Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) with a Major in Middle Grades Education

The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree with a major in Middle Grades Education provides initial teacher preparation at the master's degree level for qualified candidates who hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. In order to qualify for the Georgia Middle Grades teaching certificate, candidates must have completed 15 semester hours in either science or 15 hours in mathematics. The core program is designed for college graduates whose undergraduate degrees did not include professional education preparation and is comprised of a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate course work in professional education. Students who need content area coursework in order to complete certification requirements may take them in the semester prior to the start of the core program. Successful completion of the M.A.T. with a major in Middle Grades Education (grades 4-8) leads to a T-5 Georgia Certification.

M.A.T. Admission

In order to be admitted to any of the M.A.T. programs, the applicant should complete and submit the following:

1. University Admissions Form including application fee, if applicable
2. Two professional recommendations (pdf) using the College of Education format
3. Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
4. Verification of immunization (pdf)
5. M.A.T.-Secondary Only: Submit GACE Content Assessment Scores
6. M.A.T. Middle Grades Science and Reading or Mathematics and Reading Only: Submit passing scores on either the Middle Grades Science or the Middle Grades Mathematics GACE Assessments
7. Submit to a background check and receive acceptable results. (This process will be done during the application process.)
8. Pass an on-site writing assessment (http://www.gcsu.edu/education/writing.html)
9. Pass (or exempt) the GACE Basic Assessment (Exemption scores are SAT 1000 or higher; ACT combined English and math 45 or higher)

M.A.T. Program Orientations

A required orientation program for new students in M.A.T. programs is held prior to the start of the program.

Advisement

The Departmental Chairpersons, in cooperation with the departmental admission committees and program coordinators, assign each fully admitted student to a Mentor Leader of the M.A.T. cohort. It is the responsibility of the student to meet with this Mentor Leader.

Program of Study

The Master of Arts in Teaching Middle Grades Education requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of course work. The degree program must be completed within six years, beginning with the initial date of coursework. Students may be required to take additional semester hours in order to qualify for certification in a particular content area. Only those courses listed on the Program of Graduate Study fulfill degree requirements. Substitutions must be approved by the advisor prior to course enrollment and a Change of Graduate Program of Study form submitted to the Department Chairperson.

Exit Requirements

All students must pass a comprehensive departmental exit requirement before completion of the program. Usually this exit requirement includes an electronic portfolio. Students should check with their assigned program advisor or the department chairperson for specifics. Students must pass this exit requirement to graduate.

Dismissal Policy

Any course in which a student earns less than a C will not be counted for graduate credit in the student’s master’s degree program, and any course in which a student earns less than a B will not be counted for graduate credit in the educational specialist programs. A graduate student will be placed on academic probation if the student’s institutional grade point average falls below 3.0 at any point during his or her graduate studies. A graduate student will be dismissed from the program if his/her grade point average stays below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters.

As iterated in the student Honor Code, academic honesty is a critical component of the academic process in the Middle Grades programs.  Submitting another’s work as one’s own is plagiarism; allowing another student to copy one’s own work is cheating.  Both, along with any other evidence of academic dishonesty, will be dealt with using the procedures outlined in the Graduate Catalog.

Total Credit Hours: 36

• A candidate who has not fulfilled minimum certification requirements in the teaching field is required to take additional work in the content area.
• GACE Content Assessment passed.
• Portfolio Presentation successfully completed.
• The M.A.T. requires an overall 3.0 GPA for graduation. Courses in which the student has earned less than a C cannot be counted for degree credit. Cohort programs require satisfactory completion of each semester in order to move on to the next semester.