About Elementary & Social Studies Education
Scholarships. Assistantships, and Other Support for Students
Information for Graduate Students
The Master of Arts in Teaching: Social Studies Education
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 MAT in Social Studies Education culminates in a recommendation for initial certification in one of the four primary social studies content areas (history, economics, geography, political science) in grades 6-12.
This is not a cohort program. Individuals may begin the program in any semester and proceed through it at their own pace, either part-time or full-time. The only exception is during the fall semester when they take the methods-curriculum-practicum block and the following spring semester when they take student teaching and its related seminar. Those two semesters require full-time study.
Typically, the MAT is earned after 57 hours. Individual programs of study may be shorter if an individual took courses as an undergraduate that count toward certification. Those might include courses in educational psychology, social foundations of education, and social science content-area courses. Requirements that may be waived will be determined by the academic advisor.
The MAT in Social Studies education is most appropriate for those who hold undergraduate degrees in a social studies content area: history, economics, political science, or geography. Those without an undergraduate major in one of those content areas can be considered for admission to the MAT, but will need to complete 24 semester hours in the content areas (3000-level and higher courses) beyond the requirements for the MAT. Content area courses taken while an undergraduate can be included in those 24 semester hours. Some of the elective courses in the MAT may count toward those 24 semester hours.
Program Planning and Advisement
MAT in Social Studies Education Program of Study
The Master of Arts in Teaching: Social Studies Education
Admissions Guidelines
Applications are reviewed each Spring semester for admission into the following Summer or Fall semester. All applications are due by the third Friday in January of each year.
Prospective candidates for the MAT in Social Studies Education must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. An applicant's cumulative grade point for all undergraduate courses must be 2.8 or above on a four-point scale. Before admission, applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a minimum score of 800 total on the verbal and quantitative portions and 4.0 on the analytical writing portion.
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The Master of Arts in Teaching: Social Studies Education
Application Procedures
Applicants must submit to the Graduate School:
- The Graduate School application form
- Application fee
- Two official copies of transcripts from all institutions attended
- Official scores from GRE.
Send the completed supplemental application form to Graduate Coordinator, Department of Elementary and Social Studies Education, 629 Aderhold Hall, University of Georgia, Athens GA 30602.
The application form, information regarding the GRE, and other important information are all available at http://www.uga.edu/gradschool/admissions/requirements.html
The department also requires three letters of recommendation from individuals acquainted with the applicant’s academic abilities or potential as a teacher. At least one reference must be a current or former professor. Names of references must be included in the Graduate School application form, page 3. Letters will be solicited by the Graduate School and submitted on-line.
Finally, all applicants must complete and submit the Social Studies Education Supplemental Application.
When all of the application materials have been received, they are reviewed by the Social Studies Program faculty. The faculty makes a recommendation on the application to the Elementary and Social Studies Education Department's Graduate Coordinator who in turn makes a recommendation to the Graduate School. The final decision on admission is made by the Graduate School. Applicants and the department will receive notification directly from the Graduate School concerning a decision on acceptance.
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The Master of Arts in Teaching: Social Studies Education
Program Planning and Advisement
Upon acceptance into the MAT program, students will be assigned to a faculty member and academic advisor for advisement. In consultation with their assigned academic advisors, students plan a tentative program of study. A final program of study must be filed with the Graduate School no later than the first week of the semester in which thestudent plans to graduate. The faculty is responsible for providing academic advisement concerning appropriate course work on program requirements, but students are responsible for conforming to published policies and for carrying out procedural requirements such as filing appropriate forms in a timely manner.
The Master of Arts in Teaching: Social Studies Education
Program of Study for the MAT in Social Studies Education
Program Summary |
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| Educational Foundations | 6 Semester Hours (up to 3 hours of graduate-level coursework) |
Professional Block |
30 Semester Hours (9 hours of graduate-level coursework)) |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 9-12 Semester Hours (all graduate-level coursework) |
| Research | 3 Semester Hours (all graduate-level coursework) |
| Electives | 9-12 Semester Hours (all graduate-level coursework) |
| Total Hours | 57 Semester Hours, 36 of which will be graduate-level coursework |
Graduate-level coursework includes all courses at the 6000-level and above, unless designated as not carrying graduate credit.
Students without at least 24 semester hours of undergraduate credit (3000-level and above) in one social science discipline must take further coursework to achieve that 24 semester hours, plus 12 additional hours in at least 2 other social sciences (this can include sociology, psychology, anthropology as well as the four primary content areas).
Courses with an asterisk (*) are required for certification but do not count toward the master’s degree except for the ESPY or EFND electives; those electives may be either undergraduate or graduate, but only a graduate elective counts toward the degree.
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Educational Foundations: (6 hours)
*ESPY or EFND elective (3 semester hours).
*SPED 2000 (3 semester hours) - Survey of Special Education (or equivalent)
Professional Block (30 hours total; 9 hours apply to degree)
ESOC 6350 Social Studies Curriculum in Secondary Schools (3 credit hours)
ESOC 6360 Methods of Teaching Social Studies in Secondary Schools (3 credit hours)
*ESOC 4450L Senior Field Experience in Social Studies Education (3 credit hours)
*ESOC 7460 Student Teaching in Social Studies Education (15 credit hours; does not carry graduate credit)
ESOC 7560 Student Teaching Seminar (3 credit hours)
Curriculum and Instruction (9-12 hours)
Required Courses:
ESOC 7050 Problems of Teaching Secondary Social Studies (3 credit hours)
ESOC 7080 Curriculum Planning in Social Sciences (3 credit hours)Recommended Elective Courses:
ESOC 6100 Teaching United States History (3 credit hours)
ESOC 6380 Computer Technology Applications in Social Science Education (3 credit hours)
ESOC 6400 Teaching Social Studies in the Middle Grades (3 credit hours)
ESOC 7010 Teaching of Geography (3 credit hours)
ESOC 7200 Economic Education in the Social Science Curriculum (3 credit hours)
ESOC 7250 Simulations and Role Playing in the Social Studies (3 credit hours)
ESOC 7420 Social Studies for the Young Child (3 credit hours)
ESOC 7520 Teaching Politics, Government, and Citizenship (3 credit hours)
ESOC 8010 History of Social Studies Education (3 credit hours)
ESOC 8250 Values Education for Citizenship (3 credit hours)
Or Approved Substitute Course(s)
Research (3 hours)
Required Courses:
ESOC 6990 Research Seminar in Social Studies Education (3 credit hours)
Or Approved Substitute Course(s)
Content area electives (9-12 hours)
6000-level and higher electives in HIST, ECON, GEOG, or POLS
ESOC 6150 may be substituted for 1 HIST content course
ESOC 7010 may be substituted for 1 GEOG content course
ESOC 7520 may be substituted for 1 POLS content course
ESOC 7200 may be substituted for 1 ECON content course
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