Master of Arts in Teaching in Community College Education (M.A.T.)

For general inquiries about the program, please contact Dr. Stephanie King at sking@colled.msstate.edu.

Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Teaching in Community College Education is an interdisciplinary degree program designed to prepare professionals for teaching in a community college setting. The degree prepares educators for service in rural community colleges and requires a minimum of 18 hours in the student’s teaching field (e.g., history, math, English). The professional education sequence consists of 12 hours. The education courses introduce students to the philosophy and culture of the community college and prepare them to teach non-traditional and first-generation students. Sensitivity to diversity and adult learning theory is also included in the curriculum. The program is offered through the Center for Distance Education but is not completely online since courses in the teaching field may only be offered on campus.

Admission Criteria

To be eligible for admission to the program, the applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, meet the basic requirements specified for graduate students at Mississippi State University, demonstrate interest in the mission of community colleges, and demonstrate academic proficiency based on the following indicators:

1. Grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale on the last half of the bachelor’s degree; 
2. Three letters of reference;
3. Indication of teaching specialty (e.g., history) in the purpose statement; and
4. Resume.

Program of Study