<p>bigtrees – I think the question as to whether to get the MAT before or after you are hired as a teacher depends a lot on which state you plan to teach in and which school district you are applying to. The recent trend in our school district in NYS with secondary school hires has been to bite the bullet and bring on those who have a BA/BS in a traditional academic discipline and a Masters in education. Yes, it also costs a bit more initially, but – particularly in the sciences – it can provide schools with a little more flexibility in assigning classes. For example, a student who has a Bachelor’s degree in earth science education is pretty much limited to teaching earth science (the introductory science course in the NYS Regents science sequence). Someone with a BS in Physics or Biology from a place like Geneseo or Union or Holy Cross (colleges recent hires in our school attended as undergrads) and a Masters in education can teach earth science, bio, physics and chemistry.</p>