Teaching Arts, M.T.A.

Mission

The M.T.A. program reflects the commitment of the Department of Education  to excellence in professional education. This program is designed to encourage and develop the passion and potential of the individual graduate student. Applicants to this program should be driven by a reasoned, justified and articulated philosophy of education while taking seriously their role as citizens, servants and leaders in society. M.T.A. students are required to complete a final research or capstone project as the core research component of this program.

Purpose

The purpose of the M.T.A. program is to:

• Develop subject matter experts from current or future educators who demonstrate an advanced subject-area knowledge;
• Create practicing scholars of educational/social science research; and
• Meet academic and career goals of the student through collaboration with other academic departments on campus through a dual advisement system in one of the approved subject areas: art, English, history, biology, and mathematics.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the M.T.A. program, students will be able to:

• Think critically and speak and write clearly in the appropriate genres for their field of study;
• Promote literacy in the liberal arts and sciences in the K-12 classroom through project-based courses and experiences; and
• Complete a capstone research project in their chosen discipline that will help students develop the skills and dispositions for lifelong learning.

Admission

The Department of Education is not accepting applications or matriculating new graduate students for the 2017-2018 academic year. The information below is for reference purposes only and does not constitute an intent to consider or admit new students for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Admission to the graduate programs in education is selective. Minimum requirements for admission include: 

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution; 
• An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or better (on a 4-point scale); 
• At least three letters of recommendation from college instructors or others who can attest to the applicant’s intellectual promise, motivation, and maturity; 
• A carefully composed statement of purpose; 
• Satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination.

The statement of purpose should be at least 1000 words in length and should articulate how the applicant’s scholarly interests and/or professional goals fit with the goals and objectives of the graduate program. Applicants who do not meet these minimum requirements may be considered for provisional or probationary admission at the discretion of the Graduate Program Advisor or the faculty of the Department of Education .

Students seeking admission to the graduate program should contact the Graduate Program Advisors in the Department of Education  with further questions about the program and admission procedures. Applications are reviewed year round, but for full consideration, applicants are asked to turn in a completed application prior to March 1 for the following Fall semester and prior to October 15 for the following Spring semester. The deadline for scholarships and assistantships is earlier, typically between January 15 and February 1. (See the Graduate School website for details.) Application materials should be submitted directly to the Graduate School at The University of Tulsa.

Curriculum Requirements

No more than 12 credit hours may be taken at the 6000 level.

Interdisciplinary Option

The interdisciplinary M.T.A. degree provides flexibility for students wanting to take courses for more than one content area. Students who elect the M.T.A. interdisciplinary option meet the same requirements for the standard M.T.A. with the following exceptions:

• The 3-hour Education Elective may be selected from approved graduate courses in any discipline.
• Students take 15 hours of Subject Area Courses as specified for the standard M.T.A. plus one 3-hour course selected from approved graduate courses in any discipline.

The interdisciplinary option is not available from the Department of History .

Studio Art Option

Applicants for the M.T.A. degree program studio art option must have a B.A., B.F.A., or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university. The applicant’s transcript must be equivalent to the curriculum requirements of an undergraduate degree in art and any undergraduate deficiencies in art history or studio art must be remedied. A representative portfolio in prints and/or images on CD/DVD-ROM, an artist’s statement, three letters of recommendation, and a letter of intent must be approved by the Graduate Art Faculty and will remain on file in the graduate advisor’s office.

Transfer credit of up to six credit hours is allowed for the M.T.A. degree at the discretion of the art program’s graduate faculty. The time limitation for completion of the M.T.A. degree is six years.

Students who elect the M.T.A. studio art focus meet the same requirements for the standard M.T.A., except that the 18 hours of required Subject Area Courses are divided as follows:

• Art history (3 hours)
• Studio Major (9 hours)
• Studio Electives (6 hours)

The maximum number of credit hours that a student can take at the 6000 level is 15 hours.

Candidates will present projects from their major areas of concentration consisting of a specified number of works, to be determined by the master’s project director. The project must adequately display the proficiency of each candidate in that field.