Pathway to Teacher Certification at The W
A bachelor’s degree from the Department of Sciences & Mathematics does not on its own qualify a student for a teaching license. If you are interested in teaching Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics at middle- or high-school level, you can qualify for a three-year temporary teaching license upon completing your bachelor's degree in Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics IF, during your senior year, you take courses in the accelerated Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT), qualify for formal admisstion to the MAT program, and pass the Praxis subject exam.
From there, after graduating with the bachelor’s degree and satisfactorily completing 15 credit hours in the MAT, including one year of internship as an employed teacher, the licensure candidate is recommended to the Mississippi Department of Education for the standard 5-year renewable teaching license. Graduation from the MAT program qualifies the teacher for an upgrade to a “AA” license.
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Advising
If you are interested in becoming a middle or high school Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics teacher, you should declare your major early in order to get proper advising.
Students interested in becoming teachers will pursue two overlapping degrees while at MUW -- the BS or BA in their subject area and the MAT. Your advisor will know when required courses are usually offered and can help you decide which electives will allow you to fulfill the required distribution of courses. Without proper advising, you may spend more time earning your degrees.
Students should complete most of their core curriculum and major requirements prior to their senior year. In the fall semester of their senior year, students must complete any remaining requirements and start their accelerated MAT requirements.
Accelerated MAT
The Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics majors all provide pathways to the accelerated Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program.
In the final semester of your junior year, you can apply to enter the Accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching program at The W, where you take up to four graduate classes in your senior year while completing your BS or BA.
Upon earning your Bachelor’s degree, passing the Praxis II exam in your subject area, and being accepted into the full MAT program, you immediately qualify for a temporary 3-year teaching license and can be hired as a full-time teacher of your subject area in grades 7-12.
After finishing the MAT internship year, you can receive a renewable 5-year teaching license.
Completing the remaining MAT courses (available online) qualifies teachers for a Class AA license and a higher salary. The Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics degrees on their own do not lead to licensure; acceptance into an MAT program or another alternate route pathway is required.
Teaching License
If you are accepted in the accelerated MAT program, here is the pathway to temporary and renewable teaching licensure:
~ Complete your BS or BA in Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics.
~ Complete the required 9 graduate credit hours from the accelerated MAT program in your senior year.
~ Pass the Praxis II subject-area exam in Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics.
~ Gain full admission to the online MAT program.
This will qualify you for a three-year, non-renewable Class A Mississippi Educator License.
This temporary teaching license will allow you to secure a full-time teaching position. Your first year of paid teaching will be used to complete the required MAT Teaching Internship. You can use the three years of your temporary license to complete the remaining requirements of the MAT online.
Once you complete the MAT Teaching Internship in your first year, candidates are recommended for a renewable, five-year Class A Mississippi Educator license.
Completion of the MAT program leads to a Class AA license and eligibility for a higher salary.
Minimum Grades
In order to enter the accelerated Masters of Arts in Teaching program in the senior year of their BS or BA, students must maintain an overall 3.0 GPA.
If you chose to enter the MAT program after completing your BS or BA, an overall GPA of 2.75 is required.
Scholarships
There are various STEM scholarships offered by the Department available to current Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics majors who would like to become secondary-level (7-12) teachers. Most of these scholarships are available to all students except those students who are full-ride Centennial Scholars. Amounts awarded are generally in the $500 to $2000 dollar range.
Majors with Pathways to the MAT
Keep in mind that, on their own, the undergraduate degrees offered by the Department of Sciences & Mathematics do not qualify students for teaching licenses. A student interested in becoming a secondary-level (7-12) science or math teacher uses their bachelor’s degree as content-area preparation for the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. In this curricular design, it is admission to and satisfactory progress in the MAT program that qualifies students for teaching licenses.
