Program Length

The MAT is an intensive, full-time, 13-month program — running from June to May.

Licensure

Initial licensure tracks available in elementary education, secondary education, or special education.

Student Teaching

From day one, students are in the classroom, completing a two-semester student teaching internship that prepares them to teach with confidence.

Experiential Learning

Students may elect to grow their practice through an in-person study abroad experience in Germany or adventure immersion course in the North Carolina mountains.
Left: Lauren Oliver, a Master of Arts in Teaching program alumna stands in her English and Language Arts classroom at Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill. Right: Megan Cannady, a Master of Arts in Teaching alumna and special education teacher in Durham Public Schools stands in the hallway of Y.E. Smith Elementary. Both have been recognized as beginning teachers of the year for their schools.
Equipped to Make a Difference

About the Program

The Master of Arts in Teaching program prepares aspiring teachers to earn initial North Carolina licensure through structured coursework and an intensive two-semester student-teaching internship. Graduates become effective future-ready educators equipped to support, challenge, and empower students while connecting academic study with the realities of today’s classrooms.

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Photo of Molly Wells, a Master of Arts in Teaching program graduate, student teaching in a classroom.
Intensive, Immersive, and Impactful

Program Benefits

  • Earn your master’s and initial teaching license in one year
  • Choose from tracks in Elementary (K–6), Secondary (6–9 or 9–12), or Special Education (K–12)
  • Gain real-world teaching experience in local schools
  • Be part of a mission-driven, supportive community
  • Join alumni making a difference in their communities
“Through the MAT program, I am gaining a better understanding of how to support my students. Each student is unique, and I want to learn how to appropriately address their specific needs and become the supportive figure they require.”
Grace Landrum '24 — Kindergarten Teacher; Wake County Public Schools
MAT student and Fellow for Inclusive Excellence Grace Landrum inside a Carolina Community Academy classroom
We invest in you. You invest in the future.

North Carolina Teaching Fellows at UNC-Chapel Hill

The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program offers competitive, merit-based forgivable loans for students committed to teaching in the high-need areas of science, mathematics, special education, and elementary education in a North Carolina public school.

Receive up to $5,000 a semester ($10,000 a year) for up to four years in forgivable loans, while learning collaboratively with a cohort through coursework, clinical experiences, experiential learning, community service, and professional development.

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Ready to learn more?

About the MAT Program