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B.S. in Actuarial Science

Otterbein University Course Catalogs

2010-2011 Graduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2010-2011 Graduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Master of Arts in Teaching


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Knowledge Base: Theme Statement

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program is designed to provide a graduate route to teacher licensure in Middle Childhood Education for grades 4-9 for individuals who have earned a baccalaureate degree. The MAT program is developmentally based, encourages critical reflection, and is committed to graduating entry-level teachers capable of creating and working within learning communities which maximize the potential of all learners. Students select two teaching/content areas from Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

The MAT program requires a minimum of 50 quarter hours of graduate work and 33-40 hours of course work in each of two selected teaching/content areas. Additional undergraduate course work may be required to qualify for teacher licensure. An unofficial transcript evaluation will be provided during an initial interview with the Education Advisor in the Center for Continuing Studies, Towers Hall 23, 614-823-1356. Official transcript evaluations are usually completed within one quarter of a student’s first registration, upon receipt of all official transcripts.

The MAT program is designed to be a part-time program, with graduate course work offered evenings and weekends. However, some undergraduate course work required for licensure may be offered in the daytime or may be taken at another institution. The culmination of the program requires a full-time, day-time Internship in the schools during winter and spring quarters of the final year. Most students complete the MAT in 2-3 years, depending on the number of hours they have to complete for licensure.

The MAT program leads to an Ohio four-year Middle Childhood resident educator license for grades 4-9. If interested in licensure in other states, it is the responsibility of the student to see that requirements of other states are met. Information on licensure may be obtained from the Division of Teacher Education and Certification of the Department of Education of the state in question.

Teacher licensure is simplified in many states through Interstate Reciprocity Agreements and through graduation from Otterbein University, an institution accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Most states also require that teachers pass a teacher competency test prior to licensure (e.g., PRAXIS II).

Admission

Admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program is open to persons of good character who hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, and who give evidence of the intellectual, academic and personal ability to succeed in graduate studies and become effective classroom teachers. Admission to the MAT programs for persons who hold professional or specialized degrees may be possible, but deficiencies in general education will usually require additional course work at the undergraduate level prior to full admission. Admission shall not be denied on the basis of gender, race, sexual orientation, creed, color, national origin, or handicap.

An interview with the Education Advisor in the Office of Continuing Studies is required prior to submission of the application materials. Students are not permitted to register for more than 15 hours of graduate credit (no limit on undergraduate hours) before they are admitted to the MAT program. Materials required for admission to the MAT program should be submitted to the Center for Continuing Studies at the address listed below. All contents of the admission file become the legal property of the University and are not returnable or transferable.

All admission materials including transcripts must be submitted to:
Center for Continuing Studies
Towers Hall, Room 23
Otterbein University
1 South Grove Street
Westerville, OH 43081

There are five Decision Points in the MAT program where progress of the candidate is reviewed and approval is needed to continue.

Point 1: Criteria for Registration in MAT courses

  1. Completed Admissions application.
  2. Interview with an Education Advisor in the Center for Continuing Studies, and completion of admission acknowledgment form.
  3. Official transcripts for all previous college and/or university course work. In order to be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the Center for Continuing Studies. If hand-delivered, transcripts must be in an unopened envelope from the issuing institution. The minimum overall undergraduate grade point average is 2.75 based on the A=4.0 system; students must also have a minimum gpa of 2.5 in each of their selected content areas.

Point 2: Criteria for Admission to the MAT Degree Program  

In addition to the criteria listed under decision point 1:

  1. Minimum undergraduate grade point average for admission of 2.75 based on the A=4.0 system.
  2. Acceptable scores (Verbal = 450 or higher; Quantitative = 530 or higher) on the Graduate Record Examination.
  3. Two letters of recommendation supporting the applicant’s qualifications to succeed in graduate school and to enter the teaching profession. Forms are available in the Education Department and Center for Continuing Studies.
  4. A two-part written essay reflecting on the qualities of effective teachers (see MAT Advisor for specific essay instructions).
  5. Documentation of at least 25 hours of evaluated field experience working with young adolescents in grades 4-9, preferably in a school setting. Previous experience within the past five years may be documented and used to fulfill this requirement. Non- Credit Field Experience forms are available from the Center for Continuing Studies or from the Education Department. An additional 25 hours of evaluated field experiences must be fulfilled before candidates are accepted as Degree Candidates. The 25 hours required in EDUC 503 (Educational Psychology) or field hours associated with other MAT courses may be used to fulfill either of these field requirements. Clinical hours will not be accepted in lieu of the evaluated field experience for admission to program.
  6. The Graduate Education Committee may consider other data related to success in teaching at the discretion of the committee.
  7. Upon committee request, an interview with MAT faculty may be required.

Conditional Admission to the MAT Degree Program
Any variation from the stated criteria may be submitted to the Graduate Education Committee for consideration. The Graduate Education Committee may grant conditional admission, but must inform the candidate in writing of the reasons for conditional admission and how the conditions of admission are to be satisfied. The Graduate Education Committee reserves the right to reject any candidate who does not meet the outlined criteria.

Point 3: Degree Candidacy

Students in good standing (e.g., 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate course work; 2.5 GPA in each teaching area) will be required to apply for degree candidacy during the quarter that 25 quarter hours of graduate work will be completed.

  1. A degree candidacy application form (available at http://www.otterbein.edu/education/department-forms.asp) signed by the student and the student’s faculty advisor must be submitted to the Education Department’s Director of Graduate Programs, including course work completed and plan for completing the program. Student must attach a degree audit.
  2. Documentation of at least 25 hours of additional evaluated field experience working with young adolescents in grades 4-9, preferably in a school setting. See point 2 for additional information.
  3. The Graduate Education Committee will examine the record of the candidate, admit the student to degree candidacy status or deny candidacy and advise the student to discontinue the program. Students admitted to degree candidacy may continue their program as planned unless modifications in the program have been noted by the Graduate Education Committee.
  4. Degree Candidacy status is required for admission to the Internship.

Point 4: Internship

The MAT Internship includes two quarters of full-time experience in the schools during winter and spring terms as the culmination of the MAT program.

  1. An application for the Internship, signed by the student and the student’s faculty advisor, is to be submitted to the Director of Field Experiences during January, 1 year prior to the internship. An update of course work completed or a plan for completing it must be included in the application if submitted a different quarter than the application for Degree Candidacy. Applications for the Internship and subsequent placement in the schools are approved by the Director of Field Experiences.
  2. MAT students must be admitted as Degree Candidates in order to be eligible for the Internship.
  3. Successful completion of the winter term Methods Internship with a 3.0 or above and recommendation of the Methods Internship instructor are required to be placed for the spring term Student Teaching Internship.
  4. Participation in an interdisciplinary methods class and two content area methods classes are required during the MAT Methods Internship.
  5. A weekly Seminar is required during the MAT Student Teaching Internship,
  6. An electronic portfolio for middle childhood must be completed during the Methods Internship, and an electronic exit portfolio must be completed during the student teaching internship.
  7. Successful completion of the Student Teaching Internship with a 3.0 or above and recommendation of the Supervisor and Seminar instructor are required to be recommended for licensure.
  8. There is a one-time fee for the Student Teaching Internship. Please consult the college’s website or contact the Business Office for a complete list of fees.
  9. Fingerprinting and background checks are required prior to beginning the two-quarter Internship and are valid for 12 months. TB tests may be required for some districts. Information about finger printing and background checks is available in the Education Department office.
  10. MAT students are advised not to work or take other course work during the two quarters of the Internship. Students who choose to do so will not be excused from any of their teaching responsibilities, including before and after school professional obligations. Outside personal obligations cannot be taken into consideration when evaluating the performance of a candidate.
  11. An unsuccessful Internship may result in a candidate having to repeat the Internship or graduate without a recommendation for licensure, with approval of the Chairperson of the Education Department or the Director of Graduate Programs.

Point 5: Program Completion

Students must submit a Request for Degree Application to the Office of the Registrar two quarters prior to the completion of all graduate work. This form may be obtained at the Registrar’s Office or from the Registrar’s web page at www.otterbein.edu, under the intranet link. All financial obligations must be met before students may participate in graduation, receive their transcripts, or receive their diploma.
The following criteria must be fulfilled to complete the MAT Program:

  1. A 3.0 cumulative graduate grade point average.
  2. An approved MAT electronic portfolio.
  3. Successful completion of 50 hours of graduate professional education coursework, including all required course work and clinical/field experiences.

Licensure Requirements

  1. Fingerprinting and Background Checks
    Valid fingerprinting and background checks must be filed with the Ohio Departmentof Education prior to applying for a license.
  1. PRAXIS II
    Before a teaching license is awarded, the Ohio Department of Education requires the applicant to pass the appropriate Praxis examinations. Candidates are eligible for the content area tests whenever their course work is completed; however, the Principles of Teaching and Learning should be taken following the Methods Internship. Test information booklets and a PRAXIS II Information Sheet listing the specific tests required are available in the Education Department. More information and study guides are available at www.ets.org.
  1. To be recommended for Middle Childhood Licensure, candidates must successfully complete both the Methods Internship (EDUC 542) and Student Teaching Internship (EDUC 597) with a grade of B or above. If the candidate is not recommended for licensure, he/she may petition the Education Department’s Director of Graduate Programs to seek permission to repeat the Internship or to complete the MAT degree without licensure.

Program Completion

Please refer to Point Five (Program Completion) in Admission section.

Grade Policy 

For students seeking a Master’s degree, a minimum grade of C is required in all graduate course work. If a grade lower than a C is earned the course must be repeated and a grade of C or higher must be earned in order to satisfactorily complete the course. Two courses, the Methods Internship (EDUC 542) and Student Teaching Internship (EDUC 597) must be completed with a grade of B or above in order for the student to be recommended for Middle Childhood Licensure. A cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required in order to remain in good standing and to graduate. Please refer to the Academic Standing Policy in the Academic Policies section of this catalog.

Residence Requirement

A student is considered to be in residence when registered for graduate course work offered by or through Otterbein University. MAT students must complete at least 35 quarter hours of graduate course work offered by or through Otterbein University.

MAT Program Curriculum

Transcripts of undergraduate credit submitted by applicants will be evaluated with reference to the specific content required by the Ohio Department of Education and other regulatory bodies. An unofficial transcript evaluation will be included in the initial interview with the Education Advisor in Continuing Studies. An official transcript evaluation will be completed during the first quarter the student is registered, assuming all official transcripts are submitted. In addition to the graduate work required for the MAT degree, additional undergraduate course work may be required to qualify for teacher licensure.

The MAT program allows candidates to take no more than 15 quarter hours of graduate course work before the applicant is admitted to the program; however, there is no limit on undergraduate course work prior to admission.

General Education


Students may get credit for these courses through previous undergraduate work, to be determined by a transcript evaluation:

  • EDUC 170 Phonics and the Structure of Language 5 hrs
  • One course in composition and literature
  • One college level math course
  • One general psychology course
  • One course required from Life Science, Chemistry, Physical Science, Earth Science, or Astronomy
  • One course required from Western Civilization, American History, or American Government

Concentration Areas


Two approved teaching concentration areas from Language Arts/Reading, Mathematics, Science or Social Studies are required. Specific course requirements are outlined on the annual MAT Program Guide, available from the MAT Advisor and in the Education Department Office. Students may receive credit for some of these courses through previous undergraduate work to be determined by a transcript evaluation.

Concentration Areas for Middle Childhood Program (Grades 4 to 9)

(Two Concentration Areas Required)

Language Arts/Reading
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies

Candidates may add a Middle Childhood Generalist endorsement, enabling them to teach four content areas in grades 4-6. See MAT program guide for specific requirements.

Praxis II


MCHD candidates must successfully pass the Praxis II PLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching) and the Praxis II content area test for each content/teaching area. Otterbein University cannot recommend any candidate for licensure who has not passed all of the required tests. Information about the Praxis II tests is available in the Education Department, the Courtright Memorial Library, and on-line at www.ets.org.

Reading Requirements


The State of Ohio requires coursework in teaching reading to teach grades K-6, including the teaching of Phonics. The following courses meet this requirement and are included in the requirements listed above:

EDUC 170 Phonics 5 hrs

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