MAT News & Events

UMGC's MAT Program has been named a 

"Best Online Master's in Secondary Education" 

The MAT has also been recognized as "Best Global University" (2021/2022), "Best Plan of Study" (2019/2020), "Most Affordable MAT Program" (2018/2022), and as a "Top 10 Most Affordable MAT Degrees" (2021).

Take a few minutes to watch the MAT Program Orientation for an overview of the program and its requirements.  We also encourage candidates to check out the links in the "Student Webinars" section at the bottom of the page.

View UMGC's past UMGC's Teachers of Promise and Distinguished Teacher Candidate Honorees.

Meet some of our amazing MAT candidates and faculty!

MAT Biology candidate Bilal Pirzada was selected to represent UMGC at the November 2024, Chancellor's Chat at the Chancellor's Residence in Baltimore, where he met with University System of Maryland Chancellor Dr. Jay Perman and other teacher candidates from USM institutions across the state to discuss teacher preparation in Maryland. 

Congratulations to MAT professor, Dr. Kim Fleming, for receiving the 2024 Outstanding Faculty award!

Why choose our MAT?  Check out UMGC's blog post, "Why earn a master's degree in teaching?," where Dr. Monica Simonsen discusses this question!

Watch MEd graduate and LaPlata High School Vice Principal Cory Underwood discussing his UMGC education degree and read about his career path in the "Educating in the Midst of a Pandemic" article!

The MAT and the MEd programs have been undergoing a new national accreditation process with the Association for Advancing Quality in Teacher Preparation (AAQEP) to replace our prior national accreditor, CAEP.  In August 2022, both programs were granted the full seven-year accreditation after a rigorous multi-year self-study and peer review process!

Check out our MAT Grad Social Media Shout Outs for some of our recent grads for 2022 Teacher Appreciation Week!       #UMGCGrad       #UMGCProud      #TeacherWeek

  Rebecca Yoblin - Mathematics

  Mary Heath - English

  Elisabeth Bendo - Biology

  Caitlin Cash - History

Listen to MAT faculty member, Dr. Kim Fleming, on the "Getting Unstuck - Educators Leading Change" podcast! 

Congratulations to MAT professor and field supervisor, Dr. Melissa Pierczynski, for receiving the UMGC 2021-2022 Outstanding Faculty Award! 

Read about the MAT's Vertical Pathways program, enabling undergraduate students pursuing their bachelor's degree at UMGC to take the first two MAT classes and use the credits towards both programs, in "Meeting the Teacher Shortage: An Accelerated Pathway at UMGC." 

Dr. Monica Simonsen spoke to the Maryland House and Ways Committee about schools, students and 'COVID slide.' 

Article in Baltimore Sun highlights MAT program - "Innovative programs provide pathways to graduate school."  [Picture of MAT English graduate Yolonda Body and quote by MAT Biology graduate Tajma Cameron.] 

MAT Program Director, Dr. Monica Simonsen, and Educational Technology Program Director, Dr. Brandie Shatto, chat with Dean Dr. Kara Van Dam about how parents are navigating the virtual K-12 environment - the first in a series of video discussions on how the pandemic in impacting education.   

In Episode 3 of "Navigating the Future," Dr. Simonsen and Dr. Shatto, along with Dr. Jim Coker of the Science department, discuss how schools and teachers can meet the needs of all learners, addressing things such as accessibility tools, access to high-speed Internet and dissemination of devices. 

Read about student teaching during the pandemic in an article by UMGC's Global Media Center - "Teaching in a Pandemic: Mentor Circles Connect Educators" -  featuring Program Director, Dr. Monica Simonsen, and Fall 2020 Chemistry intern Dwayne Burbridge.  The article discusses the unique challenges interning during COVID-19 as well as highlights our E=MC2 mentoring circles!

UMGC celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week 2020 by spotlighting two of our Spring 2020 interns, Paul Botelho and Jason Nkwain.  Check out UMGC's student recognitions for Teacher Appreciation Week, Nursing Appreciation Week, and Police Appreciation Week  at https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-maryland-global-campus/ and  https://www.facebook.com/umgc/

Congratulations Dr. Kim Fleming, MAT Professor, and Dr. Michael Caruso, MAT University Supervisor and Undergraduate Professor, for both receiving the 2020 UMGC Outstanding Faculty Award for their exceptional work! 

MAT English alumna Yolonda Body is a Prince George's County (PGCPS) Teacher of the Year nominee!  We're so proud of our grads making a difference in their communities! 

MAT faculty member and university supervisor, Dr. Melissa Pierczynski, was awarded the 2018 Distinguished Research in Education Award at the annual Association of Teacher Education conference for her publication, "The development of teachers' visions from pre-service to their first years of teaching: A longitudinal study."

Read about the MAT's 'Using Data to Improve Student Learning' seminar in an article written by UMGC's Global Media Center: MAT Summit Explores Using Data to Improve Teaching.  You can also watch three of the keynote speaker presentations online.

Congratulations to MAT faculty member, Dr. Kim Fleming, who received the university's Teaching Recognition Award for her outstanding work and contributions to UMGC, our students, and the MAT program! Congrats as well to Dr. Michael Caruso, MAT University Field Supervisor, who also received the Teaching Recognition Award for his teaching in UMGC's Undergraduate School.

Congratulations also to MAT-English candidate Jessica Hanthorn.  Jessica was one of the two recipients of the 2016 Future Teachers Scholarship awarded by Journalism Education Association (JEA)! Read more about Jessica and her award.

We congratulate MAT Biology candidate Ashley Tipton on receiving of the 2016 Watts Scholarship Award from the Southeastern Regional Association of Teacher Educators (SRATE)!  Ashley was selected by MAT faculty and administrators as UMGC's recipient of the award, issued to only four university students.

Kristin Kubik, Director of MAT Student Support, was one of the five recipients of UMGC's 2016 Presidential Award, chosen for her commitment and demonstration of UMGC's core values. 

Read about the MAT and our outstanding graduates in an article from UMGC's Global Media Center: Master of Arts in Teaching Program Gives Lessons in How to Teach Effectively

Also read about UMGC B.A. and MAT Social Studies alumnus Dan Stouffer and his thesis, "Officer Autopsy: Dissecting the Legacy of Jonathan Letterman," which is being published by the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.  Dan also has had an article published in the Children's National Health Alumni Newsletter.

Watch MAT English alumna Yolonda Body in the classroom in the video recorded for the university's "UMGC Moments" campaign, which you may have seen on TV and in print ads in the DMV area!

Our 2016 MAT Teachers as Researchers Symposium can be viewed online, including speeches by MAT Chemistry graduate/MATE Distinguished Teacher Candidate Honoree, Dr. Alison Berger, and 2016 Maryland Teacher of the Year, Ryan Kaiser.

Watch clips from the 2015 MAT Teachers as Researchers Symposium:  Dr. Warna Gillies, speaks about the MAT program; Dr. Datta Kaur Khalsa, recognizes MSDE's 2015 Teachers of Promise; and keynote speaker 2015 Maryland Teacher of the Year, Jody Zepp, speaks as well as Michelle Dunkle from Maryland State Department of Education!