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

Foreign Language Education, M.A.T


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The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Foreign Language Education program is a 34-35 credit hour program composed of two phases: the Graduate Certificate in Teaching  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.  Phase I requires 16-17 credit hours of coursework, including the graduate student teaching/internship experience.  Upon completion of Phase I, qualified candidates may apply to continue into Phase II to complete the remaining requirements for the Master’s degree and qualify for the advanced Standard Professional II teaching license. 

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

This Graduate Certificate program is offered 100% online through the Office of Distance Education.  For more information, visit distanceed.uncc.edu.

Admission Requirements


Admission Requirements for the Graduate School

Please refer to admission information in the Admission to the Graduate School  section of this Catalog.

Admission Requirements for all M.A.T. Programs

  • Completion of the Graduate Certificate in Teaching
  • A minimum graduate GPA of 3.5 in the Graduate Certificate in Teaching*
  • One recommendation from a full-time faculty member who has taught you in the Graduate Certificate in Teaching program
  • A statement of purpose

The admission process includes the Application for Graduation from the Graduate Certificate program.  Interested applicants may apply online at the Graduate Admissions website.

*Students with a GPA below 3.5 in the Graduate Certificate phase 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.

Admission Requirements for Foreign Language Education

Candidates with an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited four-year institution and a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.7 have 3 options to gain admission to the Graduate Certificate in Foreign Language Education program:

  • Option 1:  Candidates who have a bachelor’s degree with a major in the intended language of instruction
  • Option 2:  Demonstrate native or near-native speaker proficiency in the intended language of instruction via a passing score on the Praxis Subject Assessment or a minimum score of Advanced Low on the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Inteview (OPI) AND Writing Proficiency test (WPT) in the intended language of instruction
  • Option 3:  Candidates who have the equivalent of a major in the intended language of instruction via completion of a minimum of 24 credit hours of post-secondary coursework in the intended language of instruction.  At least two of these courses must be at the 4000 (advanced) level and all must be conducted in the foreign language in which they are seeking licensure.  Candidates choosing to pursue this admission route must contact the Office of Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEAL) for advising.  

Candidates pursuing a license in one of the following languages are eligible for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Foreign Language Education.  Due to limited availability of internship sites, candidates seeking licensure in the less commonly taught languages (indicated with an asterisk below) must be residency teachers and complete the internship in their own classroom.

  • American Sign Language (K-12)*
  • Arabic (K-12)
  • Cherokee (K-12)*
  • Chinese (K-12)
  • French (K-12)
  • German (K-12)
  • Japanese (K-12)
  • Greek (Ancient) (K-12)*
  • Greek (Modern) (K-12)*
  • Hebrew (K-12)*
  • Hindi (K-12)*
  • Italian (K-12)*
  • Korean (K-12)*
  • Latin (K-12)*
  • Portuguese (K-12)*
  • Russian (K-12)*
  • Spanish (K-12)
  • Swahili (K-12)*
  • Turkish (K-12)*

Prior to admission into the final semester of student teaching, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in the foreign language via reaching a benchmark score on the Oral Proficiency Interview.

Degree Requirements


Phase I: Graduate Certificate in Teaching (16-17 credit hours)


Equity and Education Course (2 credit hours)


Customized Course (2-3 credit hours)


In consult with advisor, select one of the following:

Internship/Student Teaching (3 credit hours)


The graduate-level student teaching/internship is the culminating experience of the Graduate Certificate program, offering students the opportunity to demonstrate their readiness for the initial Standard Professional I teaching license.  Students are assigned to an appropriate classroom with a licensed K-12 teacher (in the intended licensure area) 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.  Prior to student teaching, foreign language education teacher candidates must demonstrate advanced language skills by obtaining a minimum score of Advanced Low on the related Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in the language of intended licensure.  There is no required internship for Phase II of the M.A.T. program.

Phase II: Completion of the M.A.T. (18 credit hours)


Specialized Pedagogy Course (3 credit hours)


Select one of the following:

Advanced Level Foreign Language Literature or Culture Course (3 credit hours)


Select three credit hours in a graduate level course in the licensure area.

Leadership Course (3 credit hours)


Capstone Course (3 credit hours)


Candidates complete the Comprehensive Electronic Portfolio project within the Capstone Course.  In addition, candidates for the M.A.T. complete an electronic licensure portfolio during coursework that demonstrates their readiness for the advanced Standard Professional II teaching license.

Degree Total = 34-35 Credit Hours


Advising


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

Clinical Field Experiences


Most courses require students to develop their knowledge, skills, and dispositions in public school settings. These experiences broaden their ability to help 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. All students are expected to complete clinical experiences in at least two significantly different settings. Residency teacher candidates are permitted to complete clinical hours in their own school sites.

Alternative settings must be approved by the instructor and may include schools on different schedules, after-school and summer programs, Saturday programs, private, and charter schools. 

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 and approved by the North Carolina State Board of Education.

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