COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Arts in the Teaching of Languages (MATL) at The University of Southern Mississippi is a 33-credit-hour graduate program designed to strengthen the professional knowledge and instructional skills of language educators through advanced study in second language teaching, linguistics, and language acquisition. In addition to meeting the university’s general graduate admission requirements, applicants must submit a current résumé, three recommendation letters, and a 300–500 word statement of purpose written in French explaining their professional goals, interest in graduate study, academic achievements, teaching experience, travel abroad, or other relevant preparation related to language teaching. Applicants seeking the French emphasis who are non-native speakers must either hold an undergraduate degree in French or demonstrate equivalent preparation through at least 30 credit hours in the language. Those without sufficient background may be required to complete additional undergraduate coursework or pass the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview at the Advanced level before enrolling in language emphasis courses. Conditional admission may be granted while prerequisite requirements are completed. International students whose native language is not English must submit official TOEFL scores with a minimum Internet-based score of 83 and no section below 19, or an IELTS score of at least 6.5 with no sub-score below 6. The MATL program combines theoretical and practical approaches to second language teaching through coursework in applied linguistics, second language acquisition, sociocultural and sociolinguistic perspectives, and classroom teaching methods. Students also complete a supervised practicum that provides practical teaching experience in second or foreign language instruction. In addition to core courses, students complete 18 credit hours of French coursework to deepen language proficiency and cultural understanding. Instead of a traditional written comprehensive examination, students complete a portfolio and successfully defend it as evidence of their professional growth, teaching competence, and academic achievement. The program is particularly valuable for licensed teachers seeking advanced professional development, AA licensure in Mississippi for French or Spanish teaching, or expanded qualifications in language education and English as a Second Language instruction.