The Path to Earning your MAT Degree

The MAT, or Master of Arts in Teaching, is a great option for career-changers like you who want to be on the fast track to getting classroom experience. Unlike most education-focused master’s programs, the MAT doesn't require any past teaching experience, and you can qualify for the program with a bachelor’s degree in a wide range of majors.

In other words, the MAT is the degree path designed for career-changers like you.

Unlike other degrees that may focus more on education theory, the MAT is designed to provide the practical skills you’ll need to succeed as a teacher. You’ll learn about subjects including classroom management, planning and instruction, evaluation and assessment, and how to teach your specific subject of interest, such as elementary education, or math, science, and history at the middle and high school levels.

In addition to what you’ll learn, you’ll also get field experience by being placed in a classroom to work with and learn from an experienced teacher and eventually teach your own class as part of the program.

How long it takes to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree depends on your state, your program, and your level of prior experience.

Many people who enroll, for example, have some paraprofessional teaching experience providing support to teachers and students, though not yet leading a classroom on their own. Applicants who already have experience may be able to waive certain courses or eligibility requirements.

Most students (especially career-changers!) who enroll in MAT programs don’t have any prior experience. That’s perfectly okay, because the programs are primarily designed with these people in mind.

MAT programs typically take about two years to complete, sometimes less. Because it’s a practically focused program, the good news is that you can be in the classroom getting field experience very early in your coursework.

Eligibility requirements will vary by state and program, but you can expect that you’ll need to complete a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, provide transcripts and letters of recommendation, pass any needed qualifying exams, and meet a minimum GPA requirement. 

However, because teachers are in such demand, requirements are becoming increasingly more flexible.

What’s really exciting is that master’s-level teachers enjoy a much higher earning potential than those with a bachelor’s degree. The countrywide average salary for teachers with an MAT is about $77,400 – $97,900. In Tennessee, which has a much lower cost of living than the national average, the salary range is about $61,900 – $73,610.

MSEd vs. MAT: What’s the Difference?

In your research, you’ve probably also come across the MSEd (Master of Science in Education) as a possible path for you. Also commonly referred to as MEd, think of the MSEd as a degree program for already-licensed teachers who want to further their education, hone their discipline, and increase their earning potential.

The timeline for an MSEd is similar to the MAT in that it takes about two years to complete, but the programs are structured very differently—this is the biggest contrast between the two degrees.

MSEd students often have ambitions of becoming school administrators so they can influence policy and change at a larger scale or specialize their focus in one area of education, such as curriculum development or special education. In an MSEd program, they’ll learn more about the business side of education or teaching theory and differentiating instruction that will help prepare them for those types of roles.

Those pursuing an MSEd choose a specialty that aligns with their career interests, such as Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Psychology, Educational Leadership and Policy, and Special Education.

The vast majority of MSEd students already have their own classrooms and are completing their assignments there, which might involve implementing new teaching methods or challenging students in more innovative ways.

MAT students, on the other hand, are not in their own classrooms yet. Some of them might be paraprofessionals or working as teacher’s assistants, but they are not the teacher of record.

The requirements for enrolling in an MSEd program will vary depending on your school, but you will need to hold a completed bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, provide transcripts and letters of recommendation, meet a minimum GPA requirement, and earn state teaching certification.

You’ll also get to choose a specialty that aligns with your career interests, such as Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Leadership and Policy, and Special Education.