Lyon College

What you'll study

The MAT curriculum totals 36 credit hours and covers foundations of teaching, development, pedagogy, and professional responsibilities. Course work differs slightly by licensure level but shares a common core.

• Core and common courses (examples): EDU 505 Foundations of Effective Teaching & Learning; EDU 520 Child & Adolescent Development; EDU 525 Learning & Cognition; EDU 530 Models & Methods for Quality Instruction; EDU 535 Integrating Technology in the K-12 Classroom; EDU 605 Culture, Equity, and Engagement in Educational Settings; EDU 610 Education Law, Ethics & Advocacy; EDU 615 Residency & Seminar I; EDU 620 Residency & Seminar II.
• Level-specific courses: Elementary K–6 adds EDU 510 Science-based Reading and Literacy Instruction. 4–8, 4–12, 7–12 and K–12 tracks include EDU 515 Disciplinary Literacy & Pedagogy. Credits are arranged so residency seminars total 12 credits (two semesters) within the 36-credit degree.
• Sample topics in courses: EDU 505 emphasizes foundational classroom skills including Danielson/TESS domains, classroom management, teacher collaboration, and professional dispositions and ethics.

Entry requirements

Unconditional admission requires an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 (or 3.0 in the last 60 hours), official transcripts, passing Praxis subject-area scores for the desired license, three references (two professional), a professional goals statement, and an admissions interview. Conditional admission is possible with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and 3.0 in at least 30 credits of the intended discipline, or Praxis scores within two SEM of the state cut score; passing tests must be submitted before licensure recommendation. Prior to internship placement candidates must complete criminal history checks (Arkansas State Police, FBI, and Arkansas Child Maltreatment Central Registry). Additional licensure-specific requirements include three college credits in Arkansas History for certain social studies and elementary tracks or completion of the 45-hour Arkansas IDEAS course, and mandated professional-development trainings (family/community engagement, child maltreatment, teen suicide awareness and prevention, dyslexia awareness, human trafficking awareness) often available via Arkansas IDEAS.

Career prospects

The program is explicitly designed to prepare candidates for classroom teaching and to provide an alternative pathway to Arkansas teacher licensure. Graduates pursue roles as licensed K–12 teachers in their chosen content and grade-level areas—elementary, middle, secondary, or K–12 specialty areas such as art, languages, music, PE, or computer science—depending on the track completed and state licensure outcomes.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Tuition for the MAT is stated at $410 per credit hour. Prospective applicants should explore institutional aid, departmental scholarships, federal student aid eligibility, and employer or district tuition-assistance programs where applicable. For program-specific funding options and financial guidance contact Lyon College’s education program staff or the graduate admissions office.