Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in Secondary Education online
Launch into an impactful career when you earn your master’s degree, qualifications for teacher certification, and real classroom experience simultaneously.
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Program Overview
Meet the need for expert educators with your master’s in teaching secondary education
$20,610.15
Total Tuition
As few as 12 months
Duration
33
Credit Hours
This traditional track is for candidates who do not have a bachelor’s degree in education and are not yet classroom instructors but wish to teach students in the same subject area as their undergraduate degree.
Utilize your prior knowledge plus new advanced skills to guide the next generation with the Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in Secondary Education. This CAEP-accredited online program includes study of lesson planning, curriculum design, learning differences, and social justice, preparing you to educate diverse students in any educational setting. Boost your resume with on-site student-teaching and hone your craft by implementing constructive critique from 50 hours of classroom observations.
As a graduate of this online master’s, you will be able to:
- Use information on learner’s strengths to design lessons appropriate to their varying cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical needs
- Establish high expectations for learners, demonstrate the ability to modify instruction, and implement assistive tools and technology to address the specific learning differences and needs of all learners according to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS)
- Evaluate and use relevant and appropriate research, resources, and materials of the discipline to impact learning
- Design learning objectives, success criteria, and common learning opportunities in alignment with the NJSLS and College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards that demonstrate accurate knowledge of major concepts, use of academic language, and tools of inquiry of the discipline
- Design instructional plans to develop learners’ communication skills and academic language (vocabulary, syntax, and discourse) of the discipline
- Design assessments of mid-to-high level cognitive demand that provide evidence of learner understanding of learning objectives
- Use assessment data and evidence to reflect on instructional planning and teaching and modify teaching practice
- Use information on learner’s strengths to design lessons appropriate to their varying cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical needs
- Establish high expectations for learners, demonstrate the ability to modify instruction, and implement assistive tools and technology to address the specific learning differences and needs of all learners according to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS)
- Evaluate and use relevant and appropriate research, resources, and materials of the discipline to impact learning
- Design learning objectives, success criteria, and common learning opportunities in alignment with the NJSLS and College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards that demonstrate accurate knowledge of major concepts, use of academic language, and tools of inquiry of the discipline
- Design instructional plans to develop learners’ communication skills and academic language (vocabulary, syntax, and discourse) of the discipline
- Design assessments of mid-to-high level cognitive demand that provide evidence of learner understanding of learning objectives
- Use assessment data and evidence to reflect on instructional planning and teaching and modify teaching practice
Career opportunities:
- Secondary School Teacher
- Coach
- Curriculum Developer
- Instructional Coordinator
- Educational Consultant
- Adjunct Professor
- Secondary School Teacher
- Coach
- Curriculum Developer
- Instructional Coordinator
- Educational Consultant
- Adjunct Professor
Also available:
Already working as a teacher, but still need your teaching credentials? Individuals who have a CE or Limited CE and are the teacher of record in a classroom should pursue our alternate route MAT in Secondary Education program.
$20,610.15
Total Tuition
As few as 12 months
Duration
33
Credit Hours
The College of Education at William Paterson University is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
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Tuition
Create a manageable financial plan for your online MAT Secondary Education program
The William Paterson University College of Education offers the same affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition to all of our online students, wherever they reside. All fees are included in the total tuition.
Tuition breakdown:
$20,610.15
Total Tuition
$624.55
Per Credit Hour
| Program | Per Credit Hour | Per Course | Per Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAT in Secondary Education | $624.55 | $1,873.65 | $20,610.15 |
Tuition breakdown:
$20,610.15
Total Tuition
$624.55
Per Credit Hour
Calendar
Take note of these important program dates and deadlines
William Paterson University online education programs are delivered in an accelerated format ideal for working professionals, with 7-week courses and six start dates each year.
Now enrolling:
1/5/25
Apply Date
1/27/25
Class Starts
| Term | Start Date | App Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Tuition Deadline | Class End Date | Term Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring I | 1/27/25 | 1/5/25 | 1/8/25 | 1/17/25 | 1/22/25 | 3/16/25 | 7 weeks |
| Spring II | 3/24/25 | 3/2/25 | 3/5/25 | 3/14/25 | 3/19/25 | 5/11/25 | 7 weeks |
| Summer I | 5/19/25 | 4/27/25 | 4/30/25 | 5/9/25 | 5/14/25 | 7/6/25 | 7 weeks |
| Summer II | 7/14/25 | 6/22/25 | 6/24/25 | 7/3/25 | 7/9/25 | 8/31/25 | 7 weeks |
| Fall I | 9/8/25 | 8/17/25 | 8/20/25 | 8/29/25 | 9/3/25 | 10/26/25 | 7 weeks |
| Fall II | 11/3/25 | 10/12/25 | 10/15/25 | 10/24/25 | 10/29/25 | 12/21/25 | 7 weeks |
Now enrolling:
1/5/25
Apply Date
1/27/25
Class Starts
Have questions or need more information about our online programs?
Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?
Admissions
Here are your next steps to apply for the Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary Education online program
At William Paterson University, we’ve streamlined the admission process to help you get started quickly and easily. Please read the requirements for the MAT in Secondary Education online program, including what additional materials you need and where you should send them. Review the Program Map to determine eligibility of this program in your state. Already working as a teacher? Individuals who have a CE or Limited CE and are the teacher of record in a classroom should consider our alternate route MAT in Secondary Education program.
The requirements include:
- Undergraduate degree in the content area you want to teach
- GPA 3.0 or higher
- Passing score on the Praxis Subject Assessment
- Resume with contact information of two references
- Submit online application and $50 application fee
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited university
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
- Every candidate should have an undergraduate degree in the content area in which they wish to teach
o Content area options supported by WP include Art, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, English, French, Japanese, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Physical Science, Social Studies, and Spanish
o This content area of focus must include at least 30 credit hours in the defined subject area
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Passing score on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (basic skills requirements) test – Limited CEAS candidates only
- Passing score on the Praxis Subject Assessment aligned with the student’s desired area of teaching
- Resume with names and contact information of two references
Note: Admission is open to NJ residents as well as individuals who plan to become NJ-certified teachers and work in NJ schools.
Official transcripts and other documents should be sent from the granting institutions to:
Email address: [email protected]
Mail address:
Office of Graduate Admissions and Enrollment ServicesWilliam Paterson University
Morrison Hall 102
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, NJ 07470
Courses
Details about the rigorous MAT Secondary Education online coursework
For the MAT in Secondary Education online program, you must complete a total of 33 credit hours of core courses.
SMAT 5110: Educational Foundations
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course presents teacher candidates with the historical, philosophical, theoretical, and practical background for a successful induction into teaching. It is designed to help bridge the perceived gap between theory and practice. In this course teaching is understood according to the latest Professional Teaching Standards and recommendations of the New Jersey Student Learning and College and Career Readiness Standards. The course will introduce planning, conducting, and assessing learning experiences. It will also cover Autism, Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB), and Child Abuse Recognition.
SMAT 5120: Learner Development and Differences
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces teacher candidates to the developmental and cultural attributes of adolescents and how those factors interact with classroom environments, broader socio-cultural environments, pedagogy, and instruction. Candidates will demonstrate knowledge of students—including students with disabilities—, establish a culture of learning, and design lessons that celebrate and engage all learners.
EDUC 5110: Pre-Clinical Experience
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will consist of a combination of reflection on online teaching videos and a minimum of 50 hours in a face-to-face clinical experience in a school setting for students with disabilities.
SPED 6430: Curriculum Design for All Learners
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will introduce candidates to designing school curricula (goals, method, materials, and assessments) that are flexible enough to accommodate the individual learning needs of all learners within general education classrooms. Using the model of Universal Design for Learning, candidates will learn to develop curriculum, instruction, assessments, and classroom environments that are accessible and applicable to students, teachers, and parents with differing abilities, and cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
EDUC 5120: Clinical Internship and Seminar I
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to run concurrently with Methods of Lesson and Unit Planning courses. This year-long residency in a classroom setting under the supervision of a highly effective and experienced classroom teacher and a university mentor is designed to support teacher candidates as they apply professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in support of student learning. Teacher candidates work in classrooms with students of varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds and exceptionalities. Teacher candidates will be observed a minimum of four times during the semester. Teacher candidates will receive both pre and post lesson feedback from the university supervisor and classroom teacher. A weekly seminar accompanies the residency experience where teacher candidates reflect on their teaching practice, themselves as lifelong learners, and the current landscape of education in the United States and the world.
SMAT 5130: Methods of Lesson Planning
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to run concurrently with the Clinical Practice Teaching Internship or Alternate Route Teaching position. Candidates will learn strategies for teaching literacy across the content areas and the theory and elements of lesson planning through different curriculum orientations, such as cultural transmission, disciplined inquiry, and critical inquiry. Candidates will develop learning objectives that align with learning standards, engage students to inquiry-based learning, support academic language, and design assessments to support student learning.
EDUC 5130: Clinical Internship and Seminar II
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to run concurrently with Methods of Lesson and Unit Planning courses. This year-long residency in a classroom setting under the supervision of a highly effective and experienced classroom teacher and a university mentor is designed to support teacher candidates as they apply professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in support of student learning. Teacher candidates work in classrooms with students of varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds and exceptionalities. Teacher candidates will be observed a minimum of ten times during the semester. Teacher candidates will receive both pre and post lesson feedback from the university supervisor and classroom teacher. A weekly seminar accompanies the residency experience where teacher candidates reflect on their teaching practice, themselves as lifelong learners, and the current landscape of education in the United States and the world.
SMAT 5140: Methods of Unit Planning
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to run concurrently with the Clinical Practice Teaching Internship or Alternate Route Teaching position. Candidates will learn strategies for teaching literacy across the content areas, how to write unit goals, engage in advanced methods of unit planning, instructional differentiation, and assessment to teach the NJ Student Learning Standards to diverse learners in the middle and high school. Candidates will develop success-criteria based on learning standards, use assessments to inform instructional practices, facilitate learning activities, and analyze teacher effectiveness to reflect on their teaching.
SMAT 5150: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces candidates to research and standards of professional ethics and collaborative practices. Candidates will reflect on their participation in professional communities and demonstrate their commitment to professional ethics and dispositions. Candidates will reflect on the ethical and political implications of their teaching and demonstrate skills and commitment to affording all learners access to a rigorous College and Career Readiness skills.
SMAT 5160: Teaching for Social Justice I
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course synthesizes the methods content course, field experience/residency, and educational foundations by focusing on topics such as the context of schools, school reform, advocacy, research about teaching diverse students and school politics. Students will be expected to produce a justice-oriented school reform project, and the first three chapters (Introduction, Literature Review, and Methodology), which will be completed in the next part of the course. Students will explore the economic, and institutional constraints on schools, and the intellectual, cultural and social possibilities of schools.
SMAT 5260: Teaching for Social Justice II
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course is the second part of Teaching for Social Justice and the capstone course for the Masters of Arts in Teaching program. The course synthesizes the methods content course, field experience/residency, and educational foundations by focusing on topics such as the context of schools, school reform, advocacy, research about teaching diverse students, and school politics. Students will be expected to complete the final chapters of and justice-oriented research project (Results, and Conclusion chapters). The research project is designed to move candidates toward critical reflective practice.
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