Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program in secondary education is designed for individuals holding a bachelor's degree in a field closely related to a secondary certification field, who wish to obtain a teaching certificate and master's degree in secondary education. Teacher certification options available through this degree include English, History, Biology, Chemistry, Earth/Space Science, Mathematics, or Physics with certification in grades 6-12 or Computer Science with certification in grades P-12. The M.A.T. provides professional and pedagogical studies that develop proficiency in the knowledge, skills, and habits of beginning teachers. Additional program information can be found on the CSU Department of Teacher Education, Leadership, and Counseling website.

All educator preparation programs are approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. In addition to the degree requirements, there are further requirements for teaching certification. Visit the Certification page on the CSU Center for Quality Teaching and Learning (CQTL) website for detailed information about certification requirements and the certification process.

Note for out of state students:

If you live outside the state of Georgia, state regulations may limit your distance education options. To find out whether Columbus State University is authorized to deliver specific programs in your state, please email your inquiry to state_authorization@columbusstate.edu. This email address is exclusively for questions regarding state approval of online offerings. Other types of questions should be sent to the academic department offering the online course.

Columbus State University's programs leading to all levels of licensure, endorsement, and professional certification are designed to satisfy the requirements of their respective Georgia boards governing licensure.  CSU does NOT guarantee that these programs will necessarily satisfy the criteria of professional boards in other states or territories. Programs affected by state licensing requirements may include, but are not limited to, programs in Nursing, Leadership, and Education.  Students from outside of Georgia who are considering a professional program should contact the appropriate board in their state of intended practice prior to beginning a course of study.

Additional program information can be found on the CSU Department of Teacher Education, Leadership, and Counseling website.

Follow the link below for professional licensure contact information by state.

Education Programs

Program of Study

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Area 1 Foundations
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
EDSE 6165	Literacy in the Content Areas	2
or EDMS 6474	Technology as a Teaching and Learning Tool
Area 1 Total		10
Area 2 Teaching Field Studies
EDCI 6411	Clinical Experience	3
Complete one of the following based on your intended field of certification:		3
EDMT 6215	Methods in Teaching Middle and Secondary Mathematics
EDSC 6215	Methods of Teaching Middle and Secondary Science
EDUT 6145	Methods of Teaching Computer Science without Lab
EDSE 6116	Teaching English Language Arts in Grades 4-12
EDSE 6145	Teaching Social Studies in Grades 4-12
Area 2 Total		6
Area 3 Professional Practice
EDUF 6125	Classroom Management	2
EDCI 6412	Student Teaching	3
EDSE 6755	Middle Grades and Secondary Education Seminar	1
Area 3 Total		6
Area 4 Advanced Studies
EDUF 6116	Educational Research Methods	3
or EDUF 7116	Applied Educational Research: Assessing and Monitoring Student Achievement
EDCI 6158	Trends and Issues in Middle Grades and Secondary Education	2
Select one advisor approved elective.		3
ENGL or EDSE English 5000G level or above
HIST or EDSE history 5000G or above
BIOL, CHEM, ENVS, ASTR, ATSC, GEOL 5000G level or above
MATH, MAED, EDMT, STAT 5000G level or above
CPSC, CSMT, CYBR 5000G level or above
Area 4 Total		8
Total Credit Hours		30

Note: A degree in the intended certification field and a minimum of 21 semester hours of content coursework or a passing score on the GACE content exam is required for admission to the MAT program.  Prospective students who do not have a bachelor's degree in their field must request a transcript evaluation and meet with the program coordinator to determine content courses needed for certification.

 Program Admission Requirements

• A Bachelor’s Degree in a closely related field or a minimum of 21 semester hours of upper level coursework in the concentration area.
• 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

• Biology- Test I (026); Test II (027)
• Chemistry- Test I (028); Test II (029)
• Earth/Space Science- Test I (024); Test II (025)
• Mathematics- Test I (022); Test II (023)
• Physics- Test I (030); Test II (031)
• Computer- Science Test (555)
• History- Test I (034); Test II (035)
• English- Test I (20), Test II (21)

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 located at: https://www.columbusstate.edu/education-and-health-professions/tk20.php
• 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 https://www.columbusstate.edu/education-and-health-professions/cqtl/teacher-education.php

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.