Mar 28, 2024  
Graduate Catalog | 2019-2020 
    
Graduate Catalog | 2019-2020 Previous Edition

Middle Grades and Secondary Education, M.A.T.


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The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Middle Grades or Secondary Education program is designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree and a major in English, Mathematics, History, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Physics, or a related field.  The M.A.T. program is a 37 credit hour program composed of two phases:  the Graduate Certificate phase (Phase I) and the Master’s degree completion phase (Phase II).  Completion of Phase I of the M.A.T. leads to the initial Standard Professional I teaching license in the related content area.  Phase I requires 16 credit hours of coursework, including the graduate student teaching/internship experience.  Upon completion of Phase I, qualified candidates may continue into Phase II upon acceptance into the program to complete the remaining requirements for the Master’s degree and qualify for the advanced Standard Professional II teaching license.  For more information on the M.A.T., visit pathwaytoteaching.uncc.edu.

All courses for both phases of the M.A.T. must be completed within 7 years.  Coursework within Phase I/Graduate Certificate must be completed within 5 years.

General Requirements for Admission to the Graduate School


Please refer to admission information in The Graduate School  section.

Admission Requirements for all M.A.T. (Phase II) programs


  1. Completion of the Graduate Certificate in Teaching
  2. A minimum graduate GPA of 3.5 in the Graduate Certificate in Teaching
  3. One recommendation from a full-time faculty member who has taught you in the Graduate Certificate in Teaching program
  4. A statement of purpose
  5. Official transcripts
  6. Apply online at graduateschool.uncc.edu

The admission process includes timely completion of the Application for Graduation from the Graduate Certificate program.

Students with a GPA below 3.5 in the Graduate Certificate Phase I may be considered for admission to the M.A.T. program with scores above the 30th percentile on either the GRE or Miller Analogies Test.

Degree Requirements


Phase I/Graduate Certificate (16 credit hours)


The Graduate Certificate (Phase 1 of the M.A.T.) is a 16 credit hour program.

Instructional Design Courses (4 credit hours)


Lab Courses (2 credit hours)


Adolescent Development Course (2 credit hours)


Select the adolescent development course that corresponds with the intended area of licensure:

Student Teaching (3 credit hours)


Complete the following required full-time student teaching internship:

Note:

The graduate-level student teaching/internship is the culminating experience in Phase I of the M.A.T., offering candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their readiness for the initial Standard Professional I teaching license.  Candidates are assigned to an appropriate classroom for a full-time, semester-long experience under the supervision of the classroom teacher and University faculty.  Residency teachers must contact the Office of School and Community Partnerships to determine the appropriateness of their classroom for the student teaching/internship experience and licensure requirements. This contact should take place upon admission to the program.

There is no required internship for Phase II of the M.A.T.

Phase II/Completion of M.A.T. (21 credit hours)


Advanced Content Specialization Courses (6 credit hours)


Select one of the following areas:

Middle Grades Education

Plus one from the following in the content area:

Mathematics

  • MAED  5000-6999
  • MATH  5000-6999
  • STAT  5000-6999

English

  • ENGL  5000-6999
  • READ  5000-6999
  • MDSK  5000-6999 (topics course that is content specific)

Science

  • BIOL  5000-6999
  • CHEM  5000-6999
  • ESCI  5000-6999
  • GEOG  5000-6999
  • PHYS  5000-6999

Social Studies

  • AFRS  5000-6999
  • GEOG  5000-6999
  • HIST  5000-6999
  • MDSK  5000-6999 (topics course that is content specific)
  • POLS  5000-6999
  • RELS  5000-6999
  • WGST  5000-6999
Secondary Education

Students select two from the following in their content area:

Mathematics

  • MAED  5000-6999
  • MATH  5000-6999
  • STAT  5000-6999

English

  • ENGL  5000-6999
  • READ  5000-6999
  • MDSK  5000-6999 (topics course that is content specific)

Science

  • BIOL  5000-6999
  • CHEM  5000-6999
  • ESCI  5000-6999
  • GEOG  5000-6999
  • PHYS  5000-6999

Social Studies

  • AFRS  5000-6999
  • GEOG  5000-6999
  • HIST  5000-6999
  • MDSK  5000-6999 (topics course that is content specific)
  • POLS  5000-6999
  • RELS  5000-6999
  • WGST  5000-6999

Capstone Requirement


The capstone experience for the M.A.T. is fulfilled by completing a Comprehensive Portfolio.

Total = 37 Credit Hours


Advising


All candidates are assigned an advisor upon formal admission to the program. Candidates should consult with their advisors at least once each semester.

Clinical Field Experiences


Most courses require candidates to develop their knowledge, skills, and dispositions in public school/agency settings. All candidates are expected to complete clinical experiences in at least two significantly different settings.  Clinical field experiences provide opportunities for helping all students learn, including children with exceptionalities and students from diverse ethnic/racial, linguistic, gender, and socioeconomic groups.  During clinical experiences, candidates apply theories and understandings gained in coursework, analyze P-12 student learning, and develop the ability to positively impact all learners.  These structured experiences can take place in multiple settings such as neighboring schools or districts, day care centers and after-school programs, alternate youth centers, or in the schools and classrooms in which the candidates work.

Clinical experiences for Residency teachers may be approved in significantly different classrooms within their school of employment. Alternative settings must be approved by the instructor.

Licensure


Upon successful completion of the Phase I/Graduate Certificate, candidates will be recommended for the North Carolina initial Standard Professional I teaching license. For this initial license, candidates are required to complete an electronic licensure portfolio that is created during coursework and student teaching. Upon successful completion of Phase II, candidates will be recommended for the North Carolina advanced Standard Professional II teaching license. For the advanced license, candidates are required to complete an advanced electronic licensure portfolio during coursework.

Program Approval


All teacher education programs at UNC Charlotte are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The M.A.T. in Middle Grades and Secondary Education has been approved by North Carolina State Board of Education.

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