The new Master of Arts in Teaching will be fully online and the only program of its kind in Missouri when it begins in January 2018, said Dr. Karl Kunkel, Southeast provost. The Master of Arts in Teaching with secondary level licensure is for students who have an undergraduate degree in mathematics, biology, chemistry, earth science or physics.
The new graduate program with middle level licensure is for students who have an undergraduate degree with 24-27 credit hours in mathematics or science. The new program offers students the opportunity to earn a masters degree with an initial Missouri teaching license in mathematics, biology, chemistry, earth science or physics, parallel to already-approved undergraduate certification programs, Kunkel said.
This new program offers an alternative pathway to certification. The new Master of Arts in Teaching licensure program will include course work with supervised field experiences, similar to offerings in Southeasts undergraduate licensure program. This program will allow students to earn a 37-credit-hour masters degree in conjunction with their teaching license without having to take additional undergraduate courses. Students may complete the degree in two to three years, depending upon their course load, Kunkel said.
In related action, the Board of Regents today also approved a new minor in film and literature. Students in the program will examine the relationship between film and literature, particularly the visual adaptation of literature into film. Kunkel says the minor represents a contemporary area of inquiry in the traditional study of literature, developing students analytical and communication skills.
The film and literature minor, to begin in January 2018, will complement majors in fields such as literature, mass media and theatre. The interdisciplinary, 18-credit hour program centered in the Department of English, will include courses from the departments of art, polytechnic studies, modern languages, anthropology and geography, as well as mass media and The Conservatory of Theatre and Dance.