Department of Teacher Education

Master of Arts in Teaching

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) is the first graduate degree to be offered by Louisiana College in its distinguished 103 year history. Upon receiving initial approval from the Southern Association Commission on Colleges, Louisiana College implemented the new MAT program summer of 2008. This program is designed for individuals who hold baccalaureate degrees in traditional disciplines in the arts, humanities, and sciences and desire to achieve advanced preparation and/or professional teacher certification. The program is intended to be ongoing with a combination of traditional classes supplemented by online/Blackboard facilitated instruction.

Participants who are already certified teachers must meet certain basic requirements to be admitted to the MAT program:

1. hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university
2. a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher with bachelor's degree or alternative certification program coursework.
3. hold a valid teaching license
4. GRE formula scores >= 1000 [(Undergraduate GPA x 75) + (GRE Verbal) + GRE quantitative
5. currently teaching in a K-12 school (If not currently employed, particpant may request provisional admission. Employment is required for fall and spring semesters.
6. submitted TEACH/MAT Application and all required documents

In order for a MAT candidate to graduate from the MAT, he/she must meet the following criteria:

1. Completed all coursework (33 hours) with an overall 3.0 GPA or higher
2. No more than 12 hours of coursework with a grade of C
3. No grades of D or F

Participants who are non-certified teachers must meet the basic requirements to be admitted to the TEACH program as listed under the Practitioner Teacher Program section below.

The Practitioner Teacher Program

TEACH: Teacher Education Alternate Certification Honors

In our country, there is a shortage of teachers and a growing need for new educators. There has also been an increase in individuals wanting to teach but who hold a degree in another field and are not certified to teach.

Louisiana College's Practitioner Teacher Program is designed to assist those individuals to get the courses needed to become certified while allowing those individuals to go ahead and be placed in the classroom to begin making a difference.

Lousiana College has implemented the largest Practitioner Teacher Program in the state. It serves all parishes and provides certification for teachers in elementary education; middle school education; secondary education; all-level music, HPE, and Art; and mild-moderate (special education).

"The program is a streamlined alternate certification system that allows candidates who meet rigid admission requirements to become certified through a combination of course work and full-time teaching," says Dr. Joe Aguillard, architect of the TEACH program in 2001 and now president of Louisiana College.

Participants admitted to the TEACH program must meet certain basic requirements for enrollment:

1. hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university
2. have earned a cumulated GPA of 2.2 or higher on undergraduate coursework
3. have been hired to teach in an approved school for the coming semester (If not yet employed, participant may request provisional admission. Employment is required for fall and spring semesters).
4. passed ALL of the following PRAXIS exams:
   • PPST Reading, Writing and Math (unless exempt with an ACT Composite score at or above 22. SAT Combined Verbal/Math score at or above 1030, or a Master's Degree.
   • Core Content subject area exam (The program administrators will determine which portions of the PRAXIS are applicable to each participant.
5. submitted TEACH/MAT Application and all required documents

In order for a TEACH candidate to be approved for certification, he/she must meet the following criteria:

1. Completed all coursework required for certification (21 hours) with an overall 2.5 GPA or higher
2. Passed the PRAXIS PLT for your grade level or SPED exams if special education

Non-Masters / Certification Only Program

The Non-Masters/Certification Only Program will provide the same rigor as other certification routes at the undergraduate level. This program will also emphasize collaboration between Louisiana College and the school districts in order to share and exchange strategies, techniques, methodologies, and integrate field-based experiences into the curriculum.

To be admitted into the Non-Masters/Certification-Only Program a candidate must meet the following criteria:

1. Possess a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited unversity.
2. Have a 2.2 or higher cumulative GPA on undergraduate coursework for admissions purposes.
3. Pass the PRAXIS I (PPST)
4. Pass the PRAXIS II content specific examination(s)

Once admitted into the program the candidate will follow through the same portals as our traditional teacher education candidates. The unit will assess and evaluate these teacher candidates using the same criteria as the traditional Teacher Education Program. [The only exceptions include: 1) if the candidate chooses to do a one year teaching internship or 2) teaches for three years in area of certification instead of student teaching. If the candidate chooses the internship route the assessment procedures would be the same as the Practitioner Teachers. If the candidate chooses the teaching for three years route, the assessment would be through LATAAP.] In order for a teacher candidate to exit from the Non-Masters/Certification-Only Program, he/she must meet the following criteria:

1. Completed all coursework with an overall 2.5 GPA or higher
2. Passed the PRAXIS PLT.
3. Passes LATAAP, if the candidate chose the internship route.

Contact Us

To find out which program is right for you, contact the department at:

Louisiana College Education Department
1140 College Drive, Box 585
Pineville, LA 71360
(318) 487-7304
education@lacollege.edu

Resources

Louisiana College MAT Graduate Manual
TEACH Grant Info Sheet
Frequently Asked Questions, TEACH, 2010 Frequently Asked Questions, MAT, 2010

Blogs

Master of Arts in Teaching
TEACH Louisiana College

Degree Plans

Please click on the link below that matches your current status:

MAT Non-Certified Candidate Degree Plan
MAT Certified Candidate Degree Plan

Forms

TEACH/MAT Application
Request for Transfer Credit

Directions for Field Experience Observations
Field Experience Observation Summary Log
Field Experience Observation Form and Certified Teacher Data Form
Sample Field Experience Observation

PRAXIS

PRAXIX Test and Registration Information
PRAXIS Test Prep Preview

Research

LC Library Online