Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Program Requirements & Opportunities

• Overview

  Program Details

  • 35-40 credit hours
  • Full-time, on-campus program
  • 12 months to completion
  • Cohort-based program with new cohorts starting annually at the beginning of each summer
  • Cost $585 per credit hour
  • Students can apply for the MI future educator stipend (up to $9,600) (this is a no strings attached grant available to anyone student teaching in a public or charter school)
  • Graduate loans are available (up to $20,500)

  Frequently-asked Questions

  What if my bachelor's degree is in a different subject than one in which I want to teach?
  If you do not have a bachelor’s degree in an approved certifiable content area, it is likely you will need to take some additional courses in the desired content area before beginning the Calvin MAT program. We encourage you to contact Shari Brouwer if this is something you are considering.

  What if I already have a teaching certificate?
  If you already have a teaching certificate this program is probably not for you. If your goal is to earn a graduate degree in education, consider our Master of Education program. If you have a teaching certificate but would like to pursue an additional endorsement, contact Shari Brouwer to explore options.

  I'm an international student, am I eligible for this program?
  Yes, international students are eligible to apply for this program but unfortunately not into this first cohort (summer 2023) while the U.S. government processes the request to add this program. Once that approval has come in, international students will need to complete requirements for obtaining a student visa.

  When are applications due?
  The program is cohort-based and only starts at the beginning of summer term each year. Since this is the first year of the program, in 2023 we will allow students to apply up to one week prior to the start of the first day of class.

• Admission

  Complete Calvin's graduate application. You will need:

  • Interest in working with middle or high school students.
  • Bachelor’s degree with an approved certifiable content area from a regionally-accredited college or university.
  • Grade point average of 2.8 or greater. Graduate coursework and/or work history will be considered.
  • An essay outlining why you have chosen teaching as a profession and why you have selected Calvin’s MAT program for professional preparation.
  • A current resume.
  • Submission of two letters of professional recommendation.
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
  • An interview with members of the MAT team, which will be scheduled after all application documents are submitted.
  • Attempt the appropriate Michigan Test for Teacher Certification subject test. If you do not pass the first attempt, you may enter the program with the understanding that you must retake and pass the test for teacher certification.
• Advising

  

  Shari Brouwer

  Certification and Assessment Coordinator
  Full profile

  • Phone: (616) 526-6208
  • shari.brouwer@calvin.edu
  • Education
  • SC 398

  

  Erek Kooyman

  Affiliate Professor
  Full profile

  • erek.kooyman@calvin.edu
  • Education
• Courses

  Course number	Course name
  EDUC 103	Introduction to Education
  EDUC 240	The Social Context of Education
  EDUC 241	Inclusive Teaching: Ability, Language, and Multicultural Education
  EDUC 243	Teaching and Learning Lab
  EDUC 249	The Christian Teacher
  EDUC 399	Philosophy of Education
  EDUC 507	Curriculum, Instruction, and Content Area Literacy
  EDUC 508	Internship I
  EDUC 510	Framing Questions, Global Forces, Constraining Structures
  EDUC 546	Student Teaching Internship
  EDUC 554	Pathways to Inclusion: Re-examining Beliefs about Learners
  EDUC 559	Student Teaching Seminar
  EDUC 590	Independent Study