Why Earn a Master of Arts in Teaching?
Ready to make a real difference? The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in General Education can help you launch a fulfilling career as a teacher. Our programs are designed to give you the practical experience and knowledge you need to thrive in the classroom.
Pacific's MAT program is not just about learning about teaching, it's about being a teacher. Our AAQEP-accredited program emphasizes hands-on experience, placing you alongside experienced teachers locally, regionally, and even in Hawai’i. Local school administrators rave about our graduates, saying they often enter their careers with the preparation of an experienced teacher. That's because our programs include valuable practicum time, giving you the confidence and skills to hit the ground running. Plus, we offer a range of flexible program formats to fit your life:
Two-Year Online Programs: Our fall-start, two-year online option lets you choose endorsements in elementary/multiple subjects (with the option for a foundational middle school subject endorsement like science, math, social studies, or language arts) or middle/high school (with up to two endorsements).
One-Year Online Program: Looking for a faster track? Our summer-start, one-year online program focuses on middle/high school licensure in a single endorsement area.
Two-Year Residency Program: Dive deep into the profession with our immersive Arbor School Teacher Residency Program. Partnering with the Arbor Center for Teaching, this full-time, two-year, summer-start program offers on-site courses in Tualatin and on our Forest Grove campus. You'll become an integral part of the Arbor School community, gaining invaluable experience while enjoying free on-campus housing and a monthly stipend.
What Can You Do with a Master of Arts in Teaching?
The MAT degree program from Pacific University prepares you to become a licensed elementary or secondary teacher in any U.S. state.
Our program meets all the requirements for Oregon Preliminary Teaching Licensure, equipping you with the knowledge, skills, and qualities to excel in the classroom. You'll develop expertise in everything from learner development and diverse learning needs to content knowledge, instructional strategies, and assessment. You'll be prepared to work in public, private, charter, and even international schools, becoming a culturally responsive teacher who puts students first.
Earning a master’s degree also pays off, allowing teachers to make nearly 30% more over the course of their career than their peers with only a bachelor’s.
Through the Pacific Robert Noyce Scholarship Program, highly qualified and motivated science and math teaching candidates are awarded scholarships toward tuition and living expenses. Scholarships are available both to undergraduate teaching students who plan to pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching at Pacific, as well as to career-changers starting their teaching studies with the MAT program.
The Arbor School Teacher Residency Program
One of the most unique student-teaching experiences in the Pacific Northwest, the Arbor School Teacher Residency Program is a special collaboration between Pacific and Arbor School, a K-8 institution in nearby Tualatin, Oregon. Throughout an on-site two-year residency, you will complete the same compassionate and cutting-edge curriculum as those in the online and hybrid MAT programs, but in a truly unparalleled setting. Interacting daily with teachers, students and the Arbor School community, you will gain not only the preparation needed for preliminary teacher licensure, but a level of mentorship and hands-on training — including an entire term of solo teaching — that simply can’t be replicated.
Denise Ready| Assistant Director Graduate Admissions
Pacific's teacher licensure programs are accredited by the Teacher Standards and Practice Commission and the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation. This program meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in these U.S. states and territories.