Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) English

If you hold a BA in English and are seeking initial licensure to teach English, our Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program will help you to develop the skills and competencies needed for the next step on your career path. 

Program Features

• Small class sizes: Most courses at the graduate level are conducted with approximately 15 students. 

• English background: This program is tailored toward those with an undergraduate degree in English. If you do not, please see the other English program options below.

• Flexible pacing options: This program can be completed in 1.5 to 2 years full-time or 3 to 6 years part-time. Classes are offered evenings, weekends, online, and summers, providing maximum flexibility for working professionals. 

• Faculty: The Salem State University English department is an active community of scholars and writers who regularly publish and contribute to their fields. The graduate faculty prepares students for various professions while remaining committed to the core traditions of literary analysis, creative process, and community engagement, as well as sharing scholarship and creative work with the campus community and the broader public. 

• Exciting 300-hour practicum: Students in the MAT English program are supported by practicums in school-based placements of increasing length, including as part of a two-semester Methods of Teaching English and one semester of student teaching. Salem State’s McKeown School of Education Office of Field Services can place students, and students can also arrange for their own placements, including in schools where they may already be employed.

• Concurrent enrollment opportunities: Certificate in Digital Studies; Certificate in Holocaust and Genocide Studies; Certificate in Writing and Rhetoric; Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

• Graduate assistantships: Opportunities to apply for graduate assistantships, grants and scholarships. 

Curriculum 

Our robust 31-37-credit curriculum is designed to provide students with the skills and confidence to begin teaching on day one. The curriculum for our full suite of MAT programs includes five (5) core courses in education, four (4) core courses within your content specialization, two (2) teaching methods courses within your content specialization, and a semester-long supervised practicum and seminar teaching in the field.

English Content 

Students will complete the following three (3) content courses, plus an additional English content course elective chosen in consolation with the program coordinator. 

• ENG 725 - Introduction to Graduate Studies in Literature 

• ENG 817 - Contemporary Approaches to the Teaching of Composition 

• ENG 821 - Contemporary Approaches to Teaching Literature 

Licensure Opportunities*

We offer the opportunity to progress from your preliminary license through your professional license within one program. As soon as you pass your MTELs (state teacher tests), you can apply for your preliminary license and begin your career as a classroom teacher. Once you have completed your core classes and student teaching, you will be endorsed for your initial license.

Upon completing your MAT and at least three years of teaching under your initial license, you will be eligible for your professional license. This means that graduates of our program can complete all licensure requirements without needing to pursue additional coursework.

_{*Please be aware that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may change licensure requirements. Students are advised to contact the state for specific, current licensure requirements. Students may access that information at the Department for Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).}

Professional Development Opportunities 

• Master’s in English Regional Conference (MERC): Salem State and Bridgewater State co-organize this annual conference. Salem State master’s students regularly present with peers from New England at the conference. 

• Graduate Student Reading: Each spring, Salem State hosts a graduate student reading where students on the writing track present their work. 

• Salem State University’s Research Day: Graduate students and faculty present papers, posters, and workshops about their ongoing research. 

• Writer’s Series: English graduate students can enjoy a meal and discussion with the prominent writers who speak at Salem State’s Writer’s Series, such as Carmen Maria Machado, Brian Brodeur, and Ha Jing. 

• Submittathon: Salem State’s English department hosts a submittathon at least once per semester. During this event, students gather to support one another and, under the direction of a faculty member, submit works for publication. 

• Publications: Salem State’s English Department publishes the national literary journal Soundings East and the e-zine Red Skies. Master’s students in English have the opportunity to serve on the editorial boards of both publications. 

• Professional Literary Studies, Writing, and Composition and Rhetoric Societies: Many of our students belong to professional associations such as CCCC and the Northeast Modern Language Association and present at their annual conferences.

Careers 

The United States is experiencing a massive teacher shortage. The Department of Education reports a shortage of language arts teachers, among many others, in Massachusetts*. In addition to the need for entry-level teachers, many districts are projecting a shortage in leadership positions at the departmental, school, and district levels. 

Language arts educators with backgrounds in special education, English language learning, and working with diverse families and communities are especially in high demand. Massachusetts' teacher standards have a strong national reputation, and many who hold teaching licenses in Massachusetts have the knowledge and skills to obtain licensure in other states successfully. 

_{*Sources: Hannah Natanson, “America Faces Catastrophic Teacher Shortage,” The Boston Globe, August 3, 2022; U.S. Department of Education, “Teacher Shortage Areas,” August 2022.}