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The M.A.T. in early childhood education, an NCATE-accredited program that focuses on the education of children in pre-kindergarten through third grade, is nationally recognized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). It is designed for those who want to teach young children and have undergraduate degrees in non-education disciplines.
Successful completion of the M.A.T. program requirements leads to recommendation for teaching certification/licensure in grades pre-kindergarten through three in South Carolina, in addition to a master’s degree. The State of South Carolina has reciprocal licensure agreements with many State Departments of Education across the United States. Teacher Education Program requirements are described in detail in a candidate information packet, which a candidate receives prior to meeting with the an advisor to complete a program of study.
Degree Requirements

The M.A.T. in early childhood education is awarded to candidates who successfully complete an approved program of study consisting of a minimum of 48 graduate semester hours of credit with an overall GPA of 3.0. This program of study may include additional coursework due to deficiencies in the liberal arts as determined by a review of the undergraduate transcript. Candidates have one calendar year following program acceptance to complete the additional coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.5.

Certification requirements for M.A.T. students are described in the teacher education program student information packet for M.A.T. students and the Clinical Practice Handbook. As part of the certification procedure, each M.A.T. student must take the national PRAXIS tests: early childhood education content area and Principles of Learning and Teaching. Advisors will provide important details about this requirement. All examinations are administered by the Educational Testing Service and application forms are available in the School of Education, Health and Human Performance main office, 86 Wentworth Street. One copy of each test score must be sent directly to the College of Charleston School of Education, Health and Human Performance and another copy to the South Carolina State Department of Education.

Admissions Requirements:

• A completed application form with a nonrefundable application fee of $45
  
  
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework. An earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required.
  
  
• Applicants are required to have a 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) from graduating institution.
  
  
• Undergraduate coursework should reflect a broad liberal arts background.
  
  
• Two letters of recommendation from persons familiar with academic and/or work experience. Letters should indicate evidence of potential for graduate studies and working with children.
  
  
• Biographical sketch or professional résumé
  
  
• Self-assessment of professional goals and dispositions
  
  
• Statement of ability to perform essential teaching duties under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  
  
• Cover letter to admissions committee stating reasons why applicant is pursuing a teaching career in this program
  
  
• Results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) if applicant’s primary language is not English
  
  
• Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores or official Miller Analogies Test (M.A.T.) scores. Expectations are a minimum composite GRE verbal/quantitative score of 800 as well as a score of 4.0 or higher on the analytical writing sample. Test scores for the M.A.T. must be a minimum of 343.

*Admissions requirements may change. Please visit The Graduate School for the most current requirements.

Completion of a Program of Study

As soon as possible after acceptance into the program and before enrolling in courses, an appointment must be made with an advisor to complete a program of study. The process for filing an acceptable program of study is not completed until all copies of the form, with required signatures, have been filed with the Graduate School Office. The program of study is not official until the student is admitted as a degree-seeking student. All degree-seeking students must have an approved program of study on file no later than one month following the completion of 12 semester hours of graduate credit. Failure to meet the deadline for filing an acceptable program of study may result in a delay in graduation or loss of credit for use in the program.
All academic work that has been completed, as well as that which is proposed for satisfying degree requirements, must be included in the program of study at the time of submission. Students may make changes of up to two courses in the program of study that are necessitated by enrollment problems or other circumstances by completing a request for change in approved program form. This form must be endorsed by the advisor, department chair, and the program director. More extensive changes may be accomplished by filing a new program of study marked “revised plan.”

After the program of study is completed, the advisor works with the candidate over the course of the program for scheduling and program planning to ensure timely completion of program requirements.

NOTE: Students may not use professional development course credit.

Program of Study:

Prerequisites: Prerequisites may be taken concurrently with graduate program courses but must be completed within one calendar year of admission. Undergraduate prerequisites determined by transcript evaluation AND the following three graduate or equivalent undergraduate courses:

• EDFS 652 Foundations of Education
• EDFS 654 Human Growth and Development
• EDFS 687 Computer Education for Teachers (or an intermediate computer course) taken within the last three years

Focus Area I: Development of the Learner and the Relationship to Content Learning Development (9 hours)

• EDEE 510* Introduction to Early Childhood Education, Field Experience 1
• EDEE 617* Language Literacy and Literature for Early Childhood (3 hours)
  
  *Must be taken concurrently.

Focus Area II: Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (15 hours)

• EDEE 613 Curriculum and Development in Early Childhood Education (3 hours)
• EDEE 642 Social Studies and Humanities for Early Childhood and Elementary Teachers (3 hours)
• EDEE 653 Theories and Strategies for Developing Literacies (3 hours)
• EDEE 615* Assessment in Student Learning (3 hours)*
• EDEE 636* Field Experience II in Early Childhood Education (3 hours)*
  
  *Must be taken concurrently.
  

Focus Area III: Creating an Effective Climate for Learning (15 hours)

• EDEE 606 Teaching Diverse Learners (3 hours)
• EDEE 655 Creativity and the Fine Arts (3 hours)
• EDEE 664 Health and Physical Education (3 hours)
• EDEE 620* Home, School, and Community Relationship (3 hours)*
• EDEE 682* Field Experience III in Early Childhood Education (3 hours)*
  
  *Must be taken concurrently.
  

Focus Area IV: Culminating Professional Experiences (9 hours)

• EDEE 698 Clinical Practice in Early Childhood Education (9 hours)

Total program credit hours: 48 graduate hours not including prerequisite course hours.

NOTE: The School of Education, Health and Human Performance Policy states that field experience and clinical practice placements are made within the tri-county area. The School of Education, Health and Human Performance reserves the right to place candidates in the closest approximate placement.

Title II Report Card

The College of Charleston Title II Report Card can be located by going to the  South Carolina Department of Education Title II website, http://title2.ed.gov. Additionally, copies of the report can be requested by contacting the Director of the Office of Student Services and Certification at 843-953-5613 or 86 Wentworth Street, College of Charleston, Charleston, S.C. 29424. To discuss the College of Charleston Title II Report Card, contact the Dean of the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance at 843-953-5613. For the purpose of Title II reporting, a program completer is defined as a candidate who has successfully completed Clinical Practice.

Non-degree Status (Certified teachers only)

Certified educators who are not seeking a degree, but who wish to take courses in education for the purposes of professional development and recertification, may be admitted as non-degree students.

• Submit a completed application form with a nonrefundable application fee of $45.
• Submit a copy of a professional teaching credential.

The non-degree graduate student subsequently may be reclassified as a regular-degree student in an M.Ed. program. In order to accomplish reclassification as a degree-seeking student, the candidate must submit two letters of recommendation, a graduate course transcript with at least a 3.0 GPA (if courses have been completed) and other requirements listed above. No more than a total of 6 credit hours of work taken in non-degree status may be applied toward degree requirements if the student is later admitted to a degree program. Non-degree status is not intended to be a temporary classification for those found ineligible for admission to the degree program.
All courses are listed after the Master of Arts in Teaching Special Education section of the catalog.