Master of Arts in Teaching (4+1 Track)
The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) 4+1 Track is an accelerated dual-degree program that enables students to complete a bachelor’s degree in a selected major while beginning graduate coursework leading to the Master of Arts in Teaching and teacher certification in Missouri. Please review the Licensure Disclosures for the Master of Arts in Teaching to learn how these certifications may transfer to other states.
Students may begin MAT pre-requisite coursework as early as the freshman year. They may begin taking seven credit hours of graduate-level coursework (two 3-credit courses and one 1-credit practicum) as early as the summer prior to their senior year pending formal admission into the 4+1 program. The combined program is designed to be completed in five years and results in both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree.
Certification Areas
K–12
- Art
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Physical Education
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Science
High School (Grades 9–12)
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Earth Science
- English
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Social Science
Program Structure
Enrollment in the 4+1 teacher preparation program allows undergraduate students to complete education coursework early and progress into graduate study prior to completion of the bachelor’s degree.
It is strongly recommended that students interested in the 4+1 program declare an education minor during their undergraduate program. Pre-requisite courses, graduate courses taken after admission to the 4+1 program, and supervised field experiences all contribute to the education minor when taken while the student is still enrolled as an undergraduate.
Admission to the 4+1 Program
Students are eligible to apply for admission to the graduate portion of the 4+1 Track after the successful completion of 60 credit hours. Applications must be submitted no later than the final semester prior to the senior year.
4+1 Admission Requirements
Applicants must submit documentation demonstrating the following:
- Official transcripts showing successful completion of at least 60 credit hours toward an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution
- Grades of C or better in all prerequisite education courses completed prior to admission (see below under "Program Requirements")
- Missouri Substitute Teacher Certification
- Mandatory background check through the FBI and Missouri Highway Patrol
- A candidate narrative statement describing the applicant’s intentions and purposes for becoming a K-12, middle or high school teacher
- Completion (with passing scores) of the state-required content assessment
- The content assessment must be passed prior to completion of the undergraduate degree
Retention Requirements
To remain in good standing in the 4+1 Track, students must:
- Continue to meet all admission requirements
- Maintain no grades below C (2.0) in all education coursework
- Completion of 7 hours of approved MAT graduate-level course requirements while completing their undergraduate degree (TCH-ED 5422 plus 2 of the following 3 courses: EDRD 5439, EDUC-C&I 5512, and TCH-ED 5314)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- see MAT program
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite Courses (required for teacher certification and can be taken as undergraduate) | ||
| TCH-ED 251 | Child and Adolescent Development for Future Educators | 3 |
| or TCH-ED 420 | Adolescent Development | |
| TCH-ED 403 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| TCH-ED 404 | Education of the Exceptional Child and Youth | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 1-3 | |
| Foundations of Urban Education (3 credit hours) | ||
| Legal and Ethical Aspects of Teaching (1 credit hour) | ||
| 4+1 Courses (students will complete the following 7 hours of coursework during their senior year of their undergraduate program; the 7 hours of graduate coursework will be automatically approved to contribute to a student Undergraduate Degree with admission into the 4+1 program) | ||
| Select Two of the Following: | 6 | |
| Language and Literacy Across the Disciplines | ||
| Strategies For Effective Classroom Management | ||
| Cultural Diversity and Teaching English Language Learners | ||
| AND | ||
| TCH-ED 5422 | Practicum I - Middle and High School | 1 |
| Remaining MAT Coursework | 28-31 | |
| Summer Courses | ||
| Teaching Methods And Practices | ||
| Language and Literacy Across the Disciplines 1 | ||
| Literacy Intervention across the Disciplines 2 | ||
| Fall Courses | ||
| Assessment and Data Literacy | ||
| Practicum II - Middle and High School | ||
| Culturally Responsive Strategies for Teaching Diverse Learners | ||
| Special Methods of Teaching English in Middle and High Schools | ||
or TCH-ED 5433 | Special Methods of Teaching Mathematics in Middle and High Schools | |
or TCH-ED 5435 | Special Methods of Teaching Science in Middle and High Schools | |
or TCH-ED 5436 | Special Methods of Teaching Social Science in Middle and High Schools | |
or TCH-ED 5405 | Special Methods for Teaching Art | |
or FRN-LNG 494 | Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages | |
| Strategies For Effective Classroom Management 1 | ||
| Cultural Diversity and Teaching English Language Learners 1 | ||
| English As A Second Language In Content Areas | ||
| Literacy Intervention across the Disciplines 2 | ||
| Spring Semester (Culminating Experience) 3 | ||
| Student Teaching in High School | ||
| OR | ||
| Student Teaching in Elementary School | ||
| OR | ||
| Student Teaching In Middle School and Middle School Philosophy and Organization | ||
| Total Credits | 45-50 | |
- 1
Course is only needed in this semester if it was not previously taken as one of the "4+1" courses listed above
- 2
EDRD 5439 must be taken before TCH-ED 5463. TCH-ED 5463 should only be taken in the summer by those who took EDRD 5439 as a 4+1 course.
- 3
Students in Art and Foreign Languages will take a total of 9 semester credit hours in either TCH-ED 5419 Student Teaching in Elementary School or TCH-ED 5437 Student Teaching in Secondary School.