He attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, for both his undergraduate degree (with majors in political science, philosophy, and environmental studies, and a minor in gender studies), and for his master’s degree (in Communication Studies). Continuing what he had started in high school, Matt was a debater and then debate coach at Baylor. Matt then attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned his Ph.D. in Communication (with a focus on rhetoric, argumentation, and debate) in 2012.