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Admission Information

Candidates for admission to the MAT program apply to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), to which the MAT belongs. Applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences submit either an electronic application (preferred method) or a paper application. An application fee of $ 75 for online applications or $100 for paper applications is required of all applicants, except for those who apply for early admission. Electronic applications require payment with a credit card; paper applications require a check or money order.

Applicants must state the concentration to which they are applying:

• Elementary, Public 
• Jewish day schools/DeLeT
• Secondary (English, biology, chemistry, physics, history or Bible/Tanakh)

Early Decision (see below) applications are due Dec. 1.

Rolling Admissions: Applications received after the December 1^st early decision deadline will be reviewed in the order received until the cohort is full.

Information on tuition costs and our generous scholarship opportunities can be found here.

For questions about the application process and timetable, please email mat@brandeis.edu or call (781) 736-2022.

Early Decision

Early admission to the MAT program is a possibility for qualified applicants. Early decision confers several advantages: the application fee is waived for early decision applicants; candidates who are given early admittance know sooner rather than later that their graduate school spot for summer 2013 is secured. Deadline for early admission is December 1, 2012.

Applicants should declare their interest in early decision by emailing both GSAS and the MAT Program. Doing so will notify the review committee of your wishes and will allow the application fee to be waived.

Application Requirements 

Statement of Purpose

Public Elementary

In essay form, please discuss your reasons for undertaking graduate study in education at this time.  Explain one or two of your core reasons for going into teaching.  Explain why Public Education is your field of choice.  Describe your relevant experience and other qualifications.  Your statement should be 3-5 pages long.

DeLeT (Jewish day schools, elementary)

In essay form, please address the following two prompts:

1. Explain one or two of your core reasons for wanting to be an elementary day school teacher.

2. Describe a teacher who had a profound impact on you.

Your statement should be 3-5 pages long in total.

Secondary (all fields)

In essay form, please discuss your reasons for undertaking graduate study in education at this time.  Explain one or two of your core reasons for going into teaching.  State the subject area in which you wish to specialize and explain your reasons.  Describe your relevant experience and other qualifications.  Your statement should be 3-5 pages long.

Academic Qualifications

Candidates must provide official transcripts indicating successful completion of undergraduate degree program(s) before registration.

Applicants to the secondary program are expected to possess a major or equivalent in the subject they wish to teach.

• Please note:

Prospective applicants are invited to submit transcripts for preliminary review by the MAT program. The program will then advise as to any gaps in the academic record which may need to be rectified. If interested in transcript review, please contact the program directly: MAT@brandeis.edu.

Applicants who wish professional experience to be taken into account for purposes of review of academic qualifications should submit an additional statement of explanation.  Suitable documentation may be required.

For further information email MAT@brandeis.edu.

Graduate Record Examinations General Test (GRE's) or Miller Analogies Test

Exams are required for admissions into the MAT program.  The GRE (General Test) is the preferred exam. If you have taken your GRE's within the last 5 years, please provide us with an official copy of your current scores.  If you have not taken the GRE test or for more information you can visit their website at

www.ets.org/gre.  The ETS code for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is 3092.

Curriculum Vitae/Resume

List all colleges and universities attended, experiences with children or youth, major extracurricular activities and employment, detailing particularly those relevant to your proposed field of study; any honors or prizes awarded; and community service, publications or research projects with which you have been associated.

Two Letters of Recommendation

One letter should address your academic/intellectual qualifications.

One letter should address your experience and/or potential for work with children or youth. Applicants with substantial work/professional experience should consider a letter from an employer. You may be asked for a third recommendation letter.

When applying online please include the complete contact information, including e-mail address, for your referees in your application.  The referees will then be contacted directly with the electronic link for submission of their letter(s).

We will continue to accept hard copy letters of recommendation from those referees who prefer this method.  All hard copy letters should be forwarded to the GSAS office address below.

Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL)

MTEL passage is a requirement for the teaching license in Massachusetts and is, therefore, a graduation requirement for all MAT students (except those intending to teach secondary Tanakh /Bible, a specialty for which Massachusetts does not issue a license).

The MAT program strongly recommends that applicants plan on taking the "Communication and Literacy Skills" MTEL prior to matriculation, i.e., in the fall or spring preceding the desired date of entry to the MAT. The Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL is not an admissions requirement; however, prospective MAT students will assuredly benefit by having attempted the test prior to matriculation.

For more information on the MTEL please see: www.mtel.nesinc.com.

Non-native speakers of English

International students should visit the international admission section of the GSAS website for information on TOEFL and IELTS requirements.

Mailing Address

Although we prefer that all required supporting credentials be received in one package, we will certainly accept credentials mailed separately. Please send all credentials to:

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
MS031 Brandeis University
PO Box 9110 Waltham, MA 02454-9110