Department of Social Sciences

MAT Degree, Social Sciences

MAT Coordinator: Dr. Darla Mallein, dmallein@emporia.edu

This program may be pursued full time during the academic years, or during summers only. A number of courses are also offered in the evenings during the academic year for commuters. Many of the summer and evening classes are designed for social studies teachers.

Full-time students can apply for graduate teaching assistantships. Decisions are made for the entire academic year in the preceding spring semester; interested students should apply no later than February 1.

Admission Requirements

The following are minimum requirements (meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission):

Completion of a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with an overall GPA of not less than 2.5 in last 60 hours
Grade point average of not less than 3.0 in social science courses which apply to social science teaching fields (GPA less than 3.0 may result in probationary admission to MAT program, as described below)
License to teach in the secondary Social Sciences (or have completed all the requirements for post-baccalaureate licensure in the secondary Social Sciences).

The following items must be submitted to the Graduate Office before your admission status can be determined:

Graduate application to Graduate Office
Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended (Send to Graduate Office)
A one-two page statement of purpose that explains why applicant wants to pursue an MAT and how MAT can develop the applicant's skills as a Critical Thinker, Creative Planner, and Effective Practitioner
Two letters of recommendation from college instructors or employers
A sample daily lesson plan that is tied to state standards and includes behavioral objectives, materials needed to teach the lesson, an introductory activity, detailed procedures that explain the learning activities, and a description of how the objectives will be assessed. Applicants should also provide a rationale for their objectives, activities, and assessment.

Admission Decisions

The MAT coordinator will evaluate all application packets on the basis of each candidate's capacity for advanced study in the teaching of social studies.

Candidates may be admitted according to the following status:

Accepted: no restrictions
Accepted Conditionally: used for graduating seniors who must obtain a Bachelor's degree and licensure before admission and/or used for students in process of completing post-baccalaureate licensure. Their final GPA must be evaluated, and if necessary, they will be admitted on a probationary basis.
Accepted with Probationary Requirements: Candidates must achieve a 3.0 GPA in their first 6 or 9 hours of study, the number to be determined by MAT coordinator.

Program Requirements

The 36 required hours* are distributed as follows:

12 hours either in one Social Science subject area or 6 hours in each of two areas that will be designated as an area(s) of concentration. These concentration areas include: American history, world history, geography, political science, anthropology, sociology, and economics.
3 hours in each of two areas other than areas of concentration.
3 hours in SS740, Seminar in Teaching the Social Sciences
3 hours in SS842, Master's Project
6 hours in any of the Social Sciences or (with approval of the MAT adviser) 6 hours in a second teaching field outside the Social Sciences
6 hours from the Teachers College which includes:

3 hours in ED/EL 865 Advanced Theory and Practice in Teaching
3 hours in IT700 Foundations of Instructional Technology

*At least 22 hours must be earned in courses numbered 700 and above.

Candidates must obtain approval from the MAT Coordinator before enrolling in, adding, dropping, or withdrawing from classes each semester. They must also obtain approval from the MAT Coordinator before enrolling in independent studies or courses outside of the department.

Satisfactory Progress and Degree Candidacy

After Candidates have completed a minimum of 6 hours of graduate study, the MAT Coordinator will determine if they are making satisfactory progress so that conditional or probationary status (if any) can be repealed and MAT candidacy granted or denied.

Satisfactory progress entails a minimum GPA of 3.0. Candidates who are not making satisfactory progress will be informed by the MAT Coordinator in writing that they must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 in coursework taken over the next semester or they will be denied candidacy and asked to terminate their graduate study.

If degree candidacy can be granted, the MAT Coordinator and the Candidate will complete a degree plan, which the MAT Coordinator will file with the Graduate Office. This degree plan must be filed at least two semesters prior to graduation date.

Advisory Committee

After being admitted to candidacy and filing a degree plan, the Candidate and MAT Coordinator will select members of the advisory committee. The MAT Coordinator will serve as the chair for all MAT candidates; however, candidates may select the other two members of the committee. The members of the committee must represent the Candidate's area(s) of concentration, e.g. if American history and geography are selected as the areas of concentration, then the Candidate must choose a committee member from each of those subject areas. If the Candidate only has one area of concentration, at least one member must be from that subject area. The faculty members on this committee will approve the MAT Project Proposal and evaluate the Candidate's oral defense of his or her research project.

Candidates should choose a topic and prepare a project proposal by their third semester of study. The advisory committee must approve this proposal. When the Candidate has produced a satisfactory version of the proposal, the Candidate and the MAT director will establish a timeline for its completion, defense, and final revision. Candidates must pass an oral defense on his or her research project when he or she nears completion of the degree. At the time of the oral defense, committee members will vote as a group whether or not to accept the MAT project pending recommended revisions. At least two of the three committee members must vote that the project was satisfactory. The MAT Coordinator will be responsible for submitting the committee's final evaluation to the Chair of the Social Sciences.

Graduation Requirements

All graduate courses used to meet the requirements for the MAT in Social Sciences must result in a B- grade or higher or a P.

Candidates must compile a portfolio that contains at least six papers and/or projects: four from their area(s) of concentration, one from Seminar in Teaching Social Sciences, and one from a Teachers College course. Candidates will submit the portfolio by the tenth week of the last semester of study. If the last semester of study occurs during the summer, the Candidate and MAT Coordinator will decide upon a due date for the portfolio. Included in the portfolio will be a self-reflective letter that demonstrates an understanding of the integration of the social sciences and describes how the Candidate has met the goals of the program, i.e., how the Candidate has improved his or her skills as a Critical Thinker, Creative Planner, and Effective Practitioner.

Total: 36 Required Hours*

12 hours in Area(s) of Concentration:
Choose either 12 hours in one subject area or 6 hours in two subject areas. The concentration areas include: American history, world history, geography, political science, anthropology, sociology, and economics.
6 hours in two areas outside of area(s) of concentration; i.e. that is 3 hours each in two areas other than area(s) of concentration.
6 hours in any of the Social Sciences or (with approval of MAT adviser) 6 hours in a second teaching field outside the Social Sciences.
3 hours in SS740 Seminar in Teaching the Social Sciences
3 hours in SS842 Master's Project
6 hours from the Teachers College which includes:
3 hours in ED/EL Advanced Theory and Practice in Teaching
3 hours in IT700 Foundations of Instructional Technology

* At least 22 hours must be earned in courses numbered 700 and above