M.A.T. in K-12 Special Education

To offer the most flexibility, most courses are held online with some offered through a combination of online and in-person. Any synchronous sessions are held in the evenings. Courses are taken as a cohort group with coursework beginning in the summer semester. At the completion of the MAT in K-12 Special Education program, students will be eligible for a Michigan standard teaching certificate (grades K-12 in), as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching degree. For certification, successful scores on the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in the selected concentration area are required (MTTC EI Test #116 or MTTC LD Test #114).

Concentrations

Emotional Impairment (EI) Concentration – Focuses on in-depth preparation for working with students with emotional/behavioral disorders.

Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Concentration – Focuses on in-depth preparation for working with students whose conditions affect a child’s ability to read, write, listen, speak, reason, or do math. This can include conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia that adversely affects a student’s educational performance.

Prospective and Current Student Advising
SEHS Advising Office
(248) 370-4182
[email protected]

For additional information, complete the MAT inquiry form.

Faculty Program Coordinator
Erica Ruegg 
425F Pawley Hall
[email protected]

In order to be eligible for admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching K-12 Special Education program, you must:

• Have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution with cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Improved grades or a goal statement demonstrating the student’s ability for success will be considered.
• Have 30+ hours of experience working with children/youth
• Complete the online application and all supplemental items

1. Online Graduate Application
   • Create an account at gradapply.oakland.edu/apply. After creating your account, select an application type: "Graduate School Application." Open and complete the initial application.
     • Academic Plans: 
       Degree Type - Master's Degree
       Academic Program and Location - Master of Arts in Teaching – Secondary Education – EI concentration OR LD concentration
     • Complete 2 Recommendation Requests: Part of online application
   • Supplemental Items: Return to the Application home screen to submit the additional supplemental items required for this program. Upload or complete the following:
     • Resume or Curriculum Vita: Include all relevant educational, professional, or volunteer experience with children/youth
     • Goal Statement: In two pages or less, please include a short biography, your professional goals, and respond to the following: (1) What experiences have led you to believe you would enjoy teaching students with special needs? (2) What grade levels and/or concentration area do you hope to teach and why? (3) What abilities do you have that lead you to believe you can manage a classroom? (4) What do you hope to accomplish in your teaching career?
2. Other Items
   • Test Scores: Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTCs) are not required for admission into the program, but are required for teacher certification. Students are advised to take the Emotional Impairment or Learning Disabilities MTTC upon completion of student teaching.
   • Request official transcripts from all post‐secondary educational institutions from which you earned a degree or that you enrolled in for your prerequisite coursework. Official college transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing college or university to [email protected] or in a sealed envelope to: Graduate Admissions - Oakland University, O'Dowd Hall, Room 520, 586 Pioneer Drive, Rochester, MI 48309-4482.
3. Admission Decision
   After your application is complete, it can take up to two weeks to hear a decision. To check on the status of your application, you can contact Graduate Admissions at (248) 370-2700 or Graduate School