The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Sciences:

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Special Education (K- Age 21)

Walden is approved by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) to offer programs leading to initial teacher licensure in Elementary Education and Special Education. Candidates seeking licensure in Minnesota are responsible for completing all Minnesota requirements beyond Walden’s state-approved program. The Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) is solely responsible for reviewing applications and issuing licenses.

Individuals interested in licensure in states other than Minnesota may qualify by virtue of completing a state-approved educator preparation program; however, individuals must review their state’s regulations to ensure the program meets all requirements, paying particular attention to any requirements specific to out-of-state program completers. Individuals who reside in certain states may be ineligible to enroll in certain programs. Walden Enrollment Specialists can provide guidance on licensure questions; however, it remains the individual’s responsibility to understand and comply with all state licensure requirements. Walden makes no representation or guarantee that completion of Walden coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain state licensure.

Note to all Pennsylvania residents: Walden University’s teacher preparation program is approved by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board as leading to licensure. Because this program is not reviewed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, candidates are instructed to apply for Pennsylvania certification as out-of-state graduates of a teacher preparation program.

Note to all Washington residents: Eligibility for initial educator certification in Washington is based on completion of a state-approved educator preparation program. This program is approved in Minnesota and is authorized for field placements in Washington by the Professional Educators Standards Board. Even though you may be residing in Washington while in this program, your application for educator certification in Washington will be processed as an out-of-state application. Go to https://www.k12.wa.us/certification/teacher-certificate/out-state-applicants-teachers for more information. Teachers are advised to contact their individual school districts as to whether this program may qualify for teacher advancement.

• 46 semester credits
• Core courses (18 semester credits)
• Specialization courses (24 semester credits)
• Demonstration teaching (4 semester credits)
• Field Experience Preparation Courses (0 credit) 
• Field experience**: a minimum of 105 hours of classroom-based and virtual experiences in conjunction with coursework; 12 weeks of full-time demonstration teaching
• MAT courses
• ePortfolio

**Note: In addition to Walden’s general technical requirements, candidates must have access to technology (i.e., scanner or camera) that allows them to electronically submit signed documents verifying their field experience hours.

Core Courses (18 semester credits)

Specialization Courses (24 semester credits)

Demonstration Teaching (4 semester credits)

Candidates undertake courses in the following sequence.

Note: The Teacher Preparation Program with a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) does not offer any courses during the summer that have field experience or demonstration teaching requirements.

Walden University requires that all candidates in its teacher preparation program with a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) review the Candidate Guidebook and Field Experience and Demonstration Teaching Handbook to help them understand the guidelines and requirements of the program, including transition points and field experiences.

Candidates can access the Candidate Guidebook and Field Experience and Demonstration Teaching Handbook in their ePortfolio. Candidates enrolled in the teacher preparation program with a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) should refer to the Candidate Guidebook for complete information on the programs and related policies and procedures related to them. Candidates should refer to the Field Experience and Demonstration Teaching Handbook for detailed information regarding the field experience requirements in the program.

Walden is committed to providing students with resources and support in preparation of field experience(s). To help ease anxiety in the field experience process, Walden offers a 0-credit Field Experience Preparation course, a structured experience that guides students through the application process and currently available readiness resources. The course is designed to complement other pre-requisite courses needed in preparation for field experience(s). The goal is that students submit their field experience application by the end of the course. Of course, there may be reasons why a field experience needs to be postponed, or the readiness course may not be needed if a field experience opportunity has already been secured. In this instance, students may opt-out of the course.  By opting out of the Field Experience Preparation course without having submitted a complete field experience application you are notifying Walden that you have chosen to delay the beginning of your field experience indefinitely, it is your responsibility to notify Walden when you plan to begin the field experience component of your program. In some instances, opting out of the Field Experience Preparation course indicates the foundational components of the field experience process have been satisfied and submission of the field experience application is pending. While the course is not yet available for Tempo students, the same readiness resources are available to Tempo students seeking field experience.