The Master of Teaching degree (MAT) with an emphasis in General curriculum leads to initial certification for students who hold undergraduate degrees in other fields and who do not hold a teaching certification. These students must develop both initial and advanced skills prior to certification. The program of study for MAT students will include co-requisites coursework and practicum experiences. These courses must be completed at the University of Georgia or at another accredited college or university. They must be taken before completion of the program of study and in some cases before certain advanced courses that require them as prerequisites. All master students in special education also complete applied research as an exit criterion for their degree. MAT students are strongly encouraged to begin their course work the summer semester of the year they are admitted in the program. During the first summer semester students will begin the prerequisite course work that will allow them to enroll in advanced courses during fall and spring semesters.
An emphasis in General Curriculum is for individuals interested in teaching students with mild disabilities who are primarily following the general curriculum. Training in this emphasis area will prepare teachers to work in collaboration, inclusion or resource models. The special education students who are most frequently served in these settings will include those with behavior disorders (BD), learning disabilities, (LD), mild intellectual disabilities (MID), other health impaired (OHI), and some students with autism or Asperger’s (ASD or AS). Course work includes characteristics of these high-incidence disabilities, assessment, instructional and collaborative practices, and applied behavior analysis. Federal personnel preparation grants support training in autism spectrum disorders (COPPA, CAATT).