{"id":3333,"date":"2026-04-07T14:40:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T19:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/?page_id=3333"},"modified":"2026-05-21T10:29:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T15:29:23","slug":"majors-partnering-with-education-to-prepare-future-educators","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/majors-partnering-with-education-to-prepare-future-educators\/","title":{"rendered":"Majors Partnering with Education to Prepare Future Educators"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-3321 size-full\" alt=\"Education students collaborating in class\" src=\"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2026\/04\/20250423-_J5A9690-scaled.jpg\" style=\"object-position:67% 16%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"67% 16%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2026\/04\/20250423-_J5A9690-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2026\/04\/20250423-_J5A9690-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2026\/04\/20250423-_J5A9690-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2026\/04\/20250423-_J5A9690-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2026\/04\/20250423-_J5A9690-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2026\/04\/20250423-_J5A9690-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#a8a2a3\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Students majoring in select subject areas can pursue a pathway that leads to teacher licensure through The W\u2019s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Secondary Education graduate program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">These pathways are designed to allow students to complete their undergraduate degree while preparing for admission into the licensure-track MAT graduate program. By intentionally aligning coursework, students are positioned to transition smoothly to the next step toward becoming licensed educators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:26px\"><strong>How These Pathways Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Students complete a major in a selected subject area <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Coursework is aligned to support future entry into the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT): Secondary Education licensure-track program <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Upon graduation, students may pursue the MAT graduate pathway leading to teacher licensure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Students interested in teaching are encouraged to explore these pathways early and work closely with advisors to ensure proper course alignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:26px\"><strong>Explore Available Pathways<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Students majoring in the areas below may be eligible to pursue educator licensure through Mississippi University for Women\u2019s Accelerated Bachelor\u2019s to Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) pathway. This option allows eligible students to complete an undergraduate degree in their content area while preparing for teacher licensure and graduate-level coursework through the MAT program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Select your major below to learn more about program pathways, advising, and educator preparation opportunities. For questions related to your academic major, please contact the appropriate department chair listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Biology (7-12)<\/strong>: Dr. Ross Whitwam, rewhitwam@muw.edu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Chemistry (7-12)<\/strong>: Dr. Ross Whitwam, rewhitwam@muw.edu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>English (7-12)<\/strong>: Dr. Kendall Dunkelberg, kadunkelberg@muw.edu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Mathematics (7-12)<\/strong>: Dr. Ross Whitwam, rewhitwam@muw.edu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Physical Science (7-12)<\/strong>: Dr. Ross Whitwam, rewhitwam@muw.edu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Social Studies (7-12)<\/strong>: Dr. Kristi DiClemente, kdiclemente@muw.edu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Spanish (K-12)<\/strong>: Dr. Kendall Dunkelberg, kadunkelberg@muw.edu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Theatre (K-12)<\/strong>: Dr. Kathy Newman, knewman1@muw.edu<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:26px\"><strong>Graduate Coursework During Undergraduate Study<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Qualified undergraduate students may have the opportunity to begin graduate-level coursework prior to earning their bachelor\u2019s degree. Students who have completed at least 90 semester hours and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA may, with written approval from the appropriate program coordinator or director, enroll in up to six hours of graduate coursework, as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Students who complete approved MAT graduate coursework during their undergraduate program may be able to accelerate their progress in the MAT program. After graduation and upon full admission to the MAT program, these students will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>complete any remaining initial licensure coursework<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>be eligible for recommendation for licensure at the conclusion of that semester, if all requirements are met<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This pathway can provide a more efficient transition into teaching while maintaining the same high standards for admission, coursework, and licensure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:26px\"><strong>Ready to Teach?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Students who complete an aligned undergraduate pathway may be eligible to continue into the MAT graduate licensure track program, designed to prepare educators for today\u2019s classrooms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">For more information about pathway options and next steps, contact an advisor in the chosen major to begin planning early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">For questions specific to the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Secondary Education program, please contact our program navigator,&nbsp;Christi Dillon, for guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-medium-font-size has-text-align-center has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"mailto:education@muw.edu\" style=\"color:#174074\"><strong>Connect With Us<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-525902c1ef1448f300ce65e357001c98\"><strong>education@muw.edu<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students majoring in select subject areas can pursue a pathway that leads to teacher licensure through The W\u2019s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Secondary Education graduate program. These [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3333","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3333"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3696,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3333\/revisions\/3696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}