Why Bard MAT?
Alumni/ae Spotlights
Alhassan Susso ’12, History/Social Studies
“All they see all day long is obstacles, and my job is to ensure and guide them, and to help them understand your obstacle does not define your future.” Susso, who is visually impaired, immigrated to the United States from West Africa. The district he teaches in is said to be one of the poorest congressional districts in the country, but Susso says he works there because he wants to transform lives. Susso’s colleagues say he stays late every day despite living over two hours away. Last year, every student who completed his course graduated high school and 97% are now enrolled in college.
Our Program
The Bard MAT is an intensive graduate teacher education program leading to a discipline-based master of arts in teaching degree and New York State Initial Teacher Certification in one of five subjects: biology, history, literature, mathematics, or Spanish. The Bard MAT responds to an urgent need for innovative education. This transformation requires teachers who can help secondary school students develop the thoughtful self-determination that builds from a genuine enthusiasm for learning.