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

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

Walden’s Minnesota state-approved teacher preparation program with a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Special Education is designed to prepare candidates to become special education teachers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of exemplary educators who work in diverse settings. This program prepares candidates to teach students with mild to moderate exceptionalities ages K–21. The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Services is committed to individuals who seek to become skilled classroom teachers and to providing them developmentally appropriate, student-centered learning experiences that build their students’ knowledge and skills.

The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Sciences is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). This means the college has met rigorous standards for demonstrating excellence and continuous improvement in educator preparation.

CAEP accreditation is based on a review of The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Sciences’ initial teacher preparation programs—the BS in Elementary Education and the Master of Arts in Teaching with a specialization in Special Education—and advanced educator preparation programs—the EdS in Educational Leadership and Administration and the MS in Education with a specialization in Educational Leadership and Administration. 

Walden is approved by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) to offer a program leading to a Minnesota Tier 3 license in 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.

• 70 Total quarter credits
• Professional core courses (60 credits)
• Field Experience Preparation course (0 credit) 
• Demonstration Teaching Preparation course (0 credit)
• Demonstration Teaching courses (10 credits)
• Field experience**: a minimum of 100 hours of classroom-based field experiences in conjunction with coursework; 12 weeks of full-time demonstration teaching

**Note: In addition to Walden’s general technical requirements, candidates must have access to technology (i.e., scanner and video camera) that allows them to scan documents and record themselves teaching.

Core Courses (60 credits)

*Field Experience courses (25 hours in each; 100 total hours)

Demonstration teaching (10 credits)

Candidates undertake courses in the following sequence.

Note: The course sequence is subject to change depending on your start date.

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 the field experience SharePoint. 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 candidates with resources and support in preparation of field experiences. To help ease anxiety in the field experience process, Walden offers a 0-credit Field Experience Preparation course and Demonstration Teaching Preparation course. Both courses are structured experiences that guide candidates through the application process and currently available readiness resources. The courses are designed to complement other pre-requisite courses needed in preparation for field experiences. There may be reasons why a field experience course 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 applicable preparation course.