Catalog 2024–2025

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Program Chair: Tobias Irish, Ph.D
Website: hilo.hawaii.edu/depts/education/

Program Description

The primary purpose of the MAT is to prepare teachers who demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to build strong curriculum, pedagogy, assessments, and the relationships that bring about significant changes to improve schools, support learners and their development, and positively impact student achievement. After the first year of the MAT, students apply for initial teacher licensure with the Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board. During the second year of the MAT, students will be able to engage in action research, a critical and reflective analysis that enables teachers to integrate and apply a variety of research-based methods in their classrooms.

MAT Claims - Student Learning Outcomes

Those who complete the program will be able to:

  • Create supportive environments based on their knowledge of learner development and learning differences.
  • Demonstrate subject matter knowledge and apply this knowledge to engage students in learning content.
  • Plan instruction that supports student learning through the use of multiple instructional and assessment strategies including technology.
  • Demonstrate professional attributes, engage in critical reflection and collaborate to ensure learner growth.

Admission Requirements

  • Applicants must:
    • have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution or from a nationally recognized foreign institution.
    • have a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 semester credits.
    • receive passing scores on the PRAXIS II: Content Area Examinations. Students who have taken, but have not successfully passed the Praxis for the content area they wish to teach, may request a transcript review to determine if they meet the content knowledge requirements.
    • have a minimum of 40 hours (more preferred) of previous experience working with school-aged (P-20) youth.
    • submit three letters of recommendation from those who observed applicant working with school-aged youth.
    • submit two professional statements detailing interest in the teaching profession and beliefs about student learning.
  • Additionally:
    • School of Education Interview may be required.
    • For all applicants seeking elementary licensure, these pre-requisite courses must be completed, each with a grade of C or better, and in combination passed with a GPA of 2.75 or above: ED 341 Literacy for Elem Teachers (3) , ED 343 Math for Elem Teachers II (3) , and ED 347 Intgr Sci/Soc Stud Elem School (3) .
    • For applications seeking licensure at the secondary level, the baccalaureate degree must be related to the content area of licensure.
    • For applications seeking licensure in Social Studies, there may be additional prerequisite coursework. Each of the Social Studies prerequisite courses must be completed, each with a grade of C or better, and in combination passed with a GPA of 2.75 or above.
    • Applicants for whom English is not the native language must obtain a score of 550 (paper based test), 213 (computer based) or 79 (internet based) on the TOEFL, or a 6.0 on the IELTS. Students with bachelor’s degrees from English-speaking institutions do not need to submit TOEFL scores.

Some courses are specific to the elementary track and others to the secondary track. Some courses are common to both tracks.

Elementary (36 credits)

First year, for licensure:

  • ED 640 Learner Development (2)
  • ED 641 Learning Differences (3)
  • ED 643 Learning Environments I (1)
  • ED 644 Learning Environments II (1)
  • ED 645 Learning Environments III (2)
  • ED 650 Teaching in Hawaii's Schools (1)
  • ED 651 Elem Instructional Practice (2)
  • ED 652 Elem LA/SS Pedagogy (2)
  • ED 653 Elem MT/SC Pedagogy (2)
  • ED 654 Tech Instruction & Assessment (2)
  • ED 659 Professional Practice (3)
  • ED 660 Professional Responsibility I (1)
  • ED 661 Professional Responsibility II (1)
  • ED 662 Prof Responsibility III (1)
  • ED 670 Field Experience I (1)
  • ED 671 MAT Field Experience II (2)
  • ED 672 Clinical Practicum (3)

Second year, to complete the MAT:

  • ED 680 Teacher as Researcher I (3)
  • ED 681 Teacher as Researcher II (3)

Secondary (36 credits)

First year, for licensure:

  • ED 640 Learner Development (2)
  • ED 641 Learning Differences (3)
  • ED 643 Learning Environments I (1)
  • ED 644 Learning Environments II (1)
  • ED 645 Learning Environments III (2)
  • ED 650 Teaching in Hawaii's Schools (1)
  • ED 654 Tech Instruction & Assessment (2)
  • ED 655 Sec Instructional Practice (2)
  • ED 656 Sec LA/SS Pedagogy (2) or ED 657 Sec MT/SC Pedagogy (2)
  • ED 658 Sec Content Literacy (2)
  • ED 659 Professional Practice (3)
  • ED 660 Professional Responsibility I (1)
  • ED 661 Professional Responsibility II (1)
  • ED 662 Prof Responsibility III (1)
  • ED 670 Field Experience I (1)
  • ED 671 MAT Field Experience II (2)
  • ED 672 Clinical Practicum (3)

Second year, to complete the MAT:

  • ED 680 Teacher as Researcher I (3)
  • ED 681 Teacher as Researcher II (3)

The first three semesters (Summer-Fall-Spring) in the MAT program prepare the student to become licensed to teach. Continuation in the program for 2 more semesters (6 more credits) leads to the Master of Arts in Teaching degree.

Academic Status, Progression, and Readmission Policies

Participants are required to begin the program during the Summer semester and are required to be enrolled full-time during Fall and Spring semesters. There are no elective courses.

To remain eligible for continuance in the MAT and to be awarded the graduate degree, students must maintain satisfactory progress toward completion of the program and they must earn no grade lower than a “B-“ in an individual class that is taken for a letter grade. Additionally, they must earn a grade of CR for Field Experience and Professional Practice Courses (ED 660 Professional Responsibility I (1) , ED 661 Professional Responsibility II (1) , ED 662 Prof Responsibility III (1) , ED 670 Field Experience I (1) , ED 671 MAT Field Experience II (2) , ED 672 Clinical Practicum (3) ) which are taught as CR/NC.

Grades below “B-“ or "credit" will not be accepted in courses defined to fulfill program requirements. Work for courses designated “credit/no credit,” must be at least at the “B-“ (2.7) level to qualify for “credit.” Required MAT courses, unless designated “credit/no credit,” may not be taken on a “credit/no credit” basis. A cumulative 3.0 GPA must be maintained in all MAT program course work. A candidate whose GPA in MAT courses falls below 3.0 may be dismissed from the program. In order to enroll in MAT courses, students must be admitted as teacher candidates into the program. Candidates must progress through MAT coursework and field experiences in three consecutive semesters. Fall and Spring semester enrollment is based on recommendation of the Education faculty. A candidate may be removed from a field experience when in the judgment of the Education faculty, cooperating teacher, and/or school principal the candidate is disrupting the educational process or is not making satisfactory progress toward meeting the requirements of the program. Such removal may result in complete dismissal from the program.

Students and candidates who stop out of the University must reapply and meet all criteria in effect for the respective Admission deadline. See guidelines and policies set forth in the UH Hilo Graduate Student Handbook.