Graduate School of Education
Covenant College seeks to bring a Christian perspective to bear on reality in the marketplace of society - including professional education. There is a significant difference between a teacher who is a Christian and a Christian teacher. Commitment to biblical principles related to various components of education makes it possible for educators to build an approach to teaching and administration that is genuinely Christian.
The Graduate School of Education at Covenant College provides a Christian community for graduate study. Prior to the on-campus session students prepare by reading books and articles, collecting information, and writing reflectively. When students arrive on campus for the three-week on-campus session, the anticipation of discourse with Christians about the nature of education is realized. Students share their lives, their thoughts, and their plans which results in a support network of Christian educators. Covenant graduate students learn how their faith relates to their work with learners who bear the image of God. Three graduate degree programs make up the Graduate School of Education: Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Education in either Educational Leadership or Integrated Curriculum and Instruction.
Master of Arts in Teaching Program
The Master of Arts in Teaching program (MAT) is a 34 credit-hour program that leads to initial state teacher certification in one of the following content areas:
- Middle grades (4-8): language arts, mathematics, science, social studies
- Secondary fields: art, biology, chemistry, economics, English, French, German, history, mathematics, physics, Spanish, and drama.
- Secondary biblical studies is also available but does not lead to initial state teacher certification
- Elementary, middle, and secondary fields: are, drama, French, German, and Spanish
Initial certification from the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is available in the above fields for graduates of the MAT program.
The MAT is a three semester cohort program emphasizing:
- Research. One innovative aspect of the MAT is the emphasis on classroom research. This focus enables candidates to understand the value and limitations of educational research and to develop the values of self observation and self reflection as they conduct action research through various courses.
- Collaboration. The MAT program benefits from close collaboration with colleagues from the other academic departments in the college. Content specialists in other disciplines work with the Education Department in transcript review, remediation plans as needed, collaboration, and supervision of student teaching.
- Critical teacher shortage. The MAT program offers degrees leading to certification in the following areas in which there are teacher shortages: Spanish, French, mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics.
- Clinical Practice. MAT students will complete hundreds of hours of clinical practice during both the fall and spring semesters.
For most students, the MAT will be completed in one year with six credit hours in the summer, 15 credit hours during the fall term, and 13 credit hours during the final spring term. Students can choose to complete the MAT over a two-year course of study.
(Updated: April 27, 2012)
