Mar 29, 2024  
Graduate Catalog | 2015-2016 
    
Graduate Catalog | 2015-2016 Previous Edition

Teaching: French, German, or Spanish, M.A.T


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The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) French, German, or Spanish program is designed for individuals with a Bachelor’s degree and one of the following requirements: 1) a major in French, German, or Spanish; 2) the equivalent of a major in French, German, or Spanish via the completion of 24 credit hours of instruction in the foreign language (note: at least two courses must have been taken at the 4000 level); or 3) be a native speaker of the foreign language and obtain passing scores on the corresponding Praxis II exam. The M.A.T. program is a 39 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 in French, German, or Spanish. Phase I requires 21 credit hours of coursework, including the graduate student teaching/internship experience. Upon completion of Phase I, qualified candidates may continue into Phase II 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. at UNC Charlotte, please visit pathwaytoteaching.com.

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. 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

The admission process includes timely completion of the Admission to Candidacy form and the Application for Graduation from the Graduate Certificate program. Interested applicants may apply online at graduateschool.uncc.edu.

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.

License in K-12 French, German, or Spanish


Degree Requirements


Phase I/ Graduate Certificate in Teaching Required Courses (21 credit hours)


Diversity Course

Select one of the following:

Advanced Level (5000-6000) Foreign Language Literature or Foreign Language Culture Course

Select one of the following:

  • FREN 5XXX - One graduate level French literature or French culture course (3)
  • GERM 5XXX - One graduate level German literature or German culture course (3)
  • SPAN 5XXX-6XXX - One graduate level Spanish literature or Spanish culture course (3)
Note:

*FLED 6470  is a full time internship requiring employment as a French, German, or Spanish teacher in an approved school or a non-paid placement with a licensed French, German, or Spanish teacher in a public school. It requires application and approval during the semester prior to the internship.

Phase II/ Completion of the M.A.T. Required Courses (18 credit hours)


Specialized Pedagogy Course

Select one of the following:

Advanced Level (5000-6000) Foreign Language Literature or Foreign Language Culture Course

Select one of the following:

  • FREN 5XXX One graduate level French course (3)
  • GERM 5XXX One graduate level German course (3)
  • SPAN 5XXX-6XXX One graduate level Spanish course (3)

Electives or Content Background Requirements


To be accepted into Phase I of the M.A.T in French, German, or Spanish Program, candidates must fulfill one of the following content background requirements:

  1. Have completed a Bachelor’s degree majoring in French, German, or Spanish
  2. Have completed a bachelor’s degree and the equivalent of a major in French, German, or Spanish via the completion of 24 credit hours of instruction in the foreign language (note: at least two courses must have been taken at the 4000 level)
  3. Be a native speaker of French, German, or Spanish and obtain passing scores on the corresponding Praxis II exam

Capstone Requirements


The capstone experience for the M.A.T. will be fulfilled by completing the Comprehensive Electronic Portfolio project. In addition, candidates for the M.A.T will complete an electronic licensure portfolio during coursework that demonstrates their readiness for the advanced Standard Professional II teaching license.

Admission to Candidacy


The Candidacy form supplied by the Graduate School must be received no later than the eighth instructional day of the semester in which completion of all degree requirements is expected.

Application for Degree


The Application for Degree and graduation supplied by the Graduate School must be submitted early in the semester in which completion of all program requirements is expected.

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. All students are expected to complete clinical experiences in at least two different settings. 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.

Advising


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

Assistantships


The Program may have a limited number of graduate assistantships each academic year. Applications are available from the Department of Middle, Secondary, and K-12 Education.

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.

Financial Aid


Information is available from the Office of Teacher Education Advising, Licensure, and Recruitment (TEALR). See tealr.uncc.edu for details. Additional information is available from the Office of Student Financial Aid at finaid.uncc.edu.

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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