of certification that you are pursuing early so that you are not stuck having to play make up for extra courses before you can apply.
Academic Merit is Important
Not only do you need to choose the right major and take the right coursework, you also need to dedicate yourself to showing that you are an achiever when you want to enter graduate school. Most schools have very strict GPA requirements. In fact, the more respected the school, the more demanding the requirements are. You can expect a school to require a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher (some are 3.0 or higher). If you have a graduate degree in another subject area it could replace the GPA requirement.
Admissions Tests and Assessments
Graduate schools want to be sure that you have the competency to cover the subjects that are required in the MAT curriculum. This is why you need to take admissions tests before even considering a graduate program. For teaching degrees, you need to take the Praxis CORE Assessment test. Some schools might require a combination of Praxis I and the Graduate Record Exam.
It is important that you check and see which admissions tests the school you want to apply to will require. You can also check the required scores through your state’s Department of Education. You will need to know well in advance so that you can schedule your exam date months before the admissions deadline. This gives you time to test and then retake the exam if you are not happy with your initial score.
There is a growing shortage of teachers but the gap is much wider for teachers with an advanced education. If you would like to be a highly qualified expert teacher who earns more and enjoys more job stability, you should consider spending the added time in school. By meeting the prerequisites for a Master’s in Teaching and then enrolling in the right MAT program, you can study for 2 years and change your entire teaching future.
