Teaching, with Teacher Certification in Preschool through Grade 3 (M.A.T.)
The Master of Arts in Teaching Program in Early Childhood Education is a program designed for individuals who are deeply committed to constructing developmentally appropriate practices for teachers of young learners. Students applying to this program seek to develop their role as a teaching professional in an early childhood setting. This graduate program will lead to a master's degree as well as an initial certification to teach P-3. Applicants to this program must hold a bachelor’s degree in a liberal arts field (minimum of 60 credits of liberal arts), complete admission application, meet the admission requirements and submit score on the PRAXIS 1 exam.
Exam Information
http://www.ets.org/praxis/nj/requirements
Qualifying Waiver Information
http://www.state.nj.us/education/educators/rpr/preparation/BasicSkillsExemptionCutScores.pdf).
Additionally, applicants must provide evidence of substantial and meaningful experience with groups of children.
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 continuously been accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) 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:
- Student development and learning
- The classroom and the school
- The curriculum
- Effective teaching skills
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Requirements for State Certification | ||
| FCST 512 | Child Development I: Theories of Child Development 1 | 3 |
| Speech | ||
| CMST 101 | Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement 2 | 3 |
| Physiology and Hygiene | ||
| Pass the MSU Health Knowledge Test available through the Center of Pedagory or have Undergraduate equivalent course approved by advisor. | ||
| Program Requirements | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| ECEL 501 | Perspectives on Early Childhood and Elementary Education in a Diverse Society | 3 |
| EDFD 503 | Methods of Research | 3 |
| READ 500 | Literacy Foundations | 3 |
| ECEL 518 | Families, Communities, and Schools: Diversity, Culture and Democracy | 3 |
| or ECSE 508 | Strengthening Partnerships with Families of Children with Disabilities | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Understanding Reading Comprehension | ||
| Language and Early Literacy Development | ||
| History of Literacy and Media | ||
| Teaching Multiethnic Literature in P-8 Classrooms | ||
| Literacies, Digital Technology and Learning | ||
| Workshop in Contemporary Issues in Reading | ||
| Content/Methods | ||
| ECEL 516 | Social Studies and the Arts: Understanding Democracy in Elementary Classrooms | 3 |
| ECEL 517 | Integrating Science and Technology in Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms | 3 |
| MATH 577 | Mathematics Education in the Elementary School | 3 |
| Professional Sequence | ||
| ECEL 528 | Early Childhood Curriculum in Inclusive Settings | 3 |
| ECEL 510 | Clinical Experience I in Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Settings | 2 |
| ECEL 502 | Seminar I: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms | 1 |
| ECEL 504 | Seminar II: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms | 1 |
| ECEL 514 | In-Service Supervised Graduate Student Teaching 3 | 5 |
| or ECEL 511 | Clinical Experience II in Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Settings | |
| Comprehensive Examination | ||
| In the term that you will sit for exam, register for the section which matches your major & advisor. Successfully pass exam. | ||
| GRAD CMP | Comprehensive Examination | 0 |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
| 1 | Complete or graduate level equivalent with written approval. |
| 2 | Complete or complete by examination. |
| 3 | ECEL 514 is for students in full-time teaching positions. |