Middle Grades Education (MAT)
Program of Study
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students who began in summer 2023 or fall 2023, please see the foonote below about your program of study. 1 | ||
| Area 1 Foundations | ||
| EDCI 6226 | Foundations of Education - Instructional Applications | 2 |
| EDCI 6227 | Foundations of Education - Human Development, Motivation, and Learning | 2 |
| EDCI 6228 | Foundations of Education - Special Education (Students must earn a grade of B or better in order to be certified to teach in the state of Georgia.) | 3 |
| EDCI 6796 | Introduction to Teaching and Inquiry-Based Instruction | 3 |
| Area 1 Total | 10 | |
| Area 2 Teaching Field Studies | ||
| EDMG 6155 | Psychology of the Early Adolescent Learner | 3 |
| EDRG 6116 | Integrating Literacy Strategies in Middle Grades and Secondary | 3 |
| EDUT 6105 | Technology Infusion | 3 |
| Select 4-5 hours from each concentration area: | 8-10 | |
English Concentration: | ||
| Selected Topics in Middle Grades Education | ||
Math Concentration: | ||
| Teaching Mathematics in the Middle Grades II | ||
Science Concentration: | ||
| Teaching Science in Middle Grades | ||
| Social Science: | ||
| Social Studies in the Middle Grades | ||
| Area 2 Total | 17-19 | |
| Area 3 Professional Practice | ||
| Select one of the following: | 6-10 | |
| Teaching Internship | ||
| Student Teaching | ||
| EDUF 6125 | Classroom Management | 2 |
| Area 3 Total | 8-12 | |
| Area 4 Advanced Studies | ||
| EDCI 6158 | Trends and Issues in Middle Grades and Secondary Education | 2 |
| EDCI 6255 | Teacher Inquiry and Investigation | 3 |
| EDUF 6116 | Educational Research Methods | 3 |
| Select 3 credits from primary concentration area as approved by advisor | 3 | |
| Area 4 Total | 11 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 46-52 | |
- 1
Readers of CSU’s 2023-2024 catalog might have noticed some fluctuations in this program of study since the catalog draft appeared online in Spring 2023. The faculty proposed a 30-hour program of study for what has been approved as a 46-52 hour program. The 30-hour program of study should first have been approved as a Substantive Change by our institutional accreditor, the Southern Associated of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), for an anticipated implementation in January 2024.
Due to an administrative error, the 30-hour program of study was published before SACSCOC approval was granted. CSU will honor this program of study for the affected students but the approved 46-52 hour program of study has been restored pending that approval. If SACSCOC approval is granted, we will reinstate the 30-hour program of study in January 2024.
We expect to receive SACSCOC’s decision by mid-December 2023 and anticipate being able to implement the 30-hour program of study in January 2024. We’re optimistic that the request will be approved since the program of study accounts for policies at the institutional and university system levels and meets GaPSC requirements for teaching certification and SACSCOC accreditation standards.
Please contact the program coordinator, Dr. Jessica Van Valkenburg, by email at vanvalkenburgh_jessica@columbusstate.edu or phone at 706-565-1413 with any questions you have.
Note: A minimum of 15 semester hours of approve coursework is required for admission to the MAT program. Additional hours of content coursework may be required depending on content background. Prospective students must request a transcript evaluation and meet with program coordinator to determine content courses needed for certification. Teacher candidates must demonstrate proficiency in one concentration areas (Language Arts, Math, Science, or Social Studies).
Program Admission Requirements
- A Bachelor’s degree in a closely related field or a minimum of 15 semester
hours of upper level coursework in one of the middle grades concentration
areas. - Transcript evaluation to determine content courses needed for certification
- Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 (regular admission) or 2.50
(provisional admission) on all undergraduate work at an accredited institution
in fulfillment of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree. - Passing GACE Content Assessment scores in the certification field.
- Candidates who recently graduated from a bachelor’s degree program (within a year) can be provisionally admitted in the absence of a GACE assessment score, however this requirement must be completed during the first semester enrolled.
Required GACE content exams by concentration area:
Certification Field- Required GACE Content Tests
- Middle Grades Language Arts- Test 011
- Middle Grades Mathematics- Test 013
- Middle Grades Science- Test 014
- Middle Grades Social Science- Test 015
Teacher Education Admission Requirements
- Candidates must apply for Teacher Education during their first semester, after being admitted and starting classes.
- Admission to Teacher Education is completed through TK20. Candidates must have been admitted into the university and registered for courses at least two weeks before purchasing TK20. Information on Tk20 is can be located here.
- Candidates must meet all requirements for admission to Teacher Education during their first semester of enrollment in the MAT program. For a list of requirements visit our Teacher Education page
Additional Program Requirements
- Students must earn a 3.0 GPA calculated on all graduate work attempted. "Academic Forgiveness" policy does not apply to graduate studies
- Students cannot graduate with a grade of "C" or below in more than two (2) graduate courses
- A minimum of 20 hours of the hours required for the degree must be earned in residence (⅔ of the required hours). Asynchronous (online) and distance learning courses administered through Columbus State University constitute courses taken in residence
- Transfer courses must be approved by the students’ advisor and program coordinator. Courses with earned grades of "C" or below cannot be transferred.
- All degree requirements must be completed within seven (7) years of first enrollment.