Secondary Pedagogy MAT
- Graduate Educator Licensure or Endorsement
- Master's Degree
Become a Middle or High School Teacher
Do you have a bachelor’s degree and want to become a licensed teacher for grades 7–12? This program helps you change careers and earn your Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree.
Teach the Subject You Love
This program is for people who have a bachelor’s degree (or have passed a Praxis exam) in one of the following subjects:
- English / Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Science (Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science or Physics)
- Social Studies (History, Civics, Economics or Geography)
For details, see the Program-Specific Admission Requirements section below.
Finish Fast
- Accelerated Program: Earn your teaching license in one year, and your master’s degree in 15 months.
- Hybrid Format: You will take some classes in Denver or Greeley, Colorado. Other semesters will be completed online and in a school near you.
What You’ll Learn
- Foundational teaching skills
- The psychology and philosophy of education
- Tactics to engage every student
Best of all you will get practical classroom experience. Your professors will personally guide you throughout your practice teaching.
Your Teaching Career
Become a Skilled Teacher
Earning your master’s degree and licensure from UNC gives you a major advantage.
- Opportunities and Pay: UNC is the top teacher education institution in the state, so candidates from UNC are highly valued. Plus, by entering teaching with a master’s degree, you will likely increase your salary and job options.
- Leadership: You will gain the effective leadership skills that school administrators are seeking.
- Impact: You will be well-prepared for a rewarding career. You’ll have the skills and preparation to positively impact the lives of children every day.
Teaching Licensure and Endorsement
Completing this program and the required Praxis exams will qualify you for initial Colorado teacher licensure with a grades 6–12 endorsement in your content area.
This program will qualify you for credential requirements in most states. If you plan to work outside of Colorado, please see the Licensure Eligibility by State section below.
Course of Study
Schedule for Courses and Teaching Experiences
- Some courses will be delivered fully in person at your chosen UNC location in Denver or Greeley.
- Some courses have a hybrid delivery. You will have a few in-person class sessions but some instruction will be completed online.
- Some courses will be completely online.
- Schedules for courses differ between the Denver and Greeley delivery locations.
You will be eligible for licensure at the end of the spring term, and can apply for teaching jobs that begin that summer/fall.
You will also have coursework to support teaching placements that give you valuable experience, including…
- Practicum: field experience in a middle school or high school classroom. You will be assigned to a school for the fall semester of the program. This experience includes some teaching responsibilities.
- Student teaching: a full-time (Monday–Friday during school hours) teaching responsibility that takes place in the spring semester of the program. You will spend 16 full weeks in a middle school or high school classroom. We do our best to accommodate placement requests, but we can’t guarantee that you will be placed at a requested area / school.
Courses and Requirements
This is a 36-credit master’s degree program.
Transfer Credit
If you have taken graduate courses that align with program courses, you can request transfer credit. Approved transfer credit can reduce the cost of completing this program. Program faculty will review your transfer credit to confirm that it matches course content and objectives. See the full graduate transfer credit policy for details.
Have Questions? Get in Touch!
Anna Taylor
Enrollment Counselor
Michelle Holmes
Program Coordinator
Tuition Rate
Simple Per-Credit Tuition Rate
You pay the same rate whether you are in-state or out-of-state.
Per Credit
Rate for the 2025-26 academic year (fall, spring and summer terms).*
No Student / Technology Fees
Certain courses, e.g., field experiences, may include course fees to support added services and materials.
*Tuition for the 2026-27 academic year will be decided mid-June 2026.
Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP): UNC provides a health insurance plan to all degree-seeking graduate students who are enrolled in 6 or more credits for a term. If you have comparable insurance coverage, and do not want to be charged for SHIP coverage, you can opt out of this plan. Please visit the UNC Student Health Insurance pages for more information.
Estimates of additional costs: For the purposes of determining financial aid, UNC follows Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and federal guidelines to develop an estimated, average Cost of Attendance (budget) for different student classifications. For your personal tuition estimates, we recommend using the program-specific tuition information above. But UNC’s official Cost of Attendance/Student Budgets page can help you identify other estimated expenses for which you may be responsible while completing your program.
Federal Financial Aid
Degree-seeking students are encouraged to apply for federal financial aid. Master’s degree students need to be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full-time enrollment is based on 9 credits per term.
You will complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The UNC Applying for Aid page provides important dates, including the release date and deadline for each academic year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle which begins each August).
- Late FAFSA submissions are still accepted throughout the academic year, but you may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid.
- If the priority deadline has passed for the upcoming/current school year, we encourage you to apply for FAFSA consideration as soon as you enroll for your first courses.
- Depending on the time of year, you may be able to submit an application for the current academic year and an early/priority application for the following academic year.
You can also find helpful information in the Federal Student Aid Resources.
Program Eligibility
General Admission Requirements
- Possess a baccalaureate degree from an institutionally accredited college or university.
- Have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or better, on a 4.00 point scale, for the most recent degree earned or current degree in progress.
- If you are in the process of completing a previous degree or have special GPA considerations, please read the specific requirements for this program type.
- Note: the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is NOT required for graduate school admission.
Program-Specific Admission Requirements
- You will either need to have a bachelor’s in the content area in which you would like to be licensed (English, Biology, etc.) OR proof that you have passed the PRAXIS exam for that content area. Note: if taking the Praxis exam for Science or Social Studies, you will need to pass the exam for the general topic, not the specific content area exam. Visit the Colorado Department of Education site for coursework and Praxis requirements for each content area. For any questions regarding this, please contact the Enrollment Counselor.
- Note: Students who are admitted based on holding a degree in the content area will need to pass a Praxis exam prior to student teaching. You will be reminded about enrolling for this exam prior to that semester.
Eligibility for Out-of-State Students
Licensure Eligibility by State
UNC’s professional licensure programs are designed to lead to Colorado licensure. Each state sets their own requirements, so a UNC program might not lead to licensure in other states. Visit the UNC Licensure page to learn more about which states UNC programs meet educational requirements for licensure.
It’s important to understand requirements in the state where you plan to work. Visit the State Licensure Boards page to find each state’s licensing agency and contact information. Questions? Contact Licensure@unco.edu.
International Student Eligibility
No student visa: F-1 and J-1 student visas are not available for this program. However, if you are a non-U.S. citizen who will be in the U.S. under another visa category, you may be able to enroll in this program. Before you apply, please check for enrollment or employment restrictions for your visa category.
If you do apply to this program, you will need to provide proof of your English language ability or complete the UNC Intensive English Program. Please visit the International Admissions page for information about:
- Minimum English language requirements
- Applying as an international student
Meet with an Enrollment Counselor
Meet the Program Faculty
Visit the Academic Department
Are You Ready to Apply?
Thank you for your interest in this UNC program! Here are some elements you can check to be sure you are eligible and ready to apply to this program.
Program Eligibility
See the Program Eligibility section above.
Licensure Eligibility by State
This program is related to a state licensure, endorsement or other credential. If you intend to pursue a credential outside of Colorado, please check the Licensure Eligibility by State section above.
International Applicants
Please see the International Student Eligibility section above to check your eligibility for this program.
Application Deadline
This program begins each Summer term. Applications will be accepted until March 15 (unless one or both delivery locations are full before that date; we will post here if a delivery is full for the current cycle). We strongly encourage you to apply as soon as you are ready in order to reserve your spot in the cohort. We will inform you of your admission decision as soon as possible.
A limited number of students may be able to begin this program in the Spring term if they miss the Summer term start. Please contact the Enrollment Counselor to inquire about a possible Spring start if needed.
Application Process Details
On the application, you will choose:
- Secondary Pedagogy: ‘your content area’ – Grades 7-12 (M.A.T.)
- Start term: Summer Term (May) [only choose spring if you have contacted an Enrollment Counselor]
View the full program-specific application details in the UNC Graduate Catalog.
Application Reimbursement From TEACH Colorado
For Colorado applicants to teacher licensure programs: UNC is pleased to be partnering with TEACH Colorado, a non-profit coalition that works to support future teachers. If you set up a free account with TEACHColorado.org before you complete your UNC application to a program / concentration that includes initial teacher licensure, you will be eligible to receive up to $100 in reimbursement of your application fee and any costs you may incur for academic transcripts or exams. The TEACHColorado.org checklist is optional, but you will need to create an account if you would like to request reimbursement.
We also recommend that you save this page that you are viewing right now for when you return to complete your UNC application.
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