Coordinator: Dr. Danné Davis
Office: University Hall, Room 3163
Phone: 973-655-5183
Email: davisd@montclair.edu
Overview
The Master of Arts in Teaching Program in Early Childhood Education and Teacher of Students with Disabilities is a 51 credit program designed to provide graduate students with a master’s degree as well as dual certification: initial certification to teach preschool through third grade (P-3) and certification to teach students with disabilities in P-3 settings. Students who apply to this program must hold a bachelor’s degree in a liberal arts field. In addition, applicants must provide evidence of substantial and meaningful experience with groups of children, including children with special needs.
Montclair State University’s Teacher Education Program is one of the most highly-regarded teacher preparation programs in the country. It has been consistently recognized both nationally and regionally for its unique features, including its structure, partnerships and curricular emphases. The program is considered a model for other colleges and universities and has been accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) continuously since 1954.
The Teacher Education Program’s professional course sequence and field experiences emphasize teaching for critical thinking and culturally responsive teaching. The professional component for both graduate students addresses four broad areas: 1) student development and learning, 2) the classroom and the school, 3) the curriculum, and 4) effective teaching skills.
Admission Information
All candidates must meet application and admission requirements as defined by The Graduate School.
Additional Student Responsibilities:
- Students are responsible for seeking advisement from their academic advisor for registration and completion of degree requirements.
- Students are responsible for completing the Physiology and Hygiene requirement and Speech requirement for state certification.
- Early Childhood Certification requires passing PRAXIS II Early Childhood: Content Knowledge. The test code beginning 9/1/2015 is 5025. (Tests completed prior to 9/1/2015 should be code 5022/0022). Information on the PRAXIS test is available in the Center of Pedagogy office in University Hall.
- All MAT students must register to take the Comprehensive Exam during the Clinical I semester. The exam is administered once in the spring and fall semesters. Registration for the fall exam is due October 1st and February 15th for the spring exam. Registration forms and information on the Comprehensive Exam may be found on the department website.
- It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with all policies designated in the graduate catalog and the current Center of Pedagogy Teacher Education Handbook.
- Students are required to apply to the Center of Pedagogy for Clinical I placement the semester before placement begins. The deadline to apply is March 1 for fall placement and October 1 for January placement.
- In order to complete the program, students must file proper forms in the Registrar’s Office – October 1 for May graduation, March 1 for August graduation, and June 1 for January graduation.
- Applications for Certification are required to be submitted to the Registrar’s Office during the following period: October 15 to November 15 for January graduation, March 15 to April 15 for May graduation, and July 1 to August 1 for August graduation.
- Any variation from this work program must be approved by the Graduate School through the proper filing of a substitution form.