Relay offers a graduate-level Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree with an optional pathway to pursue teacher certification/licensure.
 

Program Overview
Grounded in the evidence-based practices of successful teachers and schools, Relay’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) programs are designed to prepare individuals who seek a career as a PK–12 teacher and have a conferred bachelor’s degree. 

Relay’s MAT programs are designed to support educators in the field through graduate coursework and clinical experiences, with observation, feedback, and mentorship from Relay faculty with deep teaching experience. Through Relay’s MAT programs, students gain the practical skills needed to support PK–12 student learning as part of a cohort of outstanding peers seeking to accelerate their careers. 

Students specialize in a specific grade level or content area such as elementary education, mathematics education, or special education. Relay’s MAT programs provide pathways to pursue teacher certification/licensure in select states (see Program Information below). Relay students may enroll in a Relay Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program as a Relay Teaching Resident, NY Relay Teacher Pathway participant, alternative certification candidate, or degree-only candidate. All students engage in rigorous graduate coursework aligned to the Relay competencies, engage in clinical experiences in PK–12 schools, and demonstrate proficiency through performance-based summative assessments. 

Clinical Experience
We know that great teachers are developed, not born. All students enrolled in an MAT program must secure and maintain a program-aligned instructional role throughout their enrollment. A program-aligned instructional role is required to complete the clinical experience requirements for the MAT degree. The clinical experiences embedded in the MAT program were designed to meet the qualifying clinical experience requirements to be an in-state approved educator preparation program, where applicable. 

All students are supported in their teaching roles through clinical practice seminars, which connect theory to school context by engaging students in deliberate practice and focused reflection. Individualized continuous improvement plans are created to support students in targeting areas of interest and growth within their school communities.

Relay also provides structured support for aspiring teachers and a gradual on-ramp to teaching through the Relay Teaching Residency (RTR) or the NY Teacher Pathway. Both the Relay Teaching Residency and the NY Teacher Pathway are offered through partnerships with select partner schools, districts, and networks. 

The Curriculum
Relay’s MAT program curriculum was designed to support students as they develop into culturally responsive and inclusive educators. The development occurs through an intentional degree plan composed of foundational courses, content pedagogy courses, clinical practice courses, and a selection of flex courses. Content pedagogy courses vary by MAT specialization and connect Relay students’ foundational understanding of learner needs to the content and context of their specific classrooms. Required flex courses may be included in the degree plan in order to meet state- and program-specific requirements for certification/licensure. 

Relay’s Master of Arts in Teaching program culminates in a capstone project. The capstone project allows students to demonstrate the impact of their practice within the classroom and on PK–12 student outcomes including academic progress, social-emotional development, and student experience measures. 

Program Information
Relay’s MAT program requires the successful completion of between 32–39 credit hours, depending on the degree specialization. The MAT program recommended completion time spans two academic years, composed of six consecutive terms. Students enrolled in the MAT program typically start the program during the summer term and course load per term varies, spanning between four and nine credits per term. 

Program offerings vary by student location. A complete listing of Master of Arts in Teaching program offerings by location can be found in the Student Handbook. Specific MAT program descriptions and links to academic plans can be found in Master of Arts in Teaching Program Descriptions. 

Professional organizations, societies, states, and licensing jurisdictions have specific requirements for membership, certification, or licensure. In the states in which Relay is an approved in-state educator preparation provider, Relay works to align Relay’s program(s) offered in the state to the state’s educational requirements for educator certification/licensure. Students should be aware that the professional organizations, societies, states, and licensing jurisdictions are responsible for defining, amending, and executing approval requirements and decisions for membership, certification, or licensure. Relay can provide the public-facing information for the professional organizations’, societies’, states’, and licensing jurisdictions’ requirements for membership, certification, or licensure. Relay can provide guidance regarding a state’s licensure requirements for states in which Relay is an approved in-state provider and to the students who seek licensure in the same state. Relay may not be able to provide assistance to a student regarding the interpretation or understanding of a state’s licensure requirements for states in which Relay is not an approved, in-state education preparation provider. Students intending to seek licensure of any type must take full responsibility for ensuring that their degree program at Relay meets the licensing requirements of their local states, school districts, professional associations, or agencies. See Relay’s Licensure Disclosures webpage for more information. Details about each of Relay’s state-approved educator preparation programs can be found in Educator Preparation Program Descriptions.