Mar 29, 2024  
Graduate Catalog | 2018-2019 
    
Graduate Catalog | 2018-2019 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 39-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 18 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 six years.  Coursework within Phase I/Graduate Certificate must be completed within four 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


Phase II/Completion of M.A.T.


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

Total = 39 Credit Hours


Clinical Field Experiences


Most courses require students to develop their knowledge, skills, and dispositions in public school/agency settings. All students 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, students 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.

Candidates who are lateral entry teachers and teacher assistants must move beyond their own classrooms and schools for at least two clinical experiences. Alternative settings must be approved by the instructor. A limited number of clinical experiences may be approved in significantly different classrooms within their school of employment. Employed candidates are encouraged to seek assistance and support from their administrators.

Internship/Student Teaching


The graduate-level student teaching/internship is the culminating experience in Phase I of the M.A.T., offering students the opportunity to demonstrate their readiness for the initial Standard Professional I teaching license. Students are assigned to an appropriate classroom for a full-time, semester-long experience under the supervision of the classroom teacher and University faculty. Lateral entry teachers and teacher assistants must contact the Office of Field Experiences to determine the appropriateness of their classroom for the student teaching/internship experience and licensure requirements. This contact should take place at least one semester before student teaching.

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

Capstone Requirements


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

Advising


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

Licensure


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