Foreign Languages, Spanish Concentration, M.A.T.

Jun Da, Program Director
(615) 898-2279
Jun.Da@mtsu.edu

World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers the Master of Arts in Teaching with concentrations in French, German, or Spanish. Also offered is a minor at the graduate level. Students who would like to minor in world languages should determine the requirements based on their major curriculum in consultation with their advisors.

This degree is intended to prepare native and non-native speakers of the world language for a career in world language teaching at the elementary or secondary level. Students planning to teach in elementary school must be licensed prior to admission to the M.A.T. program. Those planning to teach on the secondary level may be already licensed or may pursue licensure while enrolled in the M.A.T. program; however, requirements for admission to teacher education must be met. Students select a concentration from French, German, or Spanish.

Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Master of Arts in Teaching in Foreign Languages program with a Spanish concentration, applicant must have earned at least 24 semester hours of Spanish. Students may complete up to 6 hours of these as undergraduate hours while concurrently enrolled in the graduate program. Native speakers must consult with the graduate director regarding this requirement.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required. A combined score of 291 (current scale) or 900 (former scale) on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination is considered indicative of potential for an acceptable level of academic performance.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
submit two letters of reference;
submit official transcripts of all previous college work.

Degree Requirements

Candidate must

complete a minimum of 33 semester hours including 24 hours in world language courses as listed below; no more than 30 percent of the total degree hours dual-listed as undergraduate/graduate hours can be counted toward the degree;
complete a professional education component approved by the chair of the Educational Leadership Department;
achieve an oral proficiency level in the target language (Spanish) of at least “Advanced” and a written proficiency level of “Advanced Plus” on the ACTFL scale; students should consult the world languages graduate director for additional information on this requirement;
demonstrate a basic reading knowledge in a language other than Spanish; this requirement may be met by passing a world language reading examination or by earning a final grade of A or B (83%) in GERM 5990 or FREN 5990 or by passing a reading examination;
successfully complete a written comprehensive examination that covers language teaching methods and the language, literature, and culture of the Spanish language (may be taken no more than twice).

Curriculum: Foreign Languages, Spanish

Candidate must complete 33 hours in the following course of study:

Core (6 hours)

FL 5500 - Introduction to Teaching Foreign Language 3 credit hours
FL 6990 - Internship 3 to 6 credit hours

Concentration Core (12 hours)

SPAN 6000 - Seminar in Spanish Studies 3 credit hours
9 hours of electives in 5000- or 6000-level Spanish courses

Guided Electives (6 hours)

FL 6010 - Foreign Language Acquisition: Theory and Practice 3 credit hours
FL 6700 - Introduction to Linguistics 3 credit hours
FL 6750 - Romance Linguistics 3 credit hours
FL 6800 - Instructional Technology in Foreign Language Education 3 credit hours
FL 6900 - Issues in Foreign Language Acquisition 1 to 3 credit hours

Professional Education Component (9 hours)

Students take 9 hours of approved Educational Leadership courses at the 6000 level (in general, SPSE, FOED and YOED), unless the candidate is choosing the licensure option. Those seeking licensure should consult an advisor.

Program Notes

Candidates for the M.A.T. with a major in Foreign Languages and a concentration in either French, German, or Spanish may choose whether or not to seek licensure to teach. The curriculum selected is based on the individual’s preference and need:

for those already licensed to teach in the state of Tennessee;
for those who seek licensure in conjunction with the M.A.T. degree;
for those who wish to pursue the degree without teacher licensure in Tennessee.

The world language requirement under each option is the same; candidates should consult an advisor in the Educational Leadership Department regarding the courses pertinent to their degree and career goals.

Candidate must

file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to entry into the program;
file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which the student intends to graduate.