Online Handbook:  

Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)

or

Graduate Certificate in Teaching 

 

Admissions 

Program progression

Problem-solving

 Applying for licensure

Organizational details

Terminology

     

 

Admissions

 

Advising assistance before you begin

  • The Teacher Recruiter/Advisor is available by email, phone, and appointment to answer many of your questions:  Amanda Macon (704-687-8684 or amandamacon@uncc.edu

  • The Office of Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEAL) in Room 119 of the College of Education Building has advisors available from 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday (704-687-8722 or snixon@uncc.edu or jdavery@uncc.edu )

  • Starting in April, 2008, there will be extended hours for informational appointments in the TEAL Office, Room 119 in the College of Education Building.   Contact Amanda Macon to set an appointment (704-687-8684 or amandamacon@uncc.edu )
    Advisors will be available on
    Mondays (5/12, 6/2, 6/16, 7/7, 7/21, 8/4, 8/18, 9/15, and 9/29) from 5-7 pm and
    Saturdays (6/7, 7/12, 8/9, and 9/6) from 9-12 by appointment.

  • The Graduate School holds regular orientation sessions:  http://www.uncc.edu/gradmiss/prospect.html

 

Application deadlines

  • The Graduate School has set the following deadlines for all application materials to be received in order for an M.A.T. or Graduate Certificate application to be guaranteed consideration for the semester indicated. 

    • April 1st for summer sessions
    • May 1st for fall semester
    • October 1st for spring semester

 

Admissions criteria and process

  • Criteria for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Teaching vs. admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching

  • To apply to either program:  http://www.uncc.edu/gradmiss/p_app_instructions.html  (Scroll down to the application link and go to "Create Account")

  • To review your application file to note what's missing, go to:  https://www.uncc.edu/gradmiss/Secure/ODS/GradAppStatus/GradAppStatus.asp

  • When all Graduate Certificate in Teaching application materials are received, the Graduate School notifies the Office of Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEAL) to review each application and make a recommendation about admission. 

  • When all Master of Arts in Teaching application materials are received, the Graduate School contacts the academic departments in the College of Education to review each application and make a recommendation about admission. 

  • Incomplete applications are not forwarded by the Graduate School and are not reviewed.

  • Review of completed applications to the Graduate Certificate or the M.A.T. generally takes 2-4 weeks, depending on volume of applications.  

  • In peak times, the analysis of and communication about any remaining background requirements will follow an admission decision. 

 

 

Missed deadlines

  •  We make every effort to enroll qualified applicants, especially lateral entry teachers, even if the deadline has passed.  If you cannot meet the application deadline for the Graduate Certificate or the M.A.T., the TEAL office will still help you if at all possible. 

     

  • You may be able to take up to 6 hours of introductory M.A.T. or Graduate Certificate courses as a post-baccalaureate (post-bac) student while you complete the full application.  However, federal financial aid is significantly less for post-baccalaureate students compared to M.A.T. and Graduate Certificate students.  There are two steps to this process:

    • Apply through the Graduate School to enroll as a post-baccalaureate student:  http://www.uncc.edu/gradmiss/p_postbac_app.html .   Be aware that you will be charged two separate application fees - one to begin as a post-baccalaureate student and another when you apply to the M.A.T. or Graduate Certificate.  the benefit is that the post-bac application procedure is quick and you may need to get started with coursework to keep your teaching position.

    • Once you are admitted as a post-bac student, contact the Office of Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEAL) at 704-687-8725 for assistance in providing the information needed in order to register for the appropriate introductory courses in your licensure track

    • You must gain admission to the M.A.T. or Graduate Certificate in Teaching to continue taking coursework beyond the introductory 6 hours.

     

  • RECOMMENDATION #1:  Apply to the Graduate Certificate or the M.A.T. as early as possible. Access to teacher education coursework is very limited while you are a post-bac.  If space is available and you meet the minimum 2.5 GPA requirement, you may take 6 hours while in this temporary post-bac status.  After these six hours, you must be fully admitted to the Graduate Certificate or the M.A.T. in order to continue.  Be sure you beat the next Graduate School deadline with all your application materials!

 

  • RECOMMENDATION #2:  Apply in plenty of time.  If you apply as a post-bac during the last few days before a term begins, it will be difficult to assist you fully, but the TEAL Office help you to every extent possible, given their current volume of applications and departments' course availability. 

     

Entrance exams

 

Candidates who prepare seriously for the entrance examination are more successful and are less likely to have to take the examination a second time. 

  • For the M.A.T., you have a choice of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test. 
  • For the Graduate Certificate in Teaching, there are no entrance exam requirements if you meet the GPA requirement
  • For the Graduate Certificate in Teaching, the Praxis I examinations are required if you do not have an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5.
  • Here are websites that will give you more information about each type of examination:

 

 

 

 

Program Progression

 

Advising

  • You will be assigned an academic advisor once you are admitted to the M.A.T. or Graduate Certificate in Teaching.  Your letter of acceptance from the Graduate School will give you a faculty contact who will either serve as your advisor or assign your advisor.

  • At least once a semester, you should contact your advisor by email, telephone, or appointment to make sure you are on track.

  • If you don't know who your advisor is, contact the department of your licensure program.  Details here

 

Teacher Education courses

  • Most teacher education courses in the Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Phase I of the M.A.T. are restricted to fully admitted students.

  • Most teacher education courses have targeted assessment products that are part of the overall assessment system for the licensure program and for the College of Education.

  • Most teacher education courses have technology assignments that can become part of your technology portfolio (See below.)

  • Most teacher education courses require approximately 20-30 hours of clinical activities in classrooms (See below.)

  • Progression into Phase II of the M.A.T. requires admission to the M.A.T. and a full time teaching position in your licensure field.

  • Be careful:  If you accidentally enroll in coursework for Phase II of the M.A.T. before being admitted to that master's degree program, the Graduate School may decline to accept that coursework toward the degree. 

Classroom-based placement requirements

  • Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Phase I of the M.A.T.

    This intensive graduate program is highly field-based.  Extensive classroom applications with K-12 students are required in all licensure tracks.  Please see which situation fits you:

      • Candidates who are not already teachers must have daytime flexibility in order to schedule approximately 20-30 classroom contact hours per semester per 3-hour course.  The times of classroom visitation and activities must align with course requirements; for example, activities for an elementary literacy methods course must be scheduled during literacy instruction; activities for a secondary science methods course must be scheduled in a high school science course in the area of desired licensure. 
      • Candidates who intend to change their area of licensure must be prepared to conduct classroom visitations and activities in the area and level of desired licensure.  As with non-teachers, there will be approximately 20-30 classroom contact hours required per 3-hour course.   The times of classroom visitation and activities must also align with course requirements.  For example, if a middle grades teacher wants to change to elementary licensure, he/she must schedule those contact hours  in elementary classrooms in such a way as to align with specific course requirements; if an art teacher wants to change to special education, he/she must schedule contact hours  in settings with special education students.  Daytime flexibility may be needed by these candidates in order to leave their own classrooms.
      • Candidates who are fully employed as lateral entry teachers or teacher assistants may use their own classrooms for many course assignments as long as they are teaching in the field and at the level of desired licensure.   For example, a lateral entry theatre teacher seeking licensure in theatre education will use his/her own classes and students for fulfilling many of the field-based requirements of coursework.  Lateral entry teachers will be required to complete some clinical assignments in other classrooms or schools in order to prepare them to work with the diversity of students across grade level ranges and ability levels, as well as across a range of cultural, ethnic/racial, linguistic, economic, and regional differences.  (See note below)

        NOTE:  To insure experience with diverse settings and learners, most lateral entry teachers and teacher assistants should anticipate some requirements to observe or participate in school settings that are different from their own, particularly if they are seeking a K-12 license. Those visits can often be scheduled at schools whose schedules differ from that at the home school so that there is no loss of income due to taking "personal days." 

        NOTE:   School systems and specific schools vary in their policies about permitting a teacher's assistant to fulfill student teaching internship responsibilities while still employed as a teacher's assistant.

 

  • Phase II of the Master of Arts in Teaching

    • You must be teaching full time in your licensure field to enter this Phase.

    • Your clinical experiences during Phase II will be primarily in your classroom, your school, and school system.

    • You will be focusing on improving your teaching practices, becoming a teacher-researcher, and expanding your leadership responsibilities with students, parents, and peers.

 

Content courses

  • Background requirements for the Standard Professional I license are most often met with undergraduate courses - either previously taken as part of the undergraduate degree or during your early graduate work

  • Not all content background courses are offered every semester.  Check with your advisor for alternatives if you have scheduling problems.

  • Content background courses may be available online or face-to-face at community colleges.  Check with your advisor about the applicability of courses you may find elsewhere.

  • Many licensure fields have advanced content courses required at the graduate level during Phase II of the M.A.T.

  • If you completed a full undergraduate or graduate major in your field of desired licensure, your advisor will help you investigate the feasibility of using graduate courses to satisfy both background requirements and the content course requirements for Phase II of the M.A.T.

 

Technology competencies   

  • The state of North Carolina requires that all candidates for the Standard Professional I teaching license demonstrate certain advanced technology competencies via a portfolio of artifacts.
  • The College of Education has designed an electronic portfolio for the collection of these technology artifacts. http://education.uncc.edu/eportfolio/
  • All means of demonstrating competencies are grounded in coursework, professional practice, and the student teaching internship requirements.

 

  Graduate student teaching/internship

  • The last course in Phase I of the M.A.T. and in the Graduate Certificate in Teaching is a graduate student teaching internship.  It is a supervised, full-time, semester-long experience with increasing responsibility in a classroom of your licensure field.

  • You must apply in advance to register for this course:  http://education.uncc.edu/ofe/grad_mat_apps.htm .

  • You must have a substantial amount of the technology portfolio completed before beginning the student teaching internship.  You may complete certain entries before or during this semester.  http://education.uncc.edu/eportfolio/

  • If you are a public school lateral entry teacher, the student teaching internship will most likely take place in your regular classroom.  However, you must be teaching in your desired field of licensure.

  • If you are not teaching, you will be placed in a public school classroom with a cooperating teacher who is fully licensed in your field.

  • If you are a private school teacher, the student teaching internship may be able to take place in your regular classroom; however, such placement is heavily regulated by the NC Department of Public Instruction requirements.  Please check with the Office of Field Experiences well in advance of this semester to avoid potential problems.

  • Be sure to apply for your NC Standard Professional I teaching license through the TEAL Office

 

Master's Research Project or Comprehensive Portfolio

  • Each M.A.T. program has an approved set of options for your Capstone Experience, generally a master's research project or a comprehensive portfolio.

  • There will be links here soon to those programmatic choices.  In the meantime, your advisor can give you hard copies of options,  requirements, and assessment rubrics.

 

Graduation

  • The Graduate School has strict deadlines for submitting materials for M.A.T. graduation clearance:

    • Candidacy form - very early in your final semester - your responsibility

    • Application for graduation - very early in your final semester - your responsibility

    • Report of completion of the Master's Research Project or Comprehensive Portfolio - about a month before graduation - your advisor's responsibility

  • The University Bookstore is in charge of caps and gowns

  • Be sure to apply for your Advanced "M" teaching license through the TEAL Office

 

 

 

 

Registration Tips

  • Schedule of courses

  • Online registration assistance

  • Contact your advisor before registration to make sure you're choosing the right course

  • Contact your advisor before registration to obtain any necessary permits or authorizations

  • Register as early as possible before all seats are taken

  • Check your online transcript after your register to make sure you completed the transaction

 

Registration Problems

  • Pay your tuition as soon as you register or by the deadline so that you will not be automatically dropped from the class

  • You may not receive a bill in the mail; be sure you check due dates and amounts in your online account

  • If you are dropped from the class for non-payment of tuition, contact your advisor or department chair for help with the special request process immediately.  You will not be able to re-enroll in a graduate course after the end of the drop-add period

  • If you cannot register online, contact your advisor for assistance

 

Special Requests and Appeals

 

 

 

 

Applying for Standard Professional I licensure

  • Your advisor and the supervisor of your student teaching internship will help you with the licensure application process.

  • The TEAL offices processes applications for the Standard Professional I license.

  • The more complete your application packet, the faster your licensure application can be submitted through the TEAL Office to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). 

  • In times of high volume, it may take the TEAL Office 3-4 weeks to send your licensure application to DPI.  It may take DPI 4-6 weeks to send the licensure to you.

  • The licensure application is available online.

  • If you have problems, contact the TEAL Office for help:  704-687-8725.

Praxis II requirements for the Standard Professional I license:  www.ets.org/praxis/index.html  

  • If you are in doubt about which Praxis Specialty Area examination to take at the end of the Graduate Certificate in Teaching or Phase I of the M.A.T., please contact the Office of Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEAL) at 704-687-8725. 
  • You must pass the Praxis II Specialty Area examination required for licensure if any of the following statements are true for you:
    • Your licensure field is elementary education or special education.
    • You completed the Graduate Certificate or Phase I or the MAT in any other field with fewer than 24 hours in your specific content area, e.g., Teaching English as a Second Language
    • You are currently a lateral entry teacher or you have held a lateral entry license at any time in the past.

Technology requirements for the Standard Professional I license   http://education.uncc.edu/eportfolio/

  • The state of North Carolina requires that all candidates for initial licensure demonstrate certain advanced technology competencies via a portfolio of artifacts completed in courses and the student teaching internship.
  • Your licensure application will contain a form with faculty and supervisor signatures about the completion of technology requirements.

 

Applying for Advanced "M" licensure at the completion of the M.A.T.

  • The TEAL Office processes applications for the advanced license.

  • The licensure application is available online.

  • In times of high volume, it may take the Registrar's Office up to a month after the commencement ceremony to post a graduation date to your transcript.  Therefore, it may take the TEAL Office 4-5 weeks to send your licensure application to DPI.   It may take DPI 4-6 weeks to send the licensure to you.

  • If you have problems, contact the TEAL Office for help:  704-687-8725.

 

 

 

Organizational details

 

Advising

  • You will be assigned an academic advisor once you are admitted to the M.A.T. or Graduate Certificate in Teaching.  Your letter of acceptance from the Graduate School will give you a faculty contact who will either serve as your advisor or assign your advisor.

  • At least once a semester, you should contact your advisor by email, telephone, or appointment to make sure you are on track.

  • If you don't know who your advisor is, contact the department of your licensure program.  Details here

 

Number of credit hours

  • Master of Arts in Teaching:      39  

  • Graduate Certificate in Teaching:     18 - 27, depending on licensure area.

  • There may be additional requirements for background content courses in your licensure area for either M.A.T. or the Graduate Certificate in Teaching. 

 

Time to completion 

  • M.A.T. requirements must be completed within a six-year time span.

  • Graduate Certificate requirements must be completed within a four-year time span.

  • Most candidates will take about 3-4 semesters to complete the Graduate Certificate in Teaching (18-27 hours)

  • Most candidates will take about 3-4 years to complete the entire M.A.T. program as a part-time student while teaching. 

    •  Phase One of the M.A.T. (18-27 hours, depending on the licensure field) leads to the Standard Professional I license and will take most people 3 - 4 semesters to complete. 

    • Movement from Phase One to Phase Two requires full time employment as a K-12 teacher in your area of licensure.

    • Most candidates will complete this Phase II more slowly because of the research, teaching expertise, and leadership requirements.

  • Lateral entry teachers must complete all licensure requirements within 3 years of the date of hiring.

     

Scheduling

  • Evenings and summers to accommodate working adults, with a growing number of online courses.  See https://selfservice.uncc.edu/pls/BANPROD/bwckschd.p_disp_dyn_sched to see course schedules for each term. 

  • Most students will enroll on a part-time basis. 

  • Candidates who are not teaching must have some daytime flexibility, because most 3-hour courses will each require 30-40 contact hours for conducting classroom-based activities in K-12 school settings. 

  • Lateral entry teachers will be able to complete many, but not all, of their clinical requirements in their own classrooms if they are teaching in the field of desired licensure.

 

Registration

  • Most teacher education courses are restricted and require departmental permits before registration.  If you have been admitted to the Graduate Certificate or M.A.T. and cannot register without a permit, please contact your advisor.

  • We are working with the new campus information and computing system, called "Banner," to make registration easier for students in the Graduate Certificate or M.A.T. 

 

Cost

 

Financial Aid

 

 

Terminology

 

What are the general similarities and differences between a Graduate Certificate program and a Master's program? 

  • Both are recognized graduate programs where students can access graduate levels of financial aid.

  • A Graduate Certificate honors a specific program of study, but does not lead to a degree.

  • A Graduate Certificate program does not require an entrance exam.

  • For a student admitted later to a master's program in the same area as the Graduate Certificate, the graduate courses taken during study for the Graduate Certificate may be applied to the master's program.

  • The Graduate School allows four years for completion of a Graduate Certificate and six years for completion of a master's degree.

 

 

What are the specific differences between the Graduate Certificate in Teaching and the Master of Arts in Teaching?

  • Entrance criteria

 There are more stringent criteria  for admission to the M.A.T.

 

  • Completion requirements and results:

Ø      School placement: 

    • The Graduate Certificate and Phase One of the M.A.T. both require a minimum of 30-40 school-based clinical activity hours per semester in a 3-hour course and, as the final requirement, a full-time internship for one semester.
    • Candidates entering Phase Two of the M.A.T. must be teaching in their licensure field in order to fulfill requirements of classroom research, pedagogical expertise, and teacher leadership.

Ø      GPA: 

    • Both the M.A.T. and the Graduate Certificate require a minimum GPA of 3.0 with no more than 2 C's in all graduate work
    • Both the M.A.T. and the Graduate Certificate require a minimum GPA of 2.5 on the background requirements, with no grades lower than C.

Ø      Tests for licensure: 

    • Licensure in Elementary Education and Special Education requires passing Praxis II Specialty Area examinations. 
    • The Praxis II exams are also required for students in other fields if (1) they have ever been a lateral entry teacher and/or (2) if they have fewer than 24 hours in their content major. 

Ø      Completion projects:

  • The Graduate Certificate and Phase I of the M.A.T. both require a technology portfolio and a program completion project
  • Completion of the M.A.T. requires Capstone Project, typically a Master’s Research Project or Master’s Comprehensive Portfolio.

Ø      Licensure and salary. 

    • Completion of the Graduate Certificate in Teaching or Phase One of the M.A.T. leads to the Standard Professional I teaching  license and a salary based on teaching or related work experience, plus the possibility of local supplements, as well as signing or other bonuses.
    • Completion of Two of the M.A.T. leads to the advanced “M” license and a 10% pay raise.

 

What does the term “background requirements” mean?

  • Candidates seeking licensure in any area except Birth-Kindergarten Education, Elementary Education, or Special Education must demonstrate sufficient background knowledge and competency in their subject area.  Candidates will typically satisfy any deficiencies in background requirements through undergraduate coursework or the credit-by-exam process.

 

 

What’s the difference between the M.A.T. and a traditional M.Ed. or M.A.?

 

Ø   The traditional M.Ed. and M.A. programs are designed for fully licensed, experienced teachers pursuing additional professional development in the same field or fields for which any Standard Professional I license and teaching experience provides adequate background.  (e.g., ELED to ELED, MDLG to MDLG, or ELED to READ)

 

Ø   The M.A.T. is designed for three kinds of adults:  (1)  those who wish to change professions and enter teaching, (2) those who are already lateral entry teachers and need to earn the Standard Professional I teaching license, and (3) those who wish to change teaching fields (for example, from high school biology to elementary education).

Ø   Both kinds of master’s programs lead to the advanced “M” license and the 10% pay raise as long as you are teaching in the field of your master’s degree.

 

 

What’s the difference between the Standard Professional I license and the “M” license?

 

Ø   The Standard Professional I license recognizes the successful completion of an approved teacher preparation program and, if required, the appropriate Praxis II Specialty Area examination.   It is a statewide prerequisite for working toward the “M” license in North Carolina.

 

Ø   The advanced “M” license recognizes the completion of a state-approved master’s program in a specific field of teacher education that involved demonstration of advanced competencies in pedagogy, research, and leadership.  While teaching in field, teachers receive a 10% pay raise with this license to recognize their accomplishments.