Beginning in the summer of 2008 CCSU’s School of Graduate Studies will offer a Master of Arts in Teaching degree. The new degree program will be available through the Department of Teacher Education. 

“The MAT is unique,” according to Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies Paulette Lemma, “in that it provides students with both initial teacher certification and a master’s degree.” The program will be offered as an intensive, 13-month course of study. The fast-track but challenging curriculum is designed to address several certified teacher shortages in Connecticut education.

Those accepted to the MAT program will specialize in teaching mathematics, the sciences, Spanish or English in grades 7–12, or technology & engineering education, grades K–12. The innovative program was created to provide an accelerated route into these “shortage area” classrooms while meeting all state and national accreditation standards. 

The program will be conducted as a selective graduate-level certification and master’s program. The maximum number of students admitted each year will be 25. Dr. Lemma notes that degree candidates will start the program in late May, each year, concluding in late June of the following calendar year. Nineteen of the 47 required credits are to be earned in summer sessions. The program is also designed to cross disciplines wherever possible, “encouraging candidates to build content teaching expertise in their specialization” and relate each discipline to the larger school curriculum.

The School of Graduate Studies expects to receive many candidate applications to the program. Interested students were advised to apply early in order to have enough lead time to complete prerequisites and take full advantage of available financial aid.

— Bart Fisher