Master of Arts in Teaching
If you do not currently hold teacher certification or if you hold a nonrenewable (NR) teacher certification, the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) was designed for you.
The MAT degree leads to initial teaching certification and a master’s degree for aspiring teachers who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
M.A.T. Admission Requirements
Ready to apply? Please refer to our admissions checklist to ensure you meet each requirement and submit all required materials. A transcript evaluation by the College of Education’s Graduate Academic Services Center is required for all M.A.T. applicants who apply to the Middle Grades, Secondary, Spanish, and Special Education programs as part of the application process. The transcript evaluation will occur following the submission of the application and all transcripts. Any additional prerequisite content course work, based on the transcript evaluation, must be completed prior to admission to the M.A.T. program. Applicants who need prerequisite courses will be encouraged to update their application to a future term. For information regarding other specific admission requirements for each program, please visit the program’s web page.
During the admission process, you will choose one of the six study concentrations below based on your educational background and career goals.
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Concentrations and Program Format
During the program, you will be required to complete field experiences including student teaching/internship. All field experience requirements for any M.A.T program must be completed in the state of Georgia. Some concentrations require practicum placements prior to student teaching or internship semester. Field experiences, including student teaching, for students in the online M.A.T. Concentrations in Elementary Education, Health and Physical Education, and Special Education will be considered in the Georgia region in which you are located. Field experiences for the M.A.T. Concentration in Spanish, including student teaching, will take place within a 70 mile radius of the Georgia Southern University Statesboro campus. Field experiences for the M.A.T. Concentrations in Secondary Education or Middle Grades Education can occur anywhere in Georgia if you are the teacher of record. If you are not a teacher of record, student teaching will take place within a 70 mile radius of the Georgia Southern University Statesboro or Armstrong campus.
Career Opportunities
Upon successful completion of all MAT program requirements and passing the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) Content exam in your area of concentration, and the Educators Ethics Exit 360 exam you will be eligible for your Georgia certification and master’s degree. The program is an NCATE accredited, Georgia Professional Standards Commission approved program that is recognized through reciprocity in many other states in the U.S. Graduates of this program are prepared to teach in public or private school systems.
Professional Licensure Disclosures
The College of Education anticipates that graduates will seek initial certification in the following programs: MAT-Elementary Education, Middle Grades Education, Health Education, Physical Education, Special Education (General), Spanish Education, Secondary Teacher in the following fields: Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, History, Mathematics, Physics, General Science.).
All programs meet the educational requirements for a teaching certificate in Georgia. The MAT program meets the requirements for certification in CT, FL, HI, ID, KY, LA, NH, NC, ND, PA, UT, VT, VA, and WA only. Unless listed above, Georgia Southern’s program does NOT meet educational requirements for certification in that state. Online students wishing to enroll in a program that does not meet requirements in their state of residence will be required to sign an attestation that indicates that they will seek GA licensure. Out-of-state students living in GA do not have to complete an attestation but may need to meet additional requirements in their home state after graduation.
Georgia Southern makes every effort to ensure information about educational requirements for licensure or certification is current; however, state requirements may change. Separate from educational requirements, state licensure boards may require applicants to complete professional examinations, background checks, years of professional experience, residence requirements, jurisprudence exams, training, etc. For more information, as well as for a list of applicable state boards, visit the Georgia Southern State Authorization and Professional Licensure Webpage.
For all Online Programs
Federal Law requires colleges and universities to make certain disclosures to prospective students of these programs. These disclosures include information on the University’s authority to operate outside of Georgia, the complaint processes, adverse actions, refunds, and program closure.
For required disclosures about online programs offered by the University, visit the Georgia Southern State Authorization and Professional Licensure Webpage.