La Grande, Oregon, Feb. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eastern Oregon University is pleased to report a record number of graduates are being selected for teaching positions after completing the University’s Master of Teaching (MAT) program.
In 2021, 87% of MAT candidates were hired by a district upon graduation. Still, other candidates took jobs in education, but not in the classroom.
The College of Education’s 10-month, immersive MAT program combines professional experience in classroom settings with academic preparation. While the program is designed as a 10-month program, there is a two-year option that benefits educators currently teaching on a restricted license or candidates who would like to split the program up to fit their needs better.
MAT teacher candidates are placed in K-12 classrooms to work and learn from mentor teachers and a University supervisor.
“Traditionally this is a 10-month program, so we start in the summer term and through the following spring term,” according to Kristin Johnson, EOU’s graduate programs adviser, who assists the MAT teacher candidates in the program. “We also have the option to spread the program out over two years if the candidate has been hired by a school district to be teaching in their own classroom while they are going through the program.”
Students have a six-week summer term and two five-week sessions of classes during fall and winter terms. Students participate in one MAT weekend per five-week session and attend in-person classes at Eastern Oregon University to experience hands-on learning. The rest of the hybrid program coursework is done asynchronously. The program is one of the tools EOU is using to help fill the teacher gap in rural areas
The deadline for Eastern Oregon University’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) is fast approaching. The application deadline is March 1, 2023.
- MAT in Action
- MAT in Action