Department of Education

Application and Program FAQs

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The application deadline for 2023 entry was January 17, 2023. The application portal will reopen in early September 2023 for the next admissions cycle.

Yes! Our Student Ambassadors are present at information sessions or you can use our Contact an Ambassador form to connect.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is designed for a variety of people: recent college graduates, early career individuals, and mid-career professionals.

Professional work experience is not a requirement for applying to either program, however, we do suggest that a prospective student have some education-related experience (camp counselor, tutor, etc.). Prior education-related experience will strengthen an application.

Prospective applicants need to meet discipline-specific coursework requirements to be considered for admission. These requirements can be found on the How to Apply page, listed by content area. If you’re unsure that your coursework qualifies, you can request a transcript analysis by emailing a list of 8-10 courses that you’ve taken that you think meet these requirements and your transcript (unofficial works) to the respective faculty member:

Once analyzed, the faculty member will be in direct contact with you with their decision.

The admission committee assesses applications holistically. A strong applicant has some experience working with adolescents or in education, and is dedicated to improving students’ outcomes and opportunities and advancing the cause of justice. The committee looks for a GPA of 3.0 or higher. There is no professional experience required to apply.

Admission decisions are sent out between late February and early-to-mid March. You will receive an automated email when an admission decision is available.

If you are accepted and choose to matriculate, the programs will start a few months later in June.

Because this is a one-year program, mid-year starts are not permitted. Cohorts will begin in mid-June and complete the programs the following May. 

A non-refundable application fee of $100 is required of all applicants. The fee must be paid by credit card. Applications will not be processed until this fee is received.

Application Fee Waivers

1) The Application Fee is automatically waived for:

  • Active duty U.S. Military personnel, as well as U.S. Military veterans. Please be sure to list your status within the application.
  • Domestic or international applicants who have participated in certain programs/events/organizations listed within the application.

2) If you would like to request an Application Fee Waiver based on high-financial need:

Application fee waiver requests can be found within the application and will be considered if they are accompanied by documentation of need. The fee waiver request form must be submitted no later than three days before the application deadline. Applicants will be notified by email regarding the outcome of their request and should not submit their application until receiving notification about their waiver.

The following documents will be accepted as a demonstration of need:

  • Financial aid package (for current students or recent alumni);
  • FAFSA showing EFC;
  • Unemployment statement verification from the last 90 days; or
  • GRE or TOEFL fee reduction voucher

All students, including U.S. citizens and international students, are eligible for application fee waivers.

The MAT program offers financial aid opportunities through merit-based and need-based scholarships.

Applicants can apply for federal loans by completing a FAFSA form or can apply for the Urban Education Fellowship (UEF). The Fellowship cancels the student loan if the Fellow works for three years after graduation in a full-time position within a public sector education organization, non-profit entity, or school in the Rhode Island urban core region, making the program effectively cost-free. The UEF is an opportunity for MAT students with a Math or Science discipline.

The admissions committee looks for a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students with lower GPAs are not typically accepted but there are exceptions.

Neither the GRE General nor GRE Subject tests are required for the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. 

We are excited to announce that effective August 15, 2021, we are again able to welcome visitors and guests to campus, and limited capacity campus tours will begin September 13. Please visit Brown's Admissions page for more information about in-person and virtual campus tours.

Our Student Ambassadors allow prospective students to connect with currently enrolled students to learn more about the program and the Brown University experience firsthand. 

If you’re interested in connecting with one of the UEP Student Ambassadors, please fill out the form here and they will reach out to you shortly.

The MAT program only grants deferrals in rare circumstances and scholarships do not defer. We encourage interested students to apply in the fall prior to their start date. If you’re looking to be in the cohort that begins in June, you will apply in the previous fall/winter. 

The MAT program leads to a teaching license. Upon completion of the program and state required Praxis exams, candidates will be recommended for a Rhode Island Department of Education teaching certificate in their discipline at the secondary level and an endorsement in teaching multilingual language learners.

Currently, our MAT program is focused on secondary education (grades 7-12) with disciplines in English, Math, Science, and Social Studies.

International Students FAQs

Yes, international students may request application fee waivers. 

English language exams (TOEFL or IELTS) are required from non-native English speakers who did not earn a degree from an institution where English was the sole language of instruction. 

While we accept self-reported scores at the time of application, we cannot release an admissions decision unless the official scores are received by our team and processed on your application.

The TOEFL reporting code for the Brown University Graduate School is 3094

We accept IELTS score reports mailed directly by your testing center or via the IELTS E-Delivery System. Kindly select "Brown University School of Professional Studies" if/when sending IELTS scores electronically.

Additional notes:

  • Your citizenship is irrelevant in the determination of a TOEFL/IELTS exemption
  • We accept the TOEFL iBT exam, the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition, the TOEFL ITP Plus exam for applicants in China, or the IELTS exam
  • We do NOT accept the Duolingo exam or any other English proficiency exam result
  • For more information about a TOEFL/IELTS waiver, please contact our team at masters_admissions@brown.edu. Please remember we accept the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition.

International students are not eligible for federal loans but are eligible for scholarship aid from the MAT program. All applicants will automatically be considered for merit-based scholarships for the program.

To be considered for need-based aid, international citizens will also need to submit the CSS profile by the application deadline. Brown University’s code is 3189. Applicants from Iran and North Korea cannot submit the CSS Profile and should email GS_Financial_Aid@brown.edu for an alternative solution.