Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) Mississippi Teacher Corps
Earn a free Master of Arts in Teaching while serving a critical-needs school.
About this Program
The Mississippi Teacher Corps (MTC) is an alternate-route graduate program that prepares participants to be classroom teachers (grades 7-12). Participants are placed in high-needs Mississippi public schools.
How does Mississippi Teacher Corps work?
The program starts in the summer, with three required courses focusing on lesson planning, assessment, and classroom culture/management (EDCI 613, EDCI 615, and EDSP 601).
- Once participants complete the introductory summer courses, they are eligible to receive a 3-year non-renewable Mississippi teaching license. This allows them to sign a contract with their placement school and receive full teacher pay and benefits from the school district.
- As students move through the program, they take coursework that expands on early concepts while also looking at technology integration, exceptional students, diversity in the classroom, educational research, and teacher leadership.
MTC provides training, support, Mississippi teacher certification, and a full scholarship for a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from the University of Mississippi. During the school year, participants receive full pay and benefits from their school district and attend graduate classes at the University of Mississippi.
Each year, MTC accepts between 25-35 candidates.
On this Page…
Program Information
Program Type
Master's Program
Area of Study
Education
School
Duration
2 years
Degree
M.A.T. in Teaching
Program Location
Required Credit Hours
30
Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) Mississippi Teacher Corps
Participants in the Mississippi Teacher Corps receive the following benefits:
- Full scholarship for a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Mississippi (covers all tuition, books, and fees)
- Job placement in a Mississippi public school with full salary and benefits from the school district
- A class A license in Mississippi
- $1,000 summer stipend to help cover moving & incidental expenses (half paid before the middle of July, half paid before the middle of August)*
- $300 technology stipend to cover the cost of purchasing/owning a computer.
- $1,300 classroom supplies grant ($1,000 the first year and $300 the second-year)
- $1,000 contract bonus (paid in late fall)
- Free on-campus housing during the summer training program
- Breakfast and lunch during the summer training program
- Free hotel room on Friday and Saturday nights when classes meet in Oxford
- Mentoring and support from the MTC administration, second-year teachers and alumni
The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) Mississippi Teacher Corps requires the following courses for a total of 30 credit hours.
To complete the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) Mississippi Teacher Corps, students must complete:
- 30 hours of Professional Core courses
Professional Core Courses (30)
- EDCI 613 Lesson Planning & Assessing Student Learning*
- EDCI 615 Classroom Facilitation & Management*
- EDSP 601 Exceptional Students in the Secondary Classroom*
- EDCI 600 Advanced Methods
- EDCI 612 Diversity & the Adolescent Learner
- EDCI 617 Effective Technology Integration in the Secondary Classroom
- EDLT 605 Content Area Literacy
- EDCI 614 Teachers as Leaders
- EDSE 627 Reflections on Teaching/Field Experience**
*Required for the initial 3-year provisional Mississippi teaching license. Completion of this program will allow the 3-year license to be upgraded to a 5-year regular Mississippi teaching license.
**EDSE 627 is a field experience course. It is recommended that it be taken twice for three credits each time.
Students applying to the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) Mississippi Teacher Corps must meet the following requirements. Students must have:
- An undergraduate degree with coursework (12-18 hours, depending on the subject) related to at least one of the following areas: math, science, English, social studies, or a foreign language
- A minimum 3.0 GPA in undergraduate coursework
- A minimum ACT composite score of 21, OR minimum SAT score of 990 (verbal and math only), OR passing scores on the Praxis Core exam
- A passing score on the Praxis II test in the subject area you wish to teach*
- Participants must have a valid social security number and provide the Mississippi Department of Education with proof of lawful presence in the US
- Participants who complete the initial three-year MAT license
*Application to the program can occur before taking the Praxis exam(s), and acceptance to the program can occur before test scores are confirmed. However, full admittance to the program requires passing all testing requirements.
*The Master of Arts in Teaching program at the University of Mississippi meets the educational requirements for licensure in the state of Mississippi. The program has not determined if the program curriculum meets the educational requirements for state licensure or certification in the states, territories, or entities outside of Mississippi. Reciprocity of a Mississippi teaching license is determined by individual states and entities.
M.A.T. Mississippi Teacher Corps Pre-Application Form
We're here to help!
Interested in learning more about the Mississippi Teacher Corps? Don't hesitate to reach out!
Joseph Patrick Sweeney
Clinical Associate Professor and Director of Mississippi Teacher Corps
Where does MTC place its teachers?
MTC places its teachers in critical-needs schools. These schools have a high percentage of students who receive free or reduced lunch, a statistic that correlates with a community that is suffering from the effects of poverty.
Want a deep-dive? Check out MTC alumna Bobby Latona's chapter "What are Critical Needs Schools?"
Just north of the University of Mississippi and slightly south of Memphis, sits this unique region of the state. Communities like Holly Springs and Sardis open up their doors and make new residents quickly feel like home. Enjoy Blues Festivals on the weekends, Friday night football games, and locating hidden restaurants that have some of the best cuisine in the entire state. This area also enables its residents to enjoy the benefits of living so close to Memphis & Oxford; however, once teachers start to make these communities their homes, they almost always seem to schedule their social outings with what is happening in their towns.
This is also an area where a new teacher can make a big difference. There are several critical-needs schools in this area of the state, and there is a high demand for quality teachers. The Mississippi Teacher Corps has a long-standing history of commitment and service to this area, and we are always looking for quality teachers to join our movement. We know you'll fall in love with this area like so many of our alums have.
COMMUNITIES SERVED
Batesville
Byhalia
Como
Holly Springs
Marshall County
Sardis
Tate County
The Mississippi Delta has a mystique all its own. It's the place James Cobb referred to as the South's South, and it's a place that has produced some of our country's most heralded artists. From musicians Robert Johnson & Muddy Waters to writers Tennessee Williams & Eudora Welty, the Delta has and continues to be a cultural mecca for the South. It's a place where you can regularly see a show at Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero Blues Club or eat dinner with your friends at the famous Doe's Eat Place steakhouse.
Even with all of these options around you, the best part of the Delta is the people. Schools and communities embrace teachers as their own. Our teachers consistently express how tight-knit their community is in their placement. MTC also has a history of commitment to serving the Delta's schools, and we have several partners who are motivated to helping our teachers have their highest point of contribution.
COMMUNITIES SERVED
Clarksdale
Cleveland
Greenwood
Hollandale
West Tallahatchie
Leland
While it's in close proximity to Mississippi State University's Starkville campus, this placement offers the quiet, community-oriented experience of small-town life. High School sports are extremely popular in this area of the state. You can take in a thrilling Friday night football game at West Point High School, the defending 5A state champions, or be a part of a packed gymnasium for the defending 6A state basketball champions, Meridian High School. Music & Arts scene is more of your thing? Two of the state and the South's best venues are Meridian's Riley Performing Arts Center and Starkville's Rick's Cafe.
This is also an area where we've witnessed tremendous attachment between our teachers and their placements. Here, we've seen teachers staying long after their two-year commitment, because they don't want to leave. It's hard not to fall in love with the kids and the community when they take so much pride in being from their towns.
COMMUNITIES SERVED
Aberdeen
Meridian
Noxubee County
Okolona
West Point
The capital city is the state's only urban school district. Located in central Mississippi, this area is also known as the Crossroads of the South. It's around a 3-hour drive to both Memphis & New Orleans, and it's almost a 6-hour drive to Dallas & Atlanta. Once teachers start to experience all that Jackson has to offer though, they rarely venture out. The city houses the state's capital, the Jackson Zoo, and the state's brand new Civil Rights Museum. The Fondren & Belhaven areas are both thriving cultural scenes, and the city is known to have some of the best restaurants in the state.
Jackson is also going through a critical transformation in its public school system, and there is a great opportunity to be on the ground floor of working to make a city better. MTC has a history of placing quality teachers in the area and seeing them thrive in their schools. We believe that trend is going to continue.
COMMUNITIES SERVED
Jackson
Rankin County
Raymond
Terry
Hazlehurst
How much does the Mississippi Teacher Corps pay?
Average annual benefit for a non-Mississippi resident
Average annual benefit for a Mississippi resident
Next Steps
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