Advising Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Frequently Asked Questions

Create your BearPass Login and Email Address. 

You may find your bill by going to the My Missouri State > “University Account- Billing" card .

From this page, you will be able to access your account, make payments, view your account information, account summary, etc. If you have questions, you may contact Financial Services. 

We encourage all students to complete a FAFSA. If you have questions about your financial aid package, please schedule an appointment with a Financial Aid counselor. You can review your financial aid offers in your My Missouri State > Financial Aid and Scholarships card. 

Graduate enrollment status definitions 

Full-time graduate students carry at least 9 credit hours during a fall or spring semester or at least 6 credit hours during the summer semester. 

When you meet with your advisor, you and your advisor will select classes for the upcoming semester, and you will be given complete registration instructions. You will register for classes online through the My Missouri State > Registration Card.  

• You can find how-to videos and registration resources here.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program can be completed primarily online and includes both a practicum and student teaching experience. Professional education courses are offered online; however, students must also complete an internship (SEC 783 or SCI 783) and full-time student teaching (SEC 784 or SCI 784) in a K–12 classroom within the content area and grade level for which they are seeking certification. Full-time student teaching follows the classroom teacher’s full-time contracted schedule. 

Students who have not earned a passing score on the Praxis content exam may be required to complete additional content-area coursework beyond the credit hours required for the MAT professional education curriculum. While some content courses are available online or through web conferencing, many are offered only as daytime, in-person classes on the Springfield campus. Completing these content courses does not replace the state Praxis requirement.  

A passing score on the Praxis is required for student teaching, graduation and certification.

If you are interested in obtaining a provisional certificate for the purpose of teaching while completing the MAT program, you may apply for a provisional certificate if all the requirements below have been met: 

• You have been offered a full-time contract to teach in a classroom in the content and grade level for which you are seeking initial certification. The job offered must be in a Missouri public school district or a private school that is accredited by an agency recognized by DESE.   
• You have passed the Praxis exam in your content area or have completed all content area coursework as verified by your MSU advisor.  
• You are currently admitted to the MAT program.  
• Note: If you meet the above criteria, and are admitted to the MAT program, you do not need to be within 12-15 hours of program completion to apply for the provisional certificate.  
• Provisional certificates are an agreement between the hiring school district, student, MSU, & DESE. 

Students cannot seek Early Childhood, Elementary, or Special Education teaching positions for use in the MAT program.  

If you are teaching full time, you will need to fill out the following forms: 

• Classroom Verification Form – Complete this as soon as you obtain your teaching position. 
• Teacher of Record Form – Complete this the semester before student teaching. 

The Praxis exam must be attempted during your first semester in the program. It must be passed prior to student teaching.  Register for the Praxis through the Praxis website. Many testing centers require additional sitting fees, and many assessments are available online.  

*Previously passed Missouri Content Assessments (MoCA) will be honored for Missouri teacher certification. 

MOVECHS fingerprinting and background check is required for the MAT program.  

Students must complete the MOVECHS fingerprinting requirement in their first semester of the MSU program. MSU cannot use fingerprints and background checks from other institutions.  

• Results can take 1-2 weeks to return to MSU from the time of fingerprinting and can be seen in your My Missouri State > My Student Records card > “Test Scores” page.   
• If you are no longer under the purview of MSU teacher education programs, you will be removed from the MOVECHS database and will need to fingerprint again upon return. 

Internship (SEC  783 or SCI 783) includes an internship in a classroom in your content area. Students will register for SEC 783 like any other MAT class. A field placement specialist will email you regarding your placement. You may not receive your placement until the semester begins.  

Student Teaching (SEC 784 or SCI 784). Student teaching is a full-time, 40-hour per week, commitment in a K-12 school district. You will apply for student teaching by February 1 for the fall semester and August 1 for the spring semester. A field placement specialist will secure a placement based on your district preferences indicated in your student teaching application. If a placement cannot be found in your preferred districts, a field placement specialist will contact you with further directions.  

If you have a full-time teaching job in the content and grade level for which you are seeking certification, you can complete the internship and student teaching in your classroom. 

Near the end of your program of study, you will register for SFR 781, Applied Educational Research.  

Learn how to understand and use education research. You'll explore qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research while building skills to evaluate studies and apply research to improve teaching, schools, and student success. 

While enrolled in SFR 781, you will complete the research requirements for your program.  

The MAT program does not require a thesis.  

Students must maintain a minimum 3.00 grade point average (GPA) in all MAT coursework.  

A graduate student becomes ineligible to continue in their current graduate program if more than 9 semester hours of "C+" or lower are earned in graduate courses taken in the degree program, or if the student does not meet any additional specific degree retention requirements imposed by an academic unit or program.