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The M.A.T. program in Elementary Education is a 51 credit-hour degree designed for “career changers” to teach in the elementary grades 2 through 6.  Candidates may or may not have taken any education courses as undergraduates.

Learning Outcomes

Development, Learning, and Motivation

• Development, Learning, and Motivation—-Candidates know, understand, and use the major concepts, principles, theories, and research related to development of children and young adolescents to construct learning opportunities that support individual students’ development, acquisition of knowledge, and motivation.

Curriculum Standards

• Reading, Writing, and Oral Language—-Candidates demonstrate a high level of competence in use of English language arts and they know, understand, and use concepts from reading, language and child development, to teach reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening, and thinking skills and to help students successfully apply their developing skills to many different situations, materials, and ideas.
• Science—-Candidates know, understand, and use fundamental concepts of physical, life, and earth/space sciences.  Candidates can design and implement age-appropriate inquiry lessons to teach science, to build student understanding for personal and social applications, and to convey the nature of science.
• Mathematics—-Candidates know, understand, and use the major concepts and procedures that define number and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis and probability.  In doing so they consistently engage problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connections, and representation.
• Social studies—-Candidates know, understand, and use the major concepts and modes of inquiry from the social studies—-the integrated study of history, geography, the social sciences, and other related areas—-to promote elementary students’ abilities to make informed decisions as citizens of a culturally diverse democratic society and interdependent world.
• The arts—-Candidates know, understand, and use—-as appropriate to their own understanding and skills—-the content, functions, and achievements of the performing arts (dance, music, theater) and the visual arts as primary media for communication, inquiry, and engagement among elementary students.
• Health education—-Candidates know, understand, and use the major concepts in the subject matter of health education to create opportunities for student development and practice of skills that contribute to good health.
• Physical education—-Candidates know, understand, and use—-as appropriate to their own understanding and skills—-human movement and physical activity as central elements to foster active, healthy life styles and enhanced quality of life for elementary students.

Instruction Standards

• Integrating and applying knowledge for instruction—-Candidates plan and implement instruction based on knowledge of students, learning theory, connections across the curriculum, curricular goals, and community.
• Adaptation to diverse students—-Candidates understand how elementary students differ in their development and approaches to learning, and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse students.
• Development of critical thinking and problem solving—-Candidates understand and use a variety of teaching strategies that encourage elementary students’ development of critical thinking and problem solving.
• Active engagement in learning—-Candidates use their knowledge and understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior among students at the K-6 level to foster active engagement in learning, self motivation, and positive social interaction and to create supportive learning environments.
• Communication to foster collaboration—-Candidates use their knowledge and understanding of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the elementary classroom.

Assessment Standards

• Assessment for instruction—-Candidates know, understand, and use formal and informal assessment strategies to plan, evaluate and strengthen instruction that will promote continuous intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of each elementary student.

Professionalism Standards

• Professional growth, reflection, and evaluation—-Candidates are aware of and reflect on their practice in light of research on teaching, professional ethics, and resources available for professional learning; they continually evaluate the effects of their professional decisions and actions on students, families and other professionals in the learning community and actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally.
• Collaboration with families, colleagues, and community agencies—-Candidates know the importance of establishing and maintaining a positive collaborative relationship with families, school colleagues, and agencies in the larger community to promote the intellectual, social, emotional, physical growth and well-being of children.

Admission

1. To be considered for admission, all application materials must be on file in the USC Graduate School by the September 15 (for spring or summer admission) deadline.
2. Upon verification of all requirements, the applicant will interview with Elementary faculty.

Degree Requirements (51 Hours)

Students must complete the following requirements: