Master of Arts in Teaching - Early Childhood Education Program

Admission Information

Deadline for spring semester is December 1st

Deadline for fall semester is July 1st

Application forms are available for download or by calling 404.364.8307 or 404.364.8312. The fax number for MAT admission is 404.364.8491.

To be admitted to the graduate program, applicants must meet the following admission criteria:

1. Completion of a bachelor's degree at a regionally accredited institution. Oglethorpe undergraduate students may be able to "bridge" into the Master of Arts in Teaching - Early Childhood Education Program in the final semester of their senior year.
    
2. A minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 2.8 from all college work.
    
3. Co requisites as follows:
       · two courses in humanities (including English composition)
       · two courses in social studies
       · two courses in mathematics
       · two courses in laboratory science
       · two courses in the arts
       · EDU 101 Introduction to Education, or equivalent
       · EDU 201 Educational Psychology, or equivalent
       · EDU 401 The Exceptional Child, or equivalent
       · PSY 201 Child and Adolescent Psychology, or equivalent
    
4. A passing score on all sections (reading, writing, and mathematics) of the GACE Basic Skills Assessment developed and administered by National Evaluation Systems, Inc. For registration information, see www.gace.nesic.com.
    Applicants are exempt from this requirement if they have earned qualifying scores on any of these tests:
      · SAT total score 1000 (the composite score is obtained by adding the Verbal and the Math scores).
      · ACT total score 43 (the composite score is obtained by adding the English and Math scores).
      · GRE total score 1030 (the composite score is obtained by adding the Verbal and Quantitative scores).
    
5. A combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE, or a combination of a 3.0 GPA and 950 GRE, or 3.2 GPA and 900 GRE.
    
6. A 500- to 1000-word written statement describing experiences in working with children or youth as, for example, a tutor, camp counselor, day care worker, church school teacher, substitute teacher, or volunteer working with children.
    
7. Three letters of recommendation, including one from a faculty advisor, one from another university professor, and one from a supervisor in a work or volunteer setting.

Note: Admission to the graduate program does not imply acceptance as a candidate for the master's degree. See Admission to Candidacy below.
 

Program Completion Requirements

Candidates for the degree and initial certification must meet the following requirements:

1. Maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher for all work taken at Oglethorpe.
    
2. Complete all courses in the Master of Arts in Teaching - Early Childhood Education Program (48 semester hours) with a grade of "C" or higher.
    
3. Complete 50 hours of field experience during fall and spring enrollment in the program and a semester-long student teaching experience - EDU 619 Student Teaching and Capstone Seminar.
    
4. Pass the appropriate GACE content assessment test prior to enrolling for EDU 619 Student Teaching and Capstone Seminar.
    
5. Complete EDU 619 Student Teaching and Capstone Seminar successfully. In order to enroll, students must show proof of liability insurance and sign the "Personal Affirmation," affirming their legal status and giving the Georgia Professional Standards Commission the right to perform a background check, if required. Student teaching placement in some school districts may also require a background check and/or fingerprinting.
    
6. Compile and successfully present an electronic professional portfolio. In this portfolio, candidates must demonstrate their knowledge base for each of the 10 INTASC standards.

Admission to Candidacy

Graduate students must be admitted to candidacy before enrolling for EDU 619 Student Teaching and Capstone Seminar. The candidacy application must be filed with the Chair of the Division of Education. Admission to candidacy may be given or denied following a careful review of all work of the student, including participation in field experience. Notice of action taken on the candidacy application will be given in writing to the student.

Residence

At least 30 semester hours of graduate work must be completed at Oglethorpe University.

Transfer Credit

The Master of Arts in Teaching - Early Childhood Education Program at Oglethorpe is unique in both conception and implementation. For this reason, only limited transfer credit is possible. A maximum of six semester hours of credit may be transferred from another accredited graduate institution subject to the following conditions:

1. Transfer credit may be awarded for courses that are comparable to Cultural Psychology and Assessing Teaching and Learning. Transfer credit cannot be accepted for other courses.
    
2. Determination of transfer credit is made by the Chair of the Division of Education in consultation with the student's advisor and the faculty member who teaches that course. The student must present a catalog course description for the requested course. Work already applied toward another degree cannot be accepted.
    
3. Work must have been completed within the previous six years and must have been applicable toward a graduate degree at the institution where the credit was earned.
    
4. Acceptance of transfer credit does not reduce the residency requirement.
    
5. An official transcript showing the credits to be transferred must be on file in the Registrar's Office. A copy of the transcript should be attached to the request.
    
6. Under no circumstances may credit earned through correspondence or online courses be applied toward satisfaction of graduate degree requirements.
    

Advisement and Registration

Upon admission to the graduate program, each student is assigned to a member of the faculty of the Division of Education who serves as advisor to guide the student in planning the program of study. Registration dates for each semester are listed in the Academic Calendar in the Bulletin. Pre-registration occurs in November for the spring semester and in April for the summer and fall semesters. Students must meet with their advisors to plan for registration for courses.

Course Load

A full-time course load for graduate students is 12 semester hours or three courses.

Tuition and Fees

An application fee (non-refundable) of $40 must accompany the application. Tuition is charged on a per-course basis. All fees are subject to change. Please direct inquiries regarding current fees to the Business Office. An application for degree must be made by mid-October in the Registrar's Office prior to completion of degree requirements the following December, May, or August, at which time an $100 degree completion fee is due.

Academic Standards

Candidates for the master's degree must meet the following academic standards:

1. The student's overall grade-point average for work in the graduate program must be 3.0 or higher.
    
2. If in any case the candidate fails to maintain satisfactory academic and professional standards, a review by the Teacher Education Council will determine the student's continuation in the program.
    
3. Any student who falls below a 3.0 grade-point average or has a total of two course grades of "C" or below will be placed on academic probation. A student who received a third grade of "C" or less or who does not achieve a 3.0 grade-point average upon completion of three additional graduate courses will be dismissed from the program.

Oglethorpe University offers an initial teacher certification program in Early Childhood Education.  In 2000-2001, 100% of Oglethorpe's program completers passed the relevant Praxis II tests.