About the Degree
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Special Education
(Initial Certification)

The Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education is designed for individuals seeking Georgia teaching certification as a special education teacher. The program is suitable for individuals with an undergraduate major in any discipline.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) is designed for individuals with an undergraduate degree who wish to secure initial teacher certification while earning a graduate degree. The MAT also is for individuals who hold a teaching certificate and wish to change certification fields, thereby requiring initial certification in the new field.

Required courses

The program of study consists of 11 required courses totaling 34 semester hours. These courses deliver an overall foundation for teaching, address the particular needs of early childhood students, emphasize appropriate subject matter and provide clinical experience through student teaching.

Professional Core Courses (15 hours)
EDUC 6000	Professional Orientation to Teaching	3
EEXE 6010	Technology for Special Education	3
EEXE 6025	Legal and Procedural Issues in Special Education	3
EEXE 6027	Disabilities That Impact Learning and Behavior	3
EEXE 6029	Brain Research and Educational Practice	3

Specialized Content Course (15 hours)
EEXE 6130	Assessment of the Exceptional Student	3
EEXE 6231	Language and Literacy Skills	3
EEXE 6232	Methods/Strategies Teaching Math/Content Areas	3
EEXE 6400	Collaboration, Inclusion and Transition Strategies	3
FOUN 6745	Classroom-Based Research (capstone)	3

Internship/Student Teaching (4 hours)
EEXE 6750	Graduate Internship	4

Total Hours: 34

A full-time, semester-long, field-based graduate internship is under the tutelage of a university supervisor. This internship cannot begin until all other required courses have been completed. Most courses are offered face-to-face at night and some courses are available online. Some courses require field experience. Not all courses are offered every semester. For example, the internship is offered only during the fall and spring semesters and during the day – when schools are in session. (Please check the Class Schedule Listing on the Armstrong Web site to see course information for the upcoming semester.)

Instructing students in the general education curriculum

Graduates of this program are prepared to teach exceptional students whose learning needs require an individualized education plan (IEP). Graduates will instruct these students in the general education curriculum using specialized strategies that prepare them to participate in the statewide assessment process required of all P-12 public school students in Georgia. The program is aligned with the teacher preparation standards of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the Georgia Framework for Educators.