Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Programs of Study

The Master of Arts in Teaching program has options leading to teaching licensure in elementary, middle level, secondary level, early childhood/special education integrated birth through kindergarten, and special education K-12. This program is designed to provide a means for candidates already holding a bachelor’s degree to obtain teaching licensure at the Birth-K, K-6, 4-8, 7-12, or K-12 grade level. The degree will be offered at two locations - the main campus in Searcy and Harding University in Northwest Arkansas. Two tracks are offered for candidates to complete this degree - Provisional Licensure Track and Traditional Student Teaching Track.

There are six program options, and areas of licensure are listed below:

1. Master of Arts in Teaching - Elementary (K-6) (MAT-ELED)  
2. Master of Arts in Teaching - Middle Level (4-8) (MAT-MLL)  
   Candidates must choose a minimum of two areas in which to license:

• Language Arts
• Math
• Science
• Social Sciences

3. Master of Arts in Teaching - 7-12 (MAT-SLST)  

• Drama
• English
• Family and Consumer Science
• Life Science
• Mathematics
• Physical Science
• Social Sciences (Arkansas History course required)
• Speech
• Approved additional subjects available

4. Master of Arts in Teaching - K-12 (MAT-SLKT)  

• Art
• Drama/Speech
• Foreign Language (French/Latin/Spanish)
• Music (Vocal/Instrumental)
• Kinesiology and Health

5. Master of Arts in Teaching - Special Education K-12 (MAT-SPKT)  
6. Master of Arts in Teaching - Early Childhood/Special Education Integrated (B-K) (MAT-SPBK)  

Candidates pursuing Birth-K, Elementary K-6, Middle-Level 4-8, 7-12, or K-12 licensure can select one of two tracks for completing the program.

Program Information

Admission requirements for the Master of Arts in Teaching (both tracks):

1. Complete the online application.

2. Request official transcripts* be sent directly from previous institutions to mat@harding.edu.

   *Note: Harding alumni and current students do not need to request Harding transcripts as they are on file.

3. Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by an agency nationally recognized by the US Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or higher, or a GPA of 2.9 on the last 60 hours. 
4. Assessments and Test Scores -
   1. Grit Scale
   2. Praxis^® Subject Assessment exams - Scores must meet the state requirement minimums and may be earned prior to or during the first semester.
   3. TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language - international students with visas allowing them to work in the United States must meet University policy in the Graduate Catalog for acceptable TOEFL scores.
5. Demonstrate appropriate dispositions of an educator through the completion of a disposition instrument(s).
6. Three letters of recommendation are required from people familiar with the applicant’s professional or academic performance.
7. Documentation of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) immunizations.
8. Provide documentation of Science of Reading (Phase 1) in the Prescribed Pathway Credentials listed here. Those who have not completed this credential at admission must provide this documentation prior to completing their program of study at Harding University.
9. Submit a satisfactory criminal background check to the Arkansas State Police, the FBI, and a Child Maltreatment Central Registry Check to the Arkansas Department of Human Services as required by the state of Arkansas.
10. Track I: Provisional Licensure applicants must also:
    1. Procure a teaching position within a K-12 school system. Special Education K-12 and Early Childhood/Special Education Integrated (B-K) candidates may procure a teaching position after completing SPED 6060  and one additional special education course (six hours total) and passing the Praxis^® Subject Assessment(s).
    2. Complete the Arkansas Department of Education application for a provisional teaching license.
    3. Submit a copy of ADE Provisional Teaching License prior to beginning teaching.

Provisional Admission

Applicants may be admitted provisionally for one semester without submitting a Praxis^® Subject Assessment score, but only if they have submitted documentation of registration for the next available Praxis^® Subject Assessment in their area of licensure. 

Other Program Requirements

Upon acceptance into the program, students must consult with the director of their program concerning the required course of study, register for classes online through Campus Pipeline each semester, and complete financial registration with the Business Office online.

Graduate students taking 5000-level courses concurrently with undergraduate students taking the corresponding 3000- and 4000-level courses will be assigned additional work.

All program requirements must be completed within a period of eight years from the time of acceptance into the program. Coursework taken more than eight years before graduation will not be acceptable.

Transfer Students

Correspondence credit will not apply toward the master’s degree. Students may transfer from other graduate schools, subject to the approval of the chair of graduate studies, a maximum of 6 semester hours of resident graduate work in which they have earned a grade of B or higher. All coursework to be transferred must be completed before a student’s last semester.

Academic Standing Requirements

These requirements are common to all programs in education and are listed in the Cannon-Clary College of Education  section.

Degree Requirements and Curriculum

Requests for degree may be submitted prior to a student’s final semester but must be submitted no later than the first week of the final semester. The graduation fee must be paid to the Business Office the last semester before graduation.

To earn a Master of Arts in Teaching degree, a student following Track 1 or Track 2 must successfully complete the following 35 semester hours of coursework. The Track 1 program is designed to be completed within two years. Track 2 students must complete all requirements within eight years of beginning their program of study.