|
Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.): Elementary Education (Grades 2–6) |
The M.A.T. in Elementary Education, an NCATE-accredited program that focuses on the education of second through sixth-graders, is designed for those who want to teach young children and have undergraduate degrees in non-education disciplines. The program combines academic work and a variety of experiences in public elementary schools.
Successful completion of the M.A.T. program requirements leads to recommendation for teaching certification/licensure in grades 2 - 6 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 program director to complete a program of study.
Degree Requirements
The M.A.T. in Elementary 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 these additional requirements 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: elementary 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 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.
Admission Requirements*
For the current admissions requirements, view www.cofc.edu/gradschool
* These requirements are subject to change before the next catalog is printed.
Deadlines for applications to Master of Arts in Teaching Program:
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 the program director 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 regular-degree student. All regular-degree 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, an advisor is assigned to work 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 687 Computer Education for Teachers (or an intermediate computer course) taken within the last three years
Focus Area I: Foundations of Learning and Learner Development (6 Hours)
Focus Area II: Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (21 hours)
Focus Area III: Creating an Effective Climate for Learning (12 hours)
Focus Area IV: Culminating Professional Experiences (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.
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 regular-degree 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.