In today's world, the need for quality educators is in high demand. To stay on top of current trends and to keep their skills sharp, professional educators need to further their own educational goals and development. Unfortunately many full time teachers often do not have the time or resources available to allow them to return to school. At least, not with traditional programs. However, the online degree program from the University of Saint Mary offers professional educators a chance to further their career and enhance their teaching skills skills by obtaining a Masters of Arts in Teaching from home. The University, which is accredited by both the North Central Association for Colleges and Schools (NCA) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) offers a quality degree than can be earned entirely online from anywhere you have a computer and internet access. And, since the Masters of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T) program can be earned in as little as 18 months this online degree may be the perfect option for those who wish to continue their education.

Saint Mary's M.A.T program, which is offered to currently active teachers only, has a strong emphasis in curriculum and instruction. There are three major components that outline the M.A.T. Program: action research, professional portfolio, and technology. In the online degree program with Saint Mary's you also get plenty of support and feedback from your instructors to help you get the most out of your online learning experience.

The program tuition is affordable running around $430 per credit hour or $2580 per semester (plus fees and supplies), and Saint Mary's offers a convenient payment plan that will allow you to break down your tuition cost into more affordable monthly payments. And of course, your enrollment advisor is always willing to help you in applying for financial assistance to help pay for your advanced degree.

The admissions process for the University of Saint Mary's online M.A.T. Program can be fairly simple; however, enrollment is only open to full time employed teachers. In addition to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university, applicants must also present an official transcript showing a GPA of at least 2.75 (on the 4.0 scale), a letter of reference from your principal or other supervisor as well as one additional letter of reference. Additionally, applicants must submit an essay outlining their philosophy and approach to teaching and learning along with the application fee.

One of the things that sets the online degree program from the University of Saint Mary apart from other is their Applied Learning Guarantee. Once you have graduated from the M.A.T program, you are not alone. The Applied Learning Guarantee is there to make sure that you are able to apply the principles that you learned during your program by giving you access to the university staff for consulting and mentoring for one full year after completing the online degree program. So you can be sure that you are able to implement your degree in a meaningful and useful way in your own classroom which further enhances Saint Mary's learning model of "knowledge in action" and allows professional educators to pursue their goals in a convenient and practical manner.