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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
• Elementary, 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. After the program fills, qualified applicants may be offered a place on our waiting list.

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 2012 is secured. Deadline for early admission is December 1, 2011.

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. For applicants requesting early decision, the Admission Committee will, at its discretion, do one of the following:

1. Offer the candidate early admission to the MAT program, and concurrently take action on any scholarship application(s) the candidate may have made;
2. Offer the candidate early admission to the MAT program, and defer action on any scholarship application(s) he/she may have made until January 30.
3. Defer action on the candidate's application until January 30.

Application Process

Interested persons should visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) web site for the most up-to-date information on the application process. The Graduate School prefers that you submit your application electronically, along with any supplemental information.

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.

DeLeT candidates please note:  you may be contacted for an interview.

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.

• Three 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.

There are no specific requirements for the third letter, but applicants with substantial work/professional experience should consider a letter from an employer.

The members of the admissions committee prefer to receive electronically letters written in support of your application for admission.  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.

• Transcripts

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

• Academic Qualifications

In addition to evidence of academic success, and signs of intellectual curiosity, please note:

Applicants to the elementary program are expected to show sufficient knowledge to be qualified to teach the core elementary school subjects of mathematics, English language arts, science and the social sciences, including American history.  DeLeT candidates should also show basic knowledge of Hebrew.

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. Transcript review is most useful if undertaken before Dec. 1. 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.

• 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.

• 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.

For Miller Analogies Test, our code is 1197.

• 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