Middle Grades Education, M.A.T.

Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Kathleen Roney

Admission Requirements

To ensure that prospective teachers applying to the M.A.T program offered by the Watson School of Education know the content they will be teaching, applicants seeking admission to the M.A.T program in middle grades education are required to submit the following to the Graduate School:

An application for graduate admission
Official copies of transcripts of college work (graduate and undergraduate)
Official scores on Miller Analogies Test or Graduate Record Exam
Three recommendations by individuals in relevant professional fields
In addition to materials required as part of the Graduate School application process, a letter of interest describing commitment to the teaching profession, prior experiences working with young adolescents, prior experiences in middle level schools, and philosophy of teaching and learning
A passing score on a discipline-specific PRAXIS II exam as approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) in the applicant‘s desired concentration area. The PRAXIS II test numbers and passing scores are listed in the table below:

Discipline	Praxis II Test Number	Passing Score
Language Arts	0049 Middle School Language Arts	145
Mathematics	0069 Middle School Mathematics	141
Science	0439 Middle School Science	134
Social Studies	0089 Middle School Social Studies	149

Candidates for the M.A.T program are strongly urged to have teaching experience documented before they apply in order to be knowledgeable about education in middle level schools and working with young adolescents. Such experience may include substitute teaching, part-time teaching, or volunteer work. A score of 400 on the Miller Analogies Test (or a 1000 combined score on the GRE Verbal and Quantitative sections) and an undergraduate grade average of “B” (GPA = 3.0) are minimum requirements for graduate admission. However, admissions decisions are based upon several factors, and where other indicators of success warrant, individuals who fall below the established criterion in one of the areas may be considered for admission.

A bachelor‘s degree must be completed before graduate study begins. The admissions process for this program may require an interview. Final selection will be based upon consideration of academic record, test scores, writing samples, recommendations, and possible interview performance.

APPLICATION DEADLINES: June 15th for fall admission, October 15th for spring, March 15th for summer.

NOTE: Licensure requirements change and requirements must be adjusted to accommodate new mandated competencies and guidelines.

Degree Requirements

The program leading to the Master of Arts degree (M.A.T.) in middle grades education seeks to prepare candidates for teaching young adolescents and addresses the North Carolina professional teaching standards, the masters/advanced competencies which include standards in instructional expertise, knowledge of learners, research expertise, connecting subject matter and learners, and professional development and leadership, as well as the North Carolina standards for middle school teachers. In addition, the program addresses the National Middle School Association‘s (NMSA) programmatic standards for initial teacher preparation. Finally, the program incorporates the conceptual framework which is common to all teacher education programs at UNCW: The Watson School of Education develops highly competent professionals to serve in educational leadership roles.

In order to better address candidates‘ needs the program is divided into two phases:

Phase I – Leads to the Standard Professional I license (22 hours)

This phase includes courses necessary to meet initial licensure standards. All courses with the LIC prefix in this phase offer parallel graduate sections for existing undergraduate courses. The graduate sections incorporate a level of critical analysis appropriate for an advanced degree. In order to accomplish this level of critical analysis, graduate students complete additional assignments that engage them in research and critical thinking. They are also expected to take on leadership roles in the program. A semester long internship (6 hours) culminates phase I.

EDL 520 - Instructional Development for School Leaders Credits: (3)
LIC 552 - Literacy Integration in the Middle Grades 6-9 Credits: (3)
LIC 553 - Advanced Thematic Unit Lab Credits: (1)
LIC 518 - Advanced Middle Grades Education Credits: (3)
LIC 520 - Advanced Diverse Learners, 6-9 Credits: (3)

Select one of the following methods courses (3 semester hours)

LIC 523 - Advanced Mathematics Methods, 6-9 Credits: (3)
LIC 535 - Advanced Social Studies Methods, 6-9 Credits: (3)
LIC 538 - Advanced Science Methods, 6-9 Credits: (3)
LIC 555 - Advanced Language Arts Methods, 6-9 Credits: (3)
LIC 511 - Middle Grades Internship Credits: (6)

Phase II – Leads to the Master of Arts in Teaching and (“M”) licensure (minimum 15 hours)

The courses in this phase focus on advanced professional understandings, content specialty areas, and adding a focus area. The three focus strands (Technology, English as a Second Language, and International) offer candidates the opportunity for additional professional development in a high need area. The strands reflect state, national and international trends in education, thereby further facilitating candidates assuming leadership roles.

EDL 523 - Research in Education Credits: (3)
Additional 6 hours in content specialty area (approved by advisor)

Select 6 hours in one of the following additional focus areas or another area as approved by the program