MAT in Science Education

Contact

For contact information, please visit the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development website.

The MAT program aims to prepare culturally responsive leaders in science education that will support the foundations of sound scientific literacy and scientific ways of thinking through scholarly leadership in pedagogy and policy. Candidates in this 11-month program will earn a master’s degree in science education and endorsement for Massachusetts initial licensure in biology, chemistry, or physics grades 8–12 or general science grades 5–8. In addition, the MAT program requires candidates to complete 12 credits in their respective licensure content areas. These 12 credits can be applied toward professional licensure after teaching three years with an initial license.

Full-time students typically begin during Summer Term 2 and graduate the following spring. Full-time students may also begin in September and complete the program the following summer. It is also possible to complete the degree over a longer time period as a part-time student.

Learning Outcomes

  • Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment: Promotes the learning and growth of all students by providing high quality and coherent instruction, designing and administering authentic and meaningful student assessments, analyzing student performance and growth data, using this data to improve instruction, providing students with constructive feedback on an ongoing basis, and continuously refining learning objectives (Well-structured lessons, adjustments to practice; Reflective Practice).
  • Teaching All Students: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through instructional practices that establish high expectations, create a safe and effective classroom environment, and demonstrate cultural proficiency (High Expectations; Meeting diverse needs; Safe Learning Environment).
  • Family and Community Engagement: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through effective partnerships with families, caregivers, community members, and organizations.
  • Professional Culture: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through ethical, culturally proficient, skilled, and collaborative practice (Meeting Diverse Needs).
  • Demonstrates Subject Matter Knowledge.

Coursework and Requirements (42–44 credits)

Students complete two content courses in their chosen field of study in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and learn pedagogy and teaching methodology in the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Field experiences in science classrooms begin in the summer and continue throughout each semester. Candidates take on increasing responsibilities in each field experience, culminating in full practicum during the final semester.

Education Coursework (12 cr)

  • SED ED 502–503 Professional Teaching Seminar: Analyzing Foundations of Teaching (0/2 cr)
  • SED DS 502 Introduction to Adolescent Development (2 cr)
  • SED SE 510 Special Education: Curriculum and Instruction (2 cr)
  • SED CT 534 Classroom and Behavior Management (2 cr)
  • SED TL 525 Teaching English Learners in the Middle/High School (4 cr)

Science Coursework (22–24 cr)

  • SED SC 575 Introduction to Science Education Theory and Practice (2–4 cr)
  • SED SC 570 Science Teaching Methods I (4 cr)
  • SED SC 572 Science Methods II: Teaching in the Science Disciplines 5–12 (4 cr)
  • SED SE 576 Science Teaching Pre-practicum (2 cr)
  • SED ME 530 Equitable Pedagogies in STEM Education (2 cr)
  • CAS Science Elective I (4 cr)
  • CAS Science Elective II (4 cr)

Elective coursework is chosen in consultation with the student’s academic advisor.

Practicum (8 cr)

Licensed classroom teachers and Boston University faculty supervise student-teaching experiences. Students select practicum experiences from the options listed below.

  • SED SC 509 Student Teaching Practicum: Science 5–8 (8 cr)
  • SED SC 510 Student Teaching Practicum: Science 8–12 (8 cr)
  • SED SC 508 Student Teaching Half Practicum: Science 8–12 (4 cr)*

*Available for candidates who are recognized as teacher of record at a school the meets practicum requirements

Add-On License in Teaching English Language Learners (ESL)

The TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages) Program offers a six-course, 26-credit add-on license pathway that allows MAT students in content-specific areas (e.g., English Education, Social Studies Education, Mathematics Education, and Science Education to meet requirements for a Massachusetts licensure endorsement as Teacher of English Language Learners (ESL). In this course of study, students are exposed to a theoretical introduction to the nature and structure of language, key factors affecting second-language acquisition, and communicative approaches to the teaching of English as a second or foreign language. In addition to the six courses, students are required to complete an ESL Practicum. This pathway requires MAT candidates to add one additional summer and part-time semester to their regular MAT program timeline.

This pathway consists of the following courses:

  • SED TL 508 Methods in Teaching English as a Second Language (4 cr)
  • SED LS 565 Introduction to Linguistics (4 cr)
  • SED BI 530 English Language Development: Grade 5–12 English Language Learners (2 cr) or SED BI 535
  • Literacy Development for Bilingual Students: Instruction and Assessment (4 cr)
  • SED BI 620 Educational Issues in Bilingualism (4 cr)
  • SED LS 658 Second Language Acquisition (4 cr)
  • SED BI 504 Seminar: The Student Teaching Experience (2 cr)
  • SED TL 582 and 583 Student-Teaching Practicum I and II: ESL, 5–12 (6 cr)