Master of Arts in Teaching

The online Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) is offered by Columbus State University, a fully accredited institution in the University System of Georgia. This program targets career changers who are interested in entering the teaching profession and who possess the prerequisite educational background in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or a related field. Teacher certification options available through this degree include Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Earth/Space Science with certification in grades 6-12 or Computer Science1 with certification in grades K-12.

Successful completion of the M.A.T. program and passing scores on the appropriate Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) basic skills, ethics, 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).

Admission Requirements

• Degree in closely related field or a minimum of 25 semester hours of approved coursework
• 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 score on the GACE Program Admission Tests [Reading (200), Mathematics (201), Writing (202)] or exemption through satisfactory scores on the SAT, ACT, or GRE

GACE Program Admission Test Exemption Scores

• SAT – 1000 (combination of Verbal and Math scores)
• ACT – 43 (combination of English and Math scores)
• GRE – Combined score of 1030 (Verbal and Quantitative) on tests taken before August 1, 2011 or combined score of 297 (Verbal and Quantitative) on tests taken after August 1, 2011

Additional Requirements

• ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Complete the Program Entry level (350) of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission’s Georgia Educator Ethics Assessment. Go to www.gace.ets.org/ethics for information and instructions. Select number 7 as your reason for testing. Please note: You must add Columbus State University as a score recipient in order for us to get your results!
• Passing scores on the GACE content examinations** required in the intended teacher certification field;
• Criminal Background Check - Students must submit a copy of their FBI background check results, a copy of their provisional teaching certificate showing background check, or a letter from their school on official school letterhead stating that they have undergone a background check as a condition of employment.
• An active Tk20 account is a required resource for this program because selected assignments must be submitted electronically using this online platform. Tk20 ( https://columbusstate.tk20.com... ) is used by the university to maintain our accreditation, to demonstrate the quality of our academic programs, and to improve teaching and learning.
• Completed application for admission to the Teacher Education Program. See https://cqtl.columbusstate.edu... for additional information.
• Suitability for teaching as determined through the admissions process.

*If an individual passed all three parts of the Praxis I or posted a composite score of 526 on the three tests prior to March 5, 2007, he or she is exempt from the GACE Program Admission Tests.

Not all programs are available to residents in all states. Please check the institution's State Authorization and Professional Licensure website(s) to ensure you reside in an authorized state.