Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Middle Grades Education
Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Middle Grades Education
I have long believed that teaching is a transformative force—perhaps especially in the middle grades, where young adolescents are full of promise and possibility. Preparing educators to serve these students with empathy, equity, and intellectual care is at the heart of my work.
Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
Overview
Have you decided that you want to pursue a teaching career after completing another degree?
If so, our Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree in Middle Grades Education is for you! 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).
Highlights
Ranked #11 Best Online Master’s Degree Program in Curriculum & Instruction by US News & World Report.
Superb faculty knowledgeable in quality online learning
Designed with working adults in mind
Online classes with low professor-to-student ratios
Certification spans 4th through 8th grades
Highly marketable certification area
Accreditations
The University of Georgia is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees. The University of Georgia also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of the University of Georgia may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Admissions
Admission Requirements
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.
Online Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Middle Grades Education Application Checklist
- Application – Submit the Graduate School Admissions online. Application fee: $75 Domestic/$100 International.
- Select Campus – Online
- Select Degree Level – Masters
- Select Intended Program – MAT, Middle Grades Education (Educational Theory and Pract) [MAT_MGED_ONL]
- Select Intended Term – Summer, Fall
- Résumé – Submit online to the Graduate School. Your resumé should include the names and contact information of three references who can speak to your potential for success in the program. Here is an example resume template that may be used, but no particular format is required.
- Statement of Purpose – Submit a one-two page statement of purpose online to the Graduate School. The statement of purpose should address these prompts: (1) Introduce yourself. Tell us who you are, what brings you joy, and why you are interested in teaching in the middle grades. (2) Tell us about a powerful learning experience you had. What made this powerful? (This can be an experience you had in or outside of a school setting.)
- Transcripts – Submit unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended as part of the online application. Send official transcripts after you are offered admission.
Applicants will have their transcripts evaluated as part of the application process with regard to courses related to the chosen content area emphasis. The licensing agency for teacher education, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC), requires middle grades teacher candidates to have 15 content hours above the core level in each content area discipline of certification. Three content-area courses in the M.A.T. program will be credited towards meeting the 15 credit hours content requirements. If admitted, students will work with their faculty advisor to craft their programs of study to ensure that students meet the GaPSC requirements for coursework in the selected content area.
Application Deadlines
Domestic Applicants
- Summer: May 1
- Fall: July 1
International Applicants
- Summer: March 1
- Fall: April 15
TOEFL: International applicants will also need to score a minimum of 20 points each on the Speaking and Writing sections of the TOEFL, with an overall minimum score of 80. Test scores must be within 5 years from the date of application.
Cost
Tuition rates and student fees can change each year.
Based on 2024 credit hour cost, a person completing this program at the recommended pace would have paid $ 15,372 in tuition for an in-state resident and $ 42,552 in tuition for an out-of-state student.
Please use the Estimated Cost Calculator on the Bursar’s Office website to calculate one academic (Fall/Spring) year’s current tuition.
Online students pay the following fees: Connect UGA, Green, and Technology. The total for those fees in the fall semester of 2024 was $411 for students enrolled in exclusively online courses.
Other Online Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Middle Grades Education Degree Costs
Additional costs may include:
- Textbooks
- Exam proctoring fees
- Technology upgrades
Financial Aid
Visit the Office of Student Financial Aid for information about financial assistance.
Corporate Assistance
Consult your employer about the availability of tuition reimbursement or tuition assistance programs.
Military Assistance
Active-duty military, veterans, and military families should visit Veterans Educational Benefits to take full advantage of available financial assistance and educational benefits.
University System of Georgia Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
The purpose of TAP is to foster the professional growth and development of eligible employees. For more information, see Tuition Assistance (refer to the Distance Learning section).
Technology Requirements
- Computer with current operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux). Additional peripherals such as webcam, headphones, and microphone are required.
- High-speed internet access.
Curriculum
The program of study requires a minimum of 36 credit hours of coursework, typically two courses per semester. This does not include any prerequisite content area courses.
Coursework includes community contexts in middle grades education, curriculum design, instructional methods, assessment, content pedagogy, culturally responsive classroom management, content-area literacy, inclusion of students with special needs, and strategies for supporting English learners. Students will complete two field experiences and a semester-long internship either through job-embedded placements for those currently working in schools or through school placements arranged through the program. All field experience requirements for the M.A.T. program must be completed in the state of Georgia.
UGA students in the Middle Grades M.A.T. Online program will be immersed in topics and experiences, such as
- developing an understanding of middle grades students’ communities and cultural contexts and how we can bring those community and cultural assets into our curriculum and instruction
- examining how youth, educators, and schools are always connected to and impacted by a larger network of systems;
- designing engaging curriculum and instructional practices that are equitable and accessible for all students; and
- assessing and responding to middle grades students’ learning needs.
These academic experiences will draw on teacher candidates’ work in their placement classrooms and vice versa for a complete experience.
MIDDLE GRADES EDUCATION PROGRAM Online Master of Arts in Teaching in Middle Grades Education in a Content Area (grades 4-8) Certification
| Course | Title | Credit Hours |
| EDMG 7010E | Community Contexts in Middle Grades Education | 3 |
| EDMG 7020E | Educating Young Adolescents | 3 |
| EDMG 7020L | Educating Young Adolescents Laboratory | 1 |
| EDMG 7035E | The Middle Grades Curriculum | 3 |
| EDMG 7035L | Middle Grades Curriculum Laboratory | 1-3 |
| EDMG 7040E | Teaching in the Middle Grades | 3 |
| EDMG 7460 | Student Teaching in the Middle Grades | 1-3 |
| EDSE 6030E | Inclusion of Students with Special Needs: Grades 6-12 | 3 |
| ETAP 7610E | Classroom Management in Culturally Responsive Classrooms | 3 |
| LLED 6060E | Content Area Literacies | 3 |
| LLED 7630E | ESOL Grades P-12 | 3 |
| Content Area | Content Area Course #1 (LLED, EMAT, ESCI or ESOC) | 3 |
| Content Area | Content Area Course #2 (LLED, EMAT, ESCI or ESOC) | 3 |
| Content Area | Content Area Course #3 (LLED, EMAT, ESCI or ESOC) | 3 |
| Total | 36 |
**M.A.T. students are required to have a Pre-Service Certificate issued prior to beginning any placement in a classroom with children/youth.
For this M.A.T. program, students must have a Pre-Service Certificate by August 31st of the first year in the program.
See this page for more information about how to obtain a Pre-Service Certificate.
Licensure
Students will earn a master’s degree and be eligible for a Georgia teacher certification in middle grades education. Students will earn a master’s degree and be eligible for a T-5 Georgia teacher certification in middle grades education. This program is designed to enable you to practice in a licensed profession through initial certification in the state of Georgia. If you apply to this program from a state outside of Georgia with the plan to work in Georgia, you will be given the opportunity to attest to that intention when you apply.
An enrollment coach will contact you to determine your circumstances and ensure that this program will be effective for you.
Additional information and disclosures regarding state licensure for professional practice in this field can be found at the UGA Licensure Disclosure Portal.
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