The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is
available for adults holding a baccalaureate degree in a
field other than education. The purpose of the initial
certification program is to prepare graduate students to
become well-qualified teachers by their completion of one
of our State-approved education programs. Students may
select from among the following programs:
- early childhood
- elementary
- mental disabilities
- learning disabilities
- and secondary
(biology, chemistry, English,
mathematics, social sciences).
From the beginning, the idea behind the
M.A.T. program was to provide an avenue for bright, well-educated college graduates—many of whom may have come late to a decision to teach—to become classroom teachers.
 In some cases,
M.A.T. students may need to complete one or more undergraduate courses as part of the program, but the great majority of courses will work both toward state certification and the master’s degree.
Each
M.A.T. program area requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of work at the graduate level; however, some programs (such as elementary and special education) have additional courses in order to meet all state certification requirements.
Programs are approved by the South Carolina State
Department of Education and enjoy certification
reciprocity with many other states. (Read
about the NCATE accreditation process.)
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