Special Education M.A.T. (Online)

The initial certification Special Education programs at Georgia College prepare candidates for initial licensure to teach P-12 learners with high incidence disabilities. This program is open to students who do not currently hold any teaching certificate as well as those who hold a provisional teaching certificate in the state of Georgia. This program is aligned with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Initial Content Standards and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission Special Education General Curriculum requirements and standards. The program is further aligned with the COE Conceptual Framework principles and guiding model, “Educators as Architects of Change.”

A primary component of our special education programs is our mentor-led, field-based, cohort model for teacher preparation. Candidates experience a program of carefully sequenced coursework with the support of a faculty mentor. Our  cohort model establishes a community of learners for sharing experiences, viewpoints, and feedback to foster the construction of knowledge. Through this model, our candidates are actively engaged in a learning community to guide their development.

The goal of the program for candidates to gain skills and knowledge in designing and implementing research-based programs in field-based settings and for graduates of the program to possess the knowledge and skills to become leaders in their schools and to positively impact school and system practices. 

Program Admissions Requirements

• GPA Requirement:

  • Option 1: Applicants who have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 from a regionally accredited university may be considered for unconditional admission to College of Education graduate programs. OR

  • Option 2: Applicants who have an undergraduate GPA between 2.5 and 2.74 from a regionally accredited university may be considered for admission to a College of Education graduate program should the undergraduate GPA from the last 60 hours of coursework be equal to, or greater than 2.75.

• Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college/university

• Two professional recommendations (pdf) using the College of Education form

• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended. Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution to be eligible for admission into a graduate program at Georgia College.

• Obtain a Georgia pre-service certification (www.gapsc.com), which includes the following:

  • Obtain a MyPSC account with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC)

  • Pass a background check that is processed through the GaPSC

  • Pass GACE 360 Ethics Assessment through the Georgia Professional Standards Commission

  • Submit a copy of your driver’s license or other official identification

Program Overview

Only those courses listed on the Program of Graduate Study fulfill degree requirements. Substitutions must be approved by the advisor prior to course enrollment. The appropriate form and documentation must be submitted with your request. Substitutions must be approved by the advisor prior to course enrollment and a Change of Graduate Program of Study form submitted to the appropriate departmental chairperson prior to enrollment. Transfer credits are not accepted.  The Master of Arts in Teaching - Special Education requires a minimum of 42 semester hours of coursework. This degree program must be completed within six years, beginning with the initial date of coursework. This program of study is configured as a 4-semester cohort.

Advisement

The Program Coordinator, in cooperation with the admissions committees and the Department Chair, assigns each fully admitted teacher-candidate to an Advisor.  It is the responsibility of the candidate to meet with this Advisor and remain in contact throughout the program.

Dismissal Policy

A graduate student will be placed on graduate academic probation if the student's institutional graduate grade point average falls below a 3.00 at any point during his or her graduate studies. If a student is placed on graduate academic probation and the GPA remains below 3.0 after the probation semester, then the student will be academically dismissed from the program. Any course in which a student earns less than a C cannot be counted for graduate credit in Special Ed graduate programs. Since students in graduate programs are configured as cohorts, students earning grades of D will not continue to the following semester with their cohort. Additionally, standards-based performance assessments are embedded in program coursework and are used as decision points to evaluate graduate student competency for program continuation each semester in all graduate programs. In addition to letter grade requirements, the graduate student must satisfactorily complete all required assessments for program continuation. All coursework must be passed in each semester for students to progress to the next semester. In cases of S/U internship courses a grade of U is considered not passing. Students will also fail if they plagiarize work and be referred to the Judicial Council for a violation of the Honor Code.

Exit Requirements

• Successful completion of an electronic portfolio

• Take the GACE content examination

Obtaining Initial Certification

• Pass the GACE content examination at the induction level or professional level

• Obtain a teaching position within the state of Georgia

• A recommendation from the GCSU certification officer

Total Credit Hours: 42