Tufts University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Tufts University School of Engineering are proud to announce the new Master of Arts in Teaching Engineering (MAT) program, which will prepare teachers for teaching engineering. Engineering has become an essential component of STEM disciplines at the middle and high school levels. There is a clear need to prepare engineering teachers who have a strong academic background in engineering as well as a research-based understanding of how students learn the concepts and design process of engineering. Engineering teachers must also have an intellectual appreciation for the ways in which mathematics and science fields intersect with engineering.
The program builds on the successful teacher preparation programs of the Education Department and the successful collaborations the department has had with development of engineering curriculum and STEM outreach in the Tufts School of Engineering, in particular the work of the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach. The program is designed to create a deeply reflective, intellectual culture of considering engineering in schools that bridges the traditional tensions between research and practice in teacher preparation. Learn more about the program at the Education department's MAT in Engineering site.
Length of Program
The Tufts MAT Program leading to licensure for middle and high school teaching is ordinarily completed within one academic year and two summer semesters, but candidates may choose to extend their studies and practicum experience for a longer period of time. The candidate typically completes 2 summer semesters and one full academic year in a thoughtful scope and sequence of academic course work and field experiences. The field experiences are the focus of the Fall and Spring semesters; courses and field experiences are closely aligned and experienced mentors as well as university supervisors provide valuable feedback and expertise. The summer semesters are focused on academic work in the discipline for which licensure is sought and in foundations and history of educational theory.
Course Requirements for the MAT in Engineering Program
Each Master of Arts in Teaching licensure program requires 10-12 course credits. Eight of the required courses are in education and 2-4 in the academic field for which licensure is sought.
8 Course Credits in Education:
• ED 101 Introduction to Teaching in Middle and High Schools, which includes the 75-hour pre-practicum experience, is taken in the Fall semester.
• ED 119 Development of Knowledge and Reasoning in Engineering Education
• ED 129 The Practices of Teaching Engineering and Design
• ED 102 The Practicum, a full time student teaching or internship
experience with weekly seminar (2 course credits) supervised by
university supervisors.
• One course in Human Development and Learning:
i. ED 130 Human Development and Learning
ii. ED 230 Seminar in Psychological Studies in Education
• One course in Social, Cultural, Historical Foundations of Education
i. ED 160 Comparative Education
ii. ED 161 Sociology of the School
iii. ED 162 Class, race, and Gender in the History of U.S. Education
iv. ED 163 Philosophies of Education
• One course in Exceptionalities in Learning:
i. ED 142 Education of the Exceptional Child
ii. ED 144 Learning Disabilities in the Classroom
2-4 Courses in STEM disciplines at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences with the recommendation of the candidate’s advisors.
Each candidate will have an advisor in Education as well as an advisor from the School of Engineering.
People enroll in our programs to become middle and high school teachers who understand the importance of education in society and who know how to approach new ideas and challenges, such as how to implement standards based education in inclusive classrooms.
The programs leading to middle and high school licensure endeavor to foster democratic dialogue, vitality and change. In this way, the programs reflect a vision of hope and promise for educational change in the communities with whom we place pre-service teachers to practice the skills and competencies of their prospective profession.
