• <a href="/live/image/gid/56/width/650/92995_iStock-1280060680_2.jpg" class="lw_preview_image lw_disable_preview" tabindex="-1"><picture class="lw_image lw_image92995"> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(max-width: 500px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/56/width/500/height/479/crop/1/92995_iStock-1280060680_2.rev.1646431799.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/56/width/500/height/479/crop/1/92995_iStock-1280060680_2.rev.1646431799.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/56/width/500/height/479/crop/1/92995_iStock-1280060680_2.rev.1646431799.jpg 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(min-width: 501px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/56/width/720/height/690/crop/1/92995_iStock-1280060680_2.rev.1646431799.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/56/width/720/height/690/crop/1/92995_iStock-1280060680_2.rev.1646431799.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/56/width/720/height/690/crop/1/92995_iStock-1280060680_2.rev.1646431799.jpg 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/56/width/720/height/690/crop/1/92995_iStock-1280060680_2.rev.1646431799.jpg" alt="Our full-time 13-month program provides a strong pedagogical foundation for middle and high school educators (grades 6-12)—helping you ..." width="720" height="690" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/56/width/720/height/690/crop/1/92995_iStock-1280060680_2.rev.1646431799.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/56/width/720/height/690/crop/1/92995_iStock-1280060680_2.rev.1646431799.jpg 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2133" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a><div class="hero-split_image_caption collapsable-caption"> Our full-time 13-month program provides a strong pedagogical foundation for middle and high school educators (grades 6-12)—helping you learn the art of great teaching, while empowering you to address issues of equity and access in schools.</div>

Secondary Education (6-12)

Grounded in social justice principles, our Secondary MAT program prepares students to become transformative, equity-minded middle and high school educators.

Application Requirements

Secondary Education (6-12)

Our full-time 13-month program provides a strong pedagogical foundation for middle and high school educators (grades 6-12)—helping you learn the art of great teaching, while empowering you to address issues of equity and access in schools. You’ll choose the content area of your choice and through a combination of on-campus courses and extensive, field-based teaching experiences, become skilled at helping adolescents learn and grow using creative, reflective, and culturally responsive approaches to teaching, learning, and research. You will be uniquely prepared to:

  • Manage a classroom effectively
  • Meet the needs of adolescents in ways that honor and extend their experiences while enhancing their capacity to solve problems
  • Develop strategies to create democratic learning communities, drawing on research in theory and best practices
  • Cultivate connections between learners and the world beyond the classroom
  • Incorporate a range of teaching and technological resources

By the end of the program, you’ll earn a Master of Arts in Teaching and qualify for an Oregon Preliminary Teaching License.

Program Overview

Total credit hours: 40
Program length: 13-14 months
Program director: Liza Finkel

Content Areas:
Art, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies

VIEW PROGRAM OF STUDY

Find out about tests you’re required to pass in order to become a licensed teacher.


Choose Your Content Area

Learn how to master the art of teaching your chosen subject area, so you can meet the unique learning needs of diverse groups of young people and address educational inequities hands-on. You’ll be prepared to skillfully integrate social justice topics into your subject-specific curriculum, facilitating meaningful conversations that have a lasting impact on your students’ lives.


Faculty

Kimberly Campbell

Mary Stuart Rogers Professor of Education

Liza Finkel

Associate Professor, Secondary Program Director

Carissa J. Zall

Instructor, Social Studies Coordinator

Social Justice Mission

Firmly Committed to Social Justice

At Lewis & Clark, our social justice mission is more than a talking point—it’s fully integrated into nearly every aspect of our programs. From the courses we offer and the texts we assign to the faculty members we hire, we strive to facilitate meaningful conversations around social justice topics and teach you how to incorporate equity into your teaching practice to better serve your future students, schools, and the larger community. You’ll be prepared to work in diverse school settings and with all adolescents, including those from different cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds. You’ll graduate with a clear sense of how to enact social justice teaching in secondary classrooms, be empowered to drive change in education, and make a lasting impact on the lives of young people.

Amplifying Diverse Voices

Our Secondary MAT program’s core texts showcase diverse voices and highlight new best practices in teaching. Here’s a glimpse into the some of the texts you can expect to read:

  • Teaching for Black Lives
  • Grading for Equity
  • Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain
  • The New Teacher Book

Tackling Barriers to Education

Our program will prepare you to meet the learning needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students through rigorous coursework in this area. If you are interested in more extensive preparation, consider earning an ESOL Endorsement.


  • <div class="blackbox_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="blackbox_image"> <picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(max-width: 500px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/56/width/500/height/500/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2342,1813/89988_Amanda-Braswell-crop.rev.1644441858.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/56/width/500/height/500/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2342,1813/89988_Amanda-Braswell-crop.rev.1644441858.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/56/width/500/height/500/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2342,1813/89988_Amanda-Braswell-crop.rev.1644441858.jpg 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(min-width: 501px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/56/width/537/height/537/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2342,1813/89988_Amanda-Braswell-crop.rev.1644441858.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/56/width/537/height/537/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2342,1813/89988_Amanda-Braswell-crop.rev.1644441858.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/56/width/537/height/537/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2342,1813/89988_Amanda-Braswell-crop.rev.1644441858.jpg 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/56/width/537/height/537/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2342,1813/89988_Amanda-Braswell-crop.rev.1644441858.jpg" alt="Amanda Braswell" width="537" height="537" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/56/width/537/height/537/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2342,1813/89988_Amanda-Braswell-crop.rev.1644441858.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/56/width/537/height/537/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2342,1813/89988_Amanda-Braswell-crop.rev.1644441858.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1811" data-max-h="1813" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </div> <div class="blackbox_box"> <div class="blackbox_box_inner"> <h4 class="blackbox_summary_quote"> <blockquote> <p> I apply social justice within my chosen career by being an equitable educator, and providing as many opportunities for success as I can. I take into account all of my students, their backgrounds, struggles, needs, and try to find a way to meet all of them, and help them grow.” </p> </blockquote> </h4> <div class="blackbox_author"> <a href="https://graduate.lclark.edu/live/profiles/9687-amanda-braswell">Amanda Braswell</a> </div> <div class="blackbox_author_title"> Secondary English Language Arts </div> <div class="blackbox_author_secondary_title"> Graduate, Class of 2018 </div> </div> </div> </div>

Why Choose Lewis & Clark?

Academic Excellence

Reputation for Academic Excellence

Lewis & Clark’s programs are respected nationwide for their quality and academic rigor. Our secondary education program allows you to combine your passion for a specific content area with a comprehensive knowledge of adolescent development, finely-tuned instructional skills, and classroom management techniques—helping you become a competent, capable teacher in just 13 months.

Social Justice

Social Justice Focus

Through coursework focused on culturally responsive teaching, texts that amplify diverse voices in education, and training in working with students from different cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, you’ll be prepared to tackle issues of equity in schools and make a meaningful impact on your students’ lives.

Hands On Experience

Real World, Hands-On Experience

Our Secondary MAT program features a yearlong teaching practicum that puts you in a real classroom from the very beginning, so you can start gaining the skills you’ll need to succeed as an educator in your chosen subject area in a hands-on learning environment.

Supportive Community

Supportive Environment and Community

With small cohort sizes of 22 students or less (and even fewer in your content area), you can expect lots of personal attention and support from faculty members, staff, peers, and teacher-mentors. You’ll form meaningful, lasting connections and develop a strong foundation for your professional network.

Skilled Grads

Skilled, Sought-After Graduates

Our program’s reputation for producing exceptional teachers means that our graduates are highly sought-after by local school districts and across the entire state. In fact, the majority of our students receive a job offer just before or shortly after completing their program.

Faculty

Accomplished Program Faculty

Our experienced faculty members are committed to ensuring our students’ success both academically and in their future careers. They’ve not only been teachers themselves, but are considered thought leaders in the field, contributing to groundbreaking research and becoming regularly published in reputable education-industry publications.

Stunning Campus

Stunning Campus in a Vibrant, Progressive City

Our beautiful, historic campus is just six miles from downtown Portland, OR with easy access to the city’s cultural offerings, great food, and abundant nature. You’ll quickly discover why Portland was ranked #9 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020-21 list of best places to live.

Professional Development

Professional Development & Career Services

Our program prepares you to confidently enter the workforce through professional development activities like resume building workshops, practice interviews with local principals, Q&A sessions, and exclusive job fairs where you can connect with potential employers directly. You’ll also have access to lifetime career assistance, as well as our New Teacher Seminars that are specifically designed to support you in your first year of teaching.


A teacher candidate teaches 9th grade during his practicum at Parkrose High School. A teacher candidate teaches 9th grade during his practicum at Parkrose High School. Practicum

Gain Hands-On Teaching Experience

Through our unique, yearlong teaching practicum, you’ll have the opportunity to learn hands-on—applying your coursework to a real-world environment and gaining critical insights that can only be gleaned by working in the field. Our Practicum & Placements team will review your preferences and desired content area and match you with a qualified teacher-mentor in the greater Portland metro area. Working side-by-side, you’ll remain in the same classroom for an entire school year, building trusting relationships with your students, their parents, and school staff. As the year progresses, you’ll gradually take on more and more responsibility, culminating with taking over the classroom and handling all of your teacher-mentor’s tasks for the final 6 weeks. As a result, school administrators often report that hiring one of our graduates is like hiring a second-year teacher.


Launching Successful Teaching Careers in the U.S. & Beyond

Our Secondary MAT program graduates are in high demand with local school districts and across the entire state, with most students receiving a job offer shortly after graduating.

Lewis & Clark teaching grads have brought a lot of insight and perspective to our district and schools. The teachers are well-equipped to work with culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse students. It is evident that the Lewis & Clark program has prepared them to become equity-minded educators with a strong sense of social justice.
Their passion and commitment to their students’ success is second to none.

Andre Goodlow, Vice Principal, Parkrose High School, Portland, OR

Interested in teaching outside of Oregon? Due to our state’s stringent requirements for teacher education, you’ll find that your Oregon teaching license can be easily transferred to other states and even qualify you to work at many international schools. For more information or for licensure-related questions, please contact Sharon Chinn at ecls@lclark.edu.


Financial Aid

We use FAFSA to determine your eligibility for financial aid. To further offset the cost of your education, we encourage you to also apply for public service loan forgiveness programs, grant programs like TEACH, and Lewis & Clark’s scholarships for teacher candidates.

Estimated Tuition: $44,000

Total Number of Credits in Program: 40
Minimum total tuition costs based on 2024-2025 credit rate of $1,100 per credit.
Note: Tuition increases each academic year.


Other Resources


Our Secondary MAT program is approved and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC).

Learn More About Our Secondary Teacher Program

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