Master of Arts in Teaching M.A.T.

Child Development Early Education and Family Studies (Birth-Kindergarten)

The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Child Development Early Education and Family Studies (Birth - Kindergarten) develops professional teachers for secondary schools in North Carolina. This program is also designed to meet all requirements for licensure and will provide a coherent and complete curriculum that meets the highest standards.

The M.A.T. is for the college graduate of the respective areas who seeks licensure and graduate studies in teaching grades K-12. The program addresses the needs of teachers with provisional (lateral entry) or emergency licensure, teachers wishing licensure in the fields, and/or those individuals changing careers to become teachers.

The primary design of the M.A.T. program is two tiered. The first tier includes all of the course work needed for “A” licensure, including an internship requirement and passing the appropriate examinations of Praxis II. Some candidates may choose to complete only Phase I of the M.A.T. program, which is the licensure phase. Successful completion of this phase will result in a recommendation for the initial “A” license. The second tier includes a research requirement and other courses that complete requirements for the advanced master’s degree and will qualify the candidate for the advanced “M” licensure.

Admission requirements for Phase I: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution; statement of purpose, resume, completion of required prerequisite courses; an undergraduate GPA of 2.6 or better or passing scores on Praxis I; and GRE scores.

Admission requirements for Phase II: A GPA of 3.0 or better in Phase I coursework; passing scores on Praxis II and Class A licensure; satisfactory recommendations from the candidate’s principal, if teaching, or from three people knowledgeable of his/her interactions with children or adolescents.

Documentation required for admissions include:

  • A School of Graduate Studies application form
  • Three completed recommendation forms
  • Verification of NC residency form (if claiming NC residency)
  • Official transcripts
  • official scores of the GRE or MAT tests
  • Official scores of Praxis I, if required
  • Current teaching license, if applicable
  • Principal’s recommendation for teachers, or three recommendations for non-teachers
  • Applicant’s essay of purpose

A non-refundable application fee of $45 is also required.

Please visit the School of Graduate Studies’ website for instructions for submitting application materials.

Curriculum

For curriculum and course descriptions, please see the N.C. A&T Graduate Catalog.