Children’s Literature (MA) / Teaching (MAT)
Faculty
Please see Children’s Literature and Teaching programs for faculty lists.
Description
The dual degree in Children’s Literature (MA) and Teaching (MAT) engages students in the connection between the child and the book. Graduate students in the program build their strengths as classroom teachers in a variety of educational settings as they delve into the critical positioning and assessment of literature published for young people. Their studies in children’s/young adult literature covers a range of intended audience ages and multiple genres studies to deepen their inventiveness in curricular design, classroom engagement, and literary review.
Learning Outcomes
Students leave Master of Arts (MA) in Children’s Literature with an extensive theoretical context and a broad knowledge of contemporary literature for children and young adults. In graduating, they have:
- Developed a critical voice and demonstrated the capacity for original argument;
- Analyzed literature for children and young adults;
- Assessed and interpreted scholarship in the field of children’s and young adult literature;
- Applied critical perspectives across genres in children’s and young adult literature;
- Understood historical works, contexts, and influences in the field;
- Valued the diversities of human experiences (re)presented in literature for children and young adults and in the scholarship in the field; and
- Demonstrated individual and collaborative leadership.
Requirements for entry into program
Please refer to the admission requirements for the MA in Children’s Literature and the MA in Teaching in this catalog.
Degree requirements
60- to 68-credits (depending on the length of student teaching)
Graduate students in the MA/MAT dual degree program typically carry 12 credits in the fall and spring and a range of credits in summer semesters. Students considering registering for more than 12 credits per term must consult with the graduate program directors. Dual degree students must take a course in each program (MA and MAT) during each semester of enrollment. Most typically, students begin with four credits in Children’s Literature course and eight credits in Graduate Education.
Master of Arts in Teaching course requirements (32-40 credits):
| GEDUC 460 | Teaching Strategies for the Inclusive Classroom | 4.00 |
| GEDUC 445 | Educational Psychology | 4.00 |
| GEDUC 461 | Social Studies, Science & the Arts Methods | 4.00 |
| GEDUC 464 | Reading & Language Arts Methods | 4.00 |
| GEDUC 467 | Math Methods | 4.00 |
| TESL 417 | Sheltered English Instruction | 4.00 |
| GEDUC 400 | Pre-Practicum Seminar | 4.00 |
| GEDUC 488 | Pre-Practicum | 4.00 |
| GEDUC 401 | Seminar in Teaching and Learning at the Elementary Level | 4.00 |
| GEDUC 480 | Practicum: Elementary Education (1-6) | 4.00 |
GEDUC 400, GEDUC 488: Fall
GEDUC 401, GEDUC 480: Spring
The pre-practicum and practicum provide students with a year-long teaching experience. The MAT program has developed relationships with a variety of communities in Massachusetts in order to provide our students with the best practicum experiences possible.
Please note that acceptance into the MAT program does not guarantee automatic acceptance into the pre-practicum/ practicum. Students must be recommended by the department before moving into the practical portion of the program.
Masters of Arts in Children's Literature course requirements (28 credits total):
| CHL 401 | Criticism of Literature for Children | 4.00 |
| CHL 403 | The Picturebook | 4.00 |
| CHL 413 | Contemporary Realistic Fiction | 4.00 |
| CHL 414 | Fantasy and Science Fiction | 4.00 |
|
CHL 4XX
History elective/s
|
Coursework in the history
of children's literature,
selected from courses with
a chronological focus.
|
To tota 4.00 |
|
CHL 4XX
General elective
|
General electives |
To total 4.00 |
Licensure, certification, etc.
The Simmons College Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) to lead to initial teaching licensure in Massachusetts.