Part-Time MAT Elementary Cohort for School Employees
Designed for classified district employees who hold a bachelor’s degree, this district-affiliated, part-time cohort expands access to Lewis & Clark’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program and opens a new pathway for individuals with proven success working with children to become teachers.
Our small cohort is made up of people who have a similar experience to my own—they are paraeducators with career and family obligations. It is the reason I have been able to stay in school and complete this program.
Our small cohort is made up of people who have a similar experience to my own—they are paraeducators with career and family obligations. It is the reason I have been able to stay in school and complete this program.
Key Features
Timeline and Schedule
- Two-year part-time delivery of the same Lewis & Clark Elementary MAT program.
- Combination of on-campus class meetings with distance learning coursework.
- Practicum designed to allow students to maintain current employment.
Financial Incentives
- All school employees in the part-time MAT Elementary cohort will receive a scholarship that reduces total program cost by approximately 32% compared to the full-time MAT Elementary program.
- Some additional LC scholarship awards available for early admitted students.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree in any field and provide official transcripts from all institutions attended.
- Demonstrate competency in mathematics and science through coursework, test results, or one-on-one competency interview.
- Document prior experience in the elementary grades through a verification form completed by a classroom teacher.
- Must submit district approval form (included in the application).
- Hold a classified job position in a PK-5 general education elementary setting (includes restricted substitute teachers) for the duration of the program.
District Affiliation
In order to be admitted to the part-time cohort, Lewis & Clark must establish a partnership with the school district in which each prospective student is employed. This is handled by the Graduate School’s Placement Office.
We have existing partnerships in place with the following districts:
- Beaverton
- David Douglas
- Portland Public Schools
- West-Linn Wilsonville
Questions?
Please contact Linda Griffin at lgriffin@lclark.edu for more information or to find out how your district can become a partner.
How does the practicum work for part-time cohort students?
The practicum includes supervised teaching in an elementary classroom combined with additional practicum experiences that occur through job-embedded duties.
- Your district will identify teacher in your school who will serve as your mentor.
- Your district will release you from job duties to participate in the mentor’s classroom approximately six hours per week.
- Your district will allow you to take a leave of absence for a six-week interval near the end of year 2 to complete a solo teaching experience.
- You will document a variety of qualifying teaching-related tasks you complete during the course of your regular work duties.