Academic Programs - Early Childhood Education
The Master of Arts in Teaching: Early Childhood (Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5–ECCO)
The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program is intended for individuals who hold a bachelors degree and wish to gain teaching certification while working on a master’s degree.
The early childhood certification option (ECCO) in the MAT program is designed for candidates seeking initial certification to teach children in prekindergarten to grade 5. Candidates in ECCO are recommended for T4 certification after they successfully complete student teaching and submit a certification portfolio that is approved by the ECCO faculty. To obtain T4 certification, candidates must pass the appropriate GACE tests and submit an application for certification to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
The final course in ECCO is an induction experience designed to support candidates as they make the transition into their first positions as certified teachers. Upon completion of the induction experience and the MAT degree, candidates are eligible for the T5 certification.
This is a non-cohort program that can be completed either part-time or full-time, though it does include one semester of full-time student teaching. New students are admitted once a year and begin the program in the Maymester session. Most required courses are offered only on the Athens campus.
