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Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)

Entrance Requirements

  1. The undergraduate music degree with a posted cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 is required. Any previous graduate study that might be accepted for transfer credit must also have at least a 3.0 GPA. Audition and faculty interview required.
  2. Prior to submitting a formal application, persons interested in the Master of Arts in Teaching degree must communicate with the director of the program.
  3. All students entering the Master of Arts in Teaching degree program must take the Music Theory Placement Examination and the Music History Placement Examination before their first semester of classes. These placement exams are administered by faculty in the Department of Music Theory, History, and Composition and are always offered in-person on the Saturday before a given term begins.
  4. All entering graduate students must pass a Piano Proficiency Exam before student teaching.
  5. All entering students must also pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills Test (Test Code 5751) with scores in all three areas (reading, writing, and math) sufficient to meet D.C. public school licensure requirements.
  6. All Instrumental Emphasis students will prove themselves proficient in all areas of instrumental technique, as established by the Catholic University Music Education Instrumental Proficiency standards, or in course, i.e., by completing music education techniques courses as a prerequisite to degree completion.
Program of Study Semester Hours
Major Area (either Emphasis) 11
MUS 538E Introduction to Music Education 2
MUS 550E Field Experiences in Music Education 0
EDUC 581 Educating Diverse Learners 3
EDUC 652 Psychology of Learning: Implications for Instructional Design 3
EDUC 702 Advanced Foundations of Education 3
Other Studies: Gen/Choral Music Emphasis 21
MUS 516E Instrumental Techniques for Gen/Choral Music Educators 3
MUS 521E Elementary Gen/Choral Student Teaching 4
MUS 521F Secondary Gen/Choral Student Teaching 4
MUS 521G Gen/Choral Student Teaching Seminar 1
MUS 521H Action Research in Music Education 3
MUS 553E Elementary Gen/Choral Music Methods 3
MUS 554E Secondary Gen/Choral Music Methods 3
or: or:
Other Studies: Instrumental Music Emphasis 21
MUS 515E Gen/Choral Techniques for the Instrumental Music Educator 3
MUS 522E Elementary Instrumental Student Teaching 4
MUS 522F Secondary Instrumental Student Teaching 4
MUS 522G Instrumental Student Teaching Seminar 1
MUS 521H Action Research in Music Education 3
MUS 553EE Elementary & Middle School Instrumental Music Methods 3
MUS 554EE Secondary Instrumental Music Methods 3
Secondary Instrumental Techniques classes: Brass, Woodwind, String, Percussion, and/or Guitar (by advisement, as determined by in-place proficiency exam standards)
Electives (either Emphasis) 3
MUS/MUPI/EDUC One Music or Education Elective 3
Total 35

Graduation Requirements

Successfully completing the Master of Arts in Teaching program qualifies students to be eligible to apply for the District of Columbia Certification. Students eligible to apply for licensure in the District of Columbia are required to pass mandatory exams.

  1. All students entering the program must pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Reading, Writing, Mathematics, formerly Praxis I with qualifying scores), and after all course requirements are satisfied, must also pass Praxis Subject Assessments (Praxis II) with qualifying scores sufficient to meet District of Columbia public school licensure requirements.
  2. A piano proficiency exam and, for instrumental majors, instrument proficiencies must also be passed before the student teaching internship. These performance competencies must be satisfied by playing examinations, based upon established School of Music standards, or in course(s) through enrollment in remedial private instruction or class instrument techniques courses.
  3. Students must pass all their courses and maintain a 3.0 GPA or better.
  4. The MAT’s requirements include the successful completion of a research project and paper, along with both formative and summative evaluations of the student teaching internship. Students are required to submit their research posters for the Annual Research Day held by the university in April.
  5. Capstone experiences for the degree include both a student teaching internship and a companion action research document. Both the internship and the research document are supervised and assessed by a university supervisor and a cooperating P-12 music teacher. The purpose of this capstone experience is twofold: 1) to provide a practical context for the development of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of an effective music educator, and 2) to equip the student with an effective methodology for reflective and ongoing examination of teaching and learning principles that are both effective and responsive to evolving curricular and methodological innovations.