Teaching, M.A.

Educators are change-makers, and highly qualified educators are needed in every locality. A degree in teaching will provide you the opportunity to foster the love of learning, mentor youth and contribute to your community.

The 21st-century classroom demands inspiring and innovative teachers, like you, who are passionate about helping students learn. We offer engaging and rigorous 12-month or 18-month program tracks and a learning experience that will prepare you to enrich the lives of students.

For a non-teaching professional, this program can help you earn a certified teaching license and master’s degree in as little as 12 months, or, if you are a teacher, it can help take your skills to the next level earning A-level certification in English, math, physical education, music, science and social studies.

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Take the next step toward completing your Master of Arts degree in Teaching.

This is not one of those programs where you are completing "modules." Our program is comprised of live, interactive classes. You work in groups and pairs as well as share your work as you would do in a regular classroom.

Classes are small so that you can build important relationships with your professors and get the kind of personalized education that Lenoir-Rhyne University encourages.

Full-time faculty mentors are located on both LR’s Hickory and Asheville campuses, providing students greater face-to-face access when needed. Any practicum experiences, including student teaching requirements, can be completed close to home at your convenience.

Joshua Carter conducting high school band and choir

Alumni Spotlight: Joshua Carter

"The biggest draw for me for this program is being able to work full-time and complete an entire master's degree in 18 months. It makes me more marketable in the workforce and allowed me to get my teaching license."

Attend a Virtual Information Session

Join us for a virtual information session to learn more about the admission process, financial aid, the teaching program and outcomes. Talk with program coordinator Stephanie Thomas, Ph.D., along with an admission counselor. This is a great opportunity to have your questions answered about our program.

Registration & Session Information

Register for an upcoming virtual information session.

High school students working at desks in classroom

Designed for the Working Adult in Mind

As a fully online, non-cohort program, you can start any semester and complete the curriculum at your own pace—full-time or part-time.

Rated Among the Best in the U.S.

The teaching programs at LR are among the best in the nation, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality, in terms of clinical service requirements and in reading instruction.

Professors in the Master of Arts in Teaching program have many years of experience as teachers and administrators, which results in instruction that is targeted and based on the needs of today's classroom. With the hands-on, practical and best practice tools that you will learn to utilize in the program, you will be equipped to make the most of your opportunities to inspire and instruct students.

Program graduates have a distinctive advantage in hiring for teachers because you will have produced graduate work specifically in the craft of teaching and very likely have additional content preparation in your chosen areas of undergraduate study.

Accelerated Master's Degrees Program

Complete your master's and bachelor's degrees at the same time and save money in the process.

The Lenoir-Rhyne Accelerated Master's Degrees program is designed for academically talented students to complete the requirements for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees at an accelerated pace, saving you time and money.

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Accreditation

Teacher observes high school students using microscope in biology class

Our educator preparation programs are accredited through the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).

Financial Aid & Costs

A top-quality graduate education is both accessible and affordable at Lenoir-Rhyne. Among comparable universities, we’re one of the more affordable options. With our array of loans and financial aid options, you can make this exceptional value even better.

The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship, funded by the National Science Foundation, offers a unique opportunity for scholarship recipients who commit to working as a STEM teacher in a high-need school district to earn a tuition-free Master of Arts in Teaching degree.

The Forgivable Education Loans for Service program offered through the College Foundation of North Carolina offers students in graduate programs up to $5,000 per semester in forgivable loans as long as you remain in the classroom. Application opens January 4 and is due by March 1.

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Degree Requirements

Lenoir-Rhyne University's online Master's of Art in Teaching (MAT) program provides students the opportunity to earn both a graduate degree and, for students who have earned a non-education undergraduate degree, an opportunity to be licensed as a secondary teacher or certain K-12 teacher licensure areas. Students gain the skills, training and secondary certification they need to be highly qualified English, math, social studies and science teachers. Students gain a K-12 certification in physical education and music.

The MAT program emphasizes applying theory to best practice. As a non-cohort program, students can complete the curriculum at their own pace-full time or part-time. Students are in the classroom observing and working with teachers and administrators, and the program culminates with a semester of full-time student teaching. This can be completed in the fall or the spring as well as a capstone seminar in which students begin the transition to their own classrooms. Students must be successful on the Praxis II and edTPA in order to graduate from the program.

The MAT Program at Lenoir-Rhyne is a fully online program that helps our students in their work/life balance, as 90% of them work full-time while in the program. It also means that students can complete the program in as little as 12 months

In addition to successfully completing the MAT program of study, candidates must achieve passing scores on the appropriate Praxis II test(s) for their licensure area in order to be eligible for the NC Standard Professional I teaching license.

Grade Level	Discipline	Test Information	Test Code	Qualifying Score
Secondary	Science	General Science: Content Knowledge (5435)	Test #5435	Passing Score: 151
Secondary	English	English Language Arts: Content Knowledge (5038)	Test #: 5038	Passing Score:167
Secondary	Social Studies	Social Studies: Content Knowledge (5081)	Test #:5081	Passing Score: 158
Secondary	Mathematics	Mathematics: Content Knowledge (5161) Calculator Use	Test #:5161	Passing Score: 160
Middle Grades	English	Middle School English Language Arts (5047)	Test #:5047	Passing Score: 164
Middle Grades	Mathematics	Middle School Mathematics (5169) Calculator Use	Test #:5169	Passing Score: 165
Middle Grades	Science	Middle School Science (5440)	Test #: 5440	Passing Score: 150
Middle Grades	Social Studies	Middle School Social Studies (5089)	Test #: 5089	Passing Score: 149
K-12	Music	Music: Content and Instruction (5114)	Test #:5114	Passing Score: 162
K-12	Physical Education	Health and Physical Education: Content Knowledge (5857)	Test #: 5857	Passing Score: 160

NOTE: All MAT students must pass the edTPA performance assessment for their respective discipline in order to gain eligibility for NC teacher licensure.