Program Overview 

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Special Education degree is designed for individuals holding a bachelor's degree in a non-teaching field who wish to obtain a teaching certificate and master's degree in special education. The MAT provides professional and pedagogical studies that develop proficiency in the knowledge, skills, and habits of beginning teachers in one of three concentrations (i.e., general curriculum, autism, or dyslexia/reading). 

All educator preparation programs are approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for an educator licensure upgrade to the T-5 level. Completion of the autism concentration provides eligibility for the Georgia add-on autism endorsement. Completion of the dyslexia/reading concentration provides eligibility for the Georgia add-on dyslexia and reading endorsements.

Career Opportunities

Successful completion of the M.A.T. program and passing scores on the appropriate Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) basic skills and content tests allow the candidate to be recommended to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for teacher certification at the T-5 level (i.e., the letter “T” indicates that the certificate is in a teaching field and the number “5” indicates that the candidate’s highest degree is a master’s degree recognized by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission).

Program of Study

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Area 1 Program Content
EDUF 6116	Educational Research Methods	3
SPED 6189	Nature and Characteristics of Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities	3
SPED 6265	Advanced Assessment of Exceptional Children and Youth	3
SPED 6295	Teaching Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities	3
EDRG 6148	Psychology of Reading: Understanding Readers and the Reading Process	3
EDRG 6118	Methods and Materials for Teaching Literacy P-5	3
or EDRG 6116	Integrating Literacy Strategies in Middle Grades and Secondary
Area 1 Total		18
Area 2 Concentration
Select one of the concentration areas below:		9
Autism Concentration (Includes Autism Endorsement)
SPED 7166	History and Characteristics of Individuals with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities (3 hrs)
SPED 7115	Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in School Settings (3 hrs)
SPED 7235	Assessment and Diagnosis of Individuals with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities (3 hrs)
Dyslexia Concentration (Includes Dyslexia Endorsement)
SPED 6125	Managing Students with Behavioral Problems (3 hrs)
SPED 6136	History and Characteristics of Individuals with Dyslexia and Other Learning Disabilities (3 hrs)
SPED 6137	Assessment and intervention of Individuals with Dyslexia and Other Learning Disabilities (3 hrs)
General Curriculum Concentration
SPED 6125	Managing Students with Behavioral Problems
Based on your grade band and content focus, select 6 hours from the following:
ELEM 6125	Developing Mathematical Thinking in the Elementary Classroom (3 hrs)
ELEM 6135	Developing Scientific Thinking in Young Children (3 hrs)
ELEM 6145	Exploring the World with Young Learners (3 hrs)
EDCI 6118	Teaching Composition in Grades 4-12 (3 hrs)
EDSE 6116	Teaching English Language Arts in Grades 4-12 (3 hrs)
EDSE 6145	Teaching Social Studies in Grades 4-12 (3 hrs)
EDMT 6215	Methods in Teaching Middle and Secondary Mathematics
EDSC 6215	Methods of Teaching Middle and Secondary Science
Area 2 Total		9
Area 3 The Practice of Education
EDUC 6699	Teaching Residency and Classroom Management	3
Area 3 Total		3
Other Requirement
EDUF 6000	M.Ed. Exit Examination	0
Other Requirement Total		0
Total Credit Hours		30

Program Admission Requirements

• A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 (regular admission) or 2.50 (provisional admission) on all undergraduate work at an accredited United States institution in fulfillment of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree.
• Statement of Professional Interest and Goals
• Resume

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://cqtl.columbusstate.edu/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" in more than two (2) courses 
• Courses earned with grades of "D" may not be used toward a graduate degree or certificate, but will be calculated in the overall grade point average.
• 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.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate the ability to analyze and address each individual’s developmental and learning needs
• Demonstrate subject matter content and specialized curricular knowledge
• Use assessment to understand the learner and the learning environment for data-based decision making
• Demonstrate the ability to support learning using effective instruction
• Demonstrate the ability to support social, emotional, and behavioral growth