How to Become a Teacher
Have you always wanted to work with young children? Perhaps you’ve seen the difference a teacher can make in the life of a student and you want to make an impact? Maybe your current career is just not satisfying and you feel called to teach?
These are just a few reasons people often cite for why they returned to school to become an elementary or secondary teacher. If you’ve made the decision that this is the career path for you, you are probably wondering: How do I become a teacher?
Loyola University School of Education’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is the answer.
Becoming a teacher may be easier than you think. The requirements to become a teacher in Maryland are:
1. A bachelor’s degree
Whether you want to teach in Maryland or elsewhere, elementary school or high school, you are required to have a bachelor’s degree. If you have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher on your most recently earned degree, you are not required to submit test scores from Praxis or equivalent tests.
2. Attendance at a state approved teacher education program
The MAT program is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. Within MAT, students can concentrate on Elementary or Secondary education. In order to attend the Elementary school track your bachelor’s degree major must be in one of the four key content areas (mathematics, science, English, or social studies) or a well-rounded liberal arts field. Secondary teachers are required to have a bachelor’s degree in their desired teaching field (or a comprehensive minor), such as History or a foreign language.
Graduates from the MAT program leave as certified teachers. Based on your prerequisite background, a student can enter the Loyola MAT program and leave as a certified high school biology or French teacher, for example, or enter the elementary classroom fully prepared to teach a complete curriculum.
The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is a perfect fit for any aspiring teacher, but particularly those career changers who want a high quality education, but also require convenience. The School of Education’s MAT program offers a full-time, one-year or part-time program of study. Classes are offered full and part-time to meet students' various schedule needs.
The MAT program offers a rich integration of coursework, internship experience, and individualized attention. Not only will you leave the MAT program as a certified teacher, thanks to Loyola’s strong program of student teaching, many students leave the program with a job waiting.