Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Middle Grades Education

Our M.A.T. program is designed for those who already have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than education and want to go back to school to earn a degree and become certified to teach grades 4-8.  The program provides rigorous preparation while also meeting the needs of working adults, including provisionally certified teachers, paraprofessionals, and those in other careers interested in becoming educators. You will move through the program in a cohort, providing a built-in professional learning community.

As one of the oldest middle grades-focused teacher certification programs in the country, the Middle Grades Education (EDMG) program at the University of Georgia is a longstanding leader in the field of middle grades education. Our faculty are committed to designing and enacting justice-oriented curriculum and instruction as we prepare master’s students to become middle grades teachers.

The M.A.T. requires 36 credit hours, typically two courses per semester. Students in our M.A.T. program choose one content areas from the following as the focus of their middle grades certification for grades 4-8:

• English language arts
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social studies

After successfully completing this two-year program, students will earn a master’s degree and be eligible for a Georgia teacher certification in middle grades education at Level 5 (T-5).

Students who meet all of the following requirements are eligible to apply:

Professional preparation: Earned, or will have earned, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution before the date of enrollment at the University of Georgia

GPA: Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.50 for all courses taken. Your application will still be considered if your cumulative undergraduate GPA is below 2.5. Please submit a request for more information if your GPA is below 2.5.

Georgia’s teacher certification agency, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC), requires that all candidates have a minimum 2.5 GPA on undergraduate or previous graduate work. Go to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission website for details.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Middle Grades Education program leads to Professional Licensure.

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. University of Georgia's Professional License Disclosure

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges