Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education (Birth Through Kindergarten/Preschool Special Education)

The MAT in Special Education leads to initial certification for students who hold undergraduate degrees in other fields and who do not hold a teaching certification. Students must develop both initial and advanced skills prior to certification.The program of study includes co-requisites coursework and practicum experiences. All master's degree students in special education also complete applied research as a requirement for their degree.

Prepare to work with children birth through age 5 both with and without disabilities. The birth through kindergarten/preschool special education emphasis promotes developmentally appropriate inclusive and collaborative teaching practices. Our graduates specialize in providing engaging instruction and support to young children and their families. The special education program recommends to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission that a graduate be awarded a clear renewable teaching certificate in birth through kindergarten and preschool special education.

Training in this program prepares pre-service teachers to teach in inclusive early learning, preschool, prekindergarten, and kindergarten programs, along with early intervention (0-3) and preschool intervention (3-5) programs.

The minimum 36 hours of coursework includes required courses and applied research individualized to the student's career objectives. This allows students to gain advanced knowledge and skills in various special education topic areas and across the lifespan.

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 2.7 for all courses taken.

TOEFL: Foreign 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.

The state of Georgia now requires that all teacher prep candidates either pass the GACE Program Admission Assessment or exempt it (1000 Verbal + Math SAT, 43 English + Math ACT or 297 Verbal + Quantitative GRE) before they can be accepted into programs. The state also 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.

In the Graduate School application, students should upload the following items:

Statement of purpose: Please submit a two page, single-spaced statement of purpose, outlining your teaching philosophy, experience and career goals, as well as answering the following questions:
What types of disabilities do you have experience with and envision yourself working with?
In what setting would you like to work (e.g., school, clinic, home-based)?
What is your primary age/grade of interest?

Resume
The state of Georgia also now requires that all teacher prep candidates either pass the GACE Program Admission Assessment or exempt it (1000 Verbal + Math SAT, 43 English + Math ACT, or 297 Verbal + Quantitative GRE) before they can be accepted into programs. The state also requires that all candidates have a minimum 2.5 GPA on undergraduate or previous graduate work. Visit the GAPSC website for more details.

Applicants will be admitted based on the faculty's evaluation of undergraduate GPA, GRE/MAT (and TOEFL where relevant) scores, quality of essay, letters of recommendations, and resume.

Minimum TOEFL score requirement: overall score of 80 with at least 20 on speaking and writing
Minimum IELTS score requirement: overall band-width of 6.5, with no single band (score) below 6.0