Earn Your Master of Arts in Teaching at Southern
Calling all future teachers! If you have a passion for helping others learn and you're looking for a fulfilling new career, then earning your MAT can help you begin your career as an educator.
Why Should You Become a Teacher?
In today's professional landscape, people are more focused than ever on finding careers that offer flexibility, growth, and the opportunity to do work that ignites their personal and professional passions.
If you’re someone who's looking to find deeper fulfillment in your career, enjoys spending time helping others, and wants to bring about real change, then you may want to consider teaching as a career change.
Right now, there is a huge need for licensed teachers all over the country—which means that school districts everywhere are streamlining the requirements to become a teacher in order to usher in more passionate professionals like you.
If you feel that helping to teach the next generation of learners, thinkers, and creators is something you’re called to do, it has never been easier to answer that call.
Here at Southern Adventist University, our MAT program is designed to bring passion, faith, and a mission-minded focus to the classroom. Our graduates enter an in-demand field with the confidence and experience needed to begin their teaching careers.
First, let’s take a look at what opportunities are available for MAT graduates.
If you're ready to begin your journey back to the classroom, we want to help you get there.
We've all had many teachers in our lives, so we each have some idea of how teachers operate and what their day-to-day looks like. But how exactly do they get there, and how did they learn to do it?
Here are a few examples of what you'll learn in the MAT program to help prepare you for becoming a successful teacher.
Classroom Management
This is the process by which teachers and schools ensure that their classroom runs smoothly and without disruptive behavior from their students. You'll learn to maintain appropriate conduct from your students by creating a structured learning environment with clear rules that promote learning.
Evaluation and Assessment
While distinct from each other, evaluation and assessment often go hand-in-hand. Assessment is feedback from the student to the instructor about what and how they're learning. Evaluation, on the other hand, uses methods and measures to judge student learning and understanding of the material for purposes of grading and reporting. You'll feel confident with both.
Planning and Instruction
It's not just about what the students learn, but how they learn it. Through the MAT program, you'll learn strategies for creating effective lesson plans that are both engaging and informational so your students can learn the information and have fun doing it. You'll also learn how to pull meaningful insights from the classroom and adjust your lesson plans for future use.
Your Specialty Subject
Whatever your desired area of specialty is, such as elementary ed, mathematics, science, history, or language arts, you'll have the opportunity to learn different methods for teaching the material. In each discipline, there are many different approaches to which you'll be exposed and you'll have the opportunity to determine which one works the best for you and your students.
What Salaries Can You Earn with an MAT?
Salary ranges for teachers vary widely based on your location, level of experience, subject matter, whether you teach in a private or public school, and many other factors. You also have the ability to increase your salary by earning additional certifications and taking on leadership responsibilities within the school.
Within the field of education, you'll have the opportunity to pursue career advancement opportunities outside of the classroom as well.
Many teachers go on to pursue administrative roles such as being principal, superintendent, consultant, and other opportunities in education.
Here's a quick snapshot of the salaries you could earn in the education field:
Teachers with an MAT (National Average)
$77,400 – $97,900
Teachers with an MAT (Tennesee Average)
$61,900 – $73,610
Principal
$112,139
Superintendent
$168,950
Education Consultant
$78,122
The Career-Changer's Guide to Becoming a Teacher
Career changing is becoming increasingly common. If you've been thinking about switching to a teaching career, then you should download our eBook: The Career Changer's Guide to Becoming a Teacher.
Inside this interactive experience, you'll find insights into:
- The benefits of being a teacher
- What it takes to be successful as a teacher
- The difference between an MAT and MEd
- What the path to becoming a teacher looks like
- What makes Southern's program unique
The MAT Application Process
Eligibility and Prerequisites
- Bachelor's degree: A bachelor’s degree (in any area) from an accredited program
- GPA requirement: A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.00
Admission Process
- Graduate application: Submit a graduate application (with non-refundable fee of $40).
- Transcripts: Submit official college and university transcripts.
- Recommendations: Submit two recommendation forms (completed by work supervisors or professors).
- Statement: Submit a statement of purpose. View guidelines
- Resumé: Submit your current resumé through your Application Status Page.
- Background check: Successfully complete an approved background check. Download form
- Criminal-Record Release and Declaration: Submit the Criminal-Record Release and Declaration. Download form
Application Deadlines
Scroll Horizontally ->
TERM
U.S. RESIDENTS
INTERNATIONAL
Fall
July 1
May 1
Winter
October 1
September 1
Summer
April 1
N/A
A Faith-Based Approach to Teaching
As a faith-based education program, we'll help you prepare to bring Christian values such as acceptance, compassion, humility, and servant leadership into your classrooms.
However, our program is open to all backgrounds and beliefs. We believe that our nurturing, relationship-based learning environment will help create the next generation of compassionate, thoughtful, and dedicated teachers.
Looking for More Program Information?
We’d love to chat more with you about the specifics of the MAT program! You can request additional program information or schedule a meeting with a Southern representative below.
Meet the Faculty Who’ll Guide Your Journey to Becoming a Teacher
We practice what we preach, and we live what we teach. Our team of education professionals is passionate about sharing their love for teaching with others. Southern's Education faculty bring decades of experience to the classroom and through the course of the program, you'll have the opportunity to learn from them, build relationships, and sharpen your skills with their support.
Meet our wonderful team below. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them with questions!
Why Southern?
Our flexible MAT program has an online component to help you earn your degree without putting the rest of your life on hold. And, unlike most programs that offer flexible schedules, we don’t require weekend classes.
More flexible. More affordable. More valuable.