About

Do you want to teach in the state of North Carolina? Do you want to earn an advanced degree to enhance your career?

The master of arts in teaching (MAT) is designed to facilitate the earning of an advanced degree while also completing requirements for a North Carolina license to teach. The MAT is offered in elementary education, English education, family and consumer science, health education, history education, middle grades education, music education, science education, special education (general curriculum, MAT Course Sequence III), and vocational education (business education and marketing education).

Some of the programs are offered part-time for lateral entry teachers. Most part-time candidates begin in the NC Teach alternative licensure program.

ECU Advantage

ECU graduates are highly sought after and can be found working throughout the region and around the United States. Many graduates become Nationally Board Certified and go on to earn doctorate degrees in their area of expertise.

As an ECU student, you can research your future career in Steppingblocks. Explore real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with data-powered career exploration tools designed for doers like you.

What You Will Study

Note: The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is currently only accepting applications for the edPIRATE 2025-2026 cohort. Students in the edPIRATE cohort take coursework in the rural educational justice elementary education or middle grades teaching area. All other MAT teaching areas are on pause and are not currently accepting applications. 

For information about the edPirate cohort please reach out to Shawnda Cherry (1805 Charles Blvd., Building 123; 252-328-1831; cherrys23@ecu.edu) or visit https://education.ecu.edu/edpirate/.

Program Coordinator: Kristen Gregory (221 Speight Building; 252-328-1134; gregorykr18@ecu.edu)

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) includes teaching areas in elementary education, English education, Hispanic studies, history education, middle grades education, music education, physical education, rural educational justice elementary education, science education, and special education.

For the teaching areas currently on pause, the College of Health and Human Performance and departments in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences offer subject matter courses and content specific methods courses, as well as supervise interns. The full-time program is designed to be completed in twelve months, beginning in the summer and finishing the following summer. Successful completion of the MAT leads to a graduate degree and initial (A) teaching licensure.

Upon acceptance into a teaching area, the MAT Program Coordinator serves as the student's advisor.

The Master of Arts in Teaching, MAT requires 30-42 s.h. of credit as follows:

Required core courses - 15 s.h.
  • TCHR 6010 - The Learner and the Learning Environment
  • TCHR 6011 - The Teacher and the Teaching Experience
  • TCHR 6020 - MAT Classroom Management
  • TCHR 6030 - Literacy Development in the Content Area Classroom
  • SPED 6000 - Teaching Students with Exceptionalities in the Regular Classroom
Teaching area specific courses - 15 -27 s.h.

(Choose from one of the following areas.)

    Elementary education (24 s.h.)
    • ELEM 6010 - Teaching the Integrated Language Arts in the Elementary School
    • ELEM 6024 - MAT Internship
    • ELEM 6406 - The Teaching of Social Studies in the Elementary Grades

    • MATE 6320 - Advanced Elementary Mathematics Methods OR
    • MATE 6321 - Advanced Middle-Level Mathematics Methods

    • READ 5316 - Word Study: Phonics, Spelling, and Vocabulary Instruction
    • SCIE 6019 - Science in Elementary Education
    English education (24 s.h.)
    • ENED 6024 - MAT Internship
    • ENED 6600 - Teaching English Studies in the High School
    • ENED 6630 - Studies in the Process of Composition
    • ENED 6967 - Literature Study in the Secondary School
    • 6 s.h. literature
    • 6 s.h. literature
    Hispanic studies (24 s.h.)
    • SPAN 6024 - MAT Internship
    • SPAN 6600 - Recent Trends in Foreign Language Teaching, Learning, and Acquisition
      • 12 s.h. from the following:

      (9 s.h. must be at the 6000-level)

      • SPAN 6002 - Humanities Research Methods OR
      • SPAN 6003 - Applied Research Methods

      • SPAN 6010 - Hispanic Cultural Studies
      • SPAN 6020 - Contemporary Issues of the Hispanic World
      • SPAN 6030 - Special Topics in Hispanic Studies
      • SPAN 6040 - Current Trends in Hispanic Linguistics
      • SPAN 6050 - Professional Literacies
      • SPAN 6521 - Special Readings
      • SPAN 6522 - Special Readings
      • SPAN 6523 - Special Readings
    History education (24 s.h.)
    • HIED 6024 - MAT Internship
    • HIED 6510 - Issues and Topics in Social Studies Education
    • HIED 6500 - Teaching Civics and Economics in the Secondary Classroom
    • HIED 6600 - Teaching History in the High Schools
      • 3 s.h. from the following:
      • HIST 5130 - Comparative History of New World Slavery and Race Relations OR
      • HIST 5220 - Selected Topics in US Women's History OR
      • HIST 6030 - Jefferson, Jackson, and the Atlantic World OR
      • HIST 6050 - The Great Depression, New Deal, and World War II OR
      • HIST 6260 - The United States and the Middle East, 1783 to the Present
      3 s.h. from the following:
      • HIST 5350 - The Renaissance in European History OR
      • HIST 6355 - History of Ancient Rome OR
      • HIST 6375 - Twentieth-Century European History
    Middle grades education (24 s.h.)
    • MIDG 6024 - MAT Internship
    • MIDG 6100 - Adolescent Development in Middle Grades Education
    • MIDG 6200 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Middle Grades Education
    • MIDG 6300 - Advanced Instructional Strategies and Assessment in Middle Grades Education
    • 6 s.h. in teaching area
    • 6 s.h. in specialty area
    Music education (24 s.h.)
    • MUSC 5257 - Psychological Foundations of Music OR
    • 2 s.h. MUSC electives

    • MUSC 5977 - General Music in the Secondary Schools
    • MUSC 6048 - Music for Children with Exceptionalities
    • MUSC 6124 - MAT Internship

    • MUSC 6217 - Foundations of Instruction for Instrumental Music OR
    • MUSC 6237 - Foundations of Instruction for Vocal and General Music Education

    • MUSC 6287 - Laboratory Choral Experience in Music Education OR
    • MUSC 6405 - Laboratory Instrumental Experience in Music Education

    • MUSC 6323 - Materials and Methods in Music Education
    • MUSC 6333 - Materials and Methods for Choral and Vocal Music Education
    Physical education (24 s.h.)
    • KINE 6024 - MAT Internship
    • KINE 6101 - Technology, Assessment, and Differentiated Instruction in Physical Education
    • KINE 6104 - Curriculum and Instruction in Physical Education
    • KINE 6108 - Analysis of Teaching Practice in Physical Education
    • KINE 6110 - Intercultural Issues and Content Knowledge in Physical Education
    • KINE 6323 - Advanced Middle and High School Instruction in Physical Education
    Rural educational justice elementary education (15 s.h.)

    Choose 15 s.h. from the following: 

    • EDUC 6300 - Democratic Education in the Rural South (K-12)
    • EDUC 6310 - Responsive Community-Based Rural Classrooms (K-12)
    • HIED 6109 - K-6 Social Studies and Literacy Integration for Rural Educational Justice
    • MATE 6109 - K-6 Mathematics Instruction for Rural Educational Justice
    • READ 6109 - Introduction to K-6 Literacy Instruction for Rural Educational Justice
    • SCIE 6109 - K-6 Science Instruction for Rural Educational Justice
    • SPED 6250 - Universal Design for Learning to Support Inclusive Rural Classrooms (K-12)
    • TCHR 6995 - Rural Educational Justice Internship I
    • TCHR 6996 - Rural Educational Justice Internship II
    • TCHR 6999 - Community-Based Practicum
    Science education (24 s.h.)
    • SCIE 6003 - Advanced Studies in Biological Science for Teachers
    • SCIE 6004 - Advanced Studies in Physical Science for Teachers

    • SCIE 6020 - Perspectives on Science Education OR
    • SCIE 6320 - Advanced Assessment Methods in Science Education

    • SCIE 6024 - MAT Internship
    • SCIE 6030 - Technology in Science Teaching, Learning and Professional Development
    • SCIE 6310 - Advanced Methods in Science Teaching and Learning
    Special education (27 s.h.)
    • SPED 6003 - Assessment in Special Education
    • SPED 6004 - Legal and Cultural Issues in Special Education
    • SPED 6005 - Curriculum and Instructional Design in Special Education
    • SPED 6006 - Analysis and Application of Instructional Methods in Special Education
    • SPED 6007 - Individual Behavior Strategies and Supports in Special Education
    • SPED 6008 - Linking Research and Practice in Special Education
    • SPED 6024 - MAT Internship
Admission to Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the MAT will be met when the following have been completed.

    Transfer Credit

    Transfer of credit regulations which have been established by the Graduate School apply to this degree program. Transfer of credit is only accepted when it is fulfilling a deficiency or content area of knowledge.

      Residence Requirements

      The residence requirement for a nondoctoral degree program is met when a student has earned at least one-half of the graduate degree credit for his or her program while in residence, which is defined as taking courses on the campus of East Carolina University, at designated off-campus residence centers. If the program is 100% DE, the residence requirement is met when a student has proven North Carolina residency.

        Other Requirements for the MAT

        General requirements for the completion of the master's degree are as follows:

          For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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