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Science Education Master’s and Initial Certification FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about master’s degree programs and certification at the graduate level in Science Education
Please feel free to contact the Graduate Coordinator for Science Education Programs, Dr. Julie Kittleson, jkittl@uga.edu, or the M.A.T. Coordinator for Science Education, Dr. Georgia Hodges, galee@uga.edu, with any other questions or for clarifications of any of these answers.
What are the major differences between the M.Ed., M.A., and M.A.T. programs?
How long does it usually take to complete the program?
Can I complete a master’s degree part-time, while keeping my full-time teaching job?
Can I earn initial secondary science teacher certification as part of a master’s program?
What sources of financial aid are commonly available for master’s and/or certification programs?
Can I complete certification or a master’s degree largely or wholly online?
What are the basic procedures and requirements for application?
What are the minimum objective standards for admission?
What is the relationship between course requirements for certification and masters requirements?
Can I earn teacher certification on a non-degree basis?
What are the major differences between the M.Ed., M.A., and M.A.T. programs?
At a conceptual level, the M.Ed. is a professional degree meant to emphasize practical applications to science classroom teaching and curriculum issues, the M.A. is a research degree intended to accommodate students with a stronger interest in more abstract questions and issues, and the M.A.T. is specifically designed for those earning initial teacher certification as part of master’s work.
At a practical level, the primary differences between the first two programs lie in the nature of the “capstone” requirement (a Professional Portfolio for M.Ed. vs. an educational research thesis for M.A.) and the greater number of credit hours required for the M.Ed. (36, vs. 30 for the M.A.).
M.A.T. requirements total 48 hours, 36 that count towards degree requirements and 12 (the field experience-related component, the initial Practicum plus Student Teaching) that count only toward certification. Coursework required to earn certification on a non-degree basis totals 33 hours.
Important note: Due to recent changes in Georgia Professional Standards Commission regulations, the M.A. degree does not qualify students for a certification upgrade from T-4 to T-5 level in Secondary Science fields.
How long does it usually take to complete the program?
M.Ed. or M.A. requirements can potentially be completed in a 1 full-time year (typically including at least some Summer coursework in the case of the M.Ed.).
The vast majority of experienced teachers in our master’s programs, however, are studying on a part-time basis and typically take 2 to 3 years, taking only classes that meet in Summer Semester and in the evening hours during the academic year, to complete the program.
If teacher certification coursework is included in master’s degree work, the minimum total time required to complete the degree can be as little as 15 months (if the M.A.T. program is pursued full-time throughout, starting in the Summer Semester), or, in other cases, usually 2 to 3 years, depending on the intensity of part-time work after certification is achieved. The M.A.T. program requires enrollment for at least one full-time academic year semester, in order to complete the Student Teaching experience, and most M.A.T. students also study full-time, or nearly so, for the preceding semester (which includes the 9-hour Science Methods Block suite of courses).
Certification on a non-degree basis takes the equivalent of 2 full-time academic year semesters (one of coursework in Education and one of Student Teaching), which are most often done on a full-time basis (either Spring and the following Fall, or Fall and the following Spring).
Can I complete a master’s degree part-time, while keeping my full-time teaching job?
Yes. In fact, nearly all of our master’s students who are already fully certified teachers (typically in the M.Ed. program) are studying on this basis. All Science Education courses intended primarily for graduate students, and most others typically included in a master’s program, are scheduled either on weekday evenings during the Fall and Spring Semesters, or during the Summer Semester, so as not to conflict with the typical core schedule of practicing classroom teachers.
Note, however, that at UGA all graduate studies must be fairly continuous, and cannot, for instance, be pursued exclusively during the Summer Semester. The Graduate School’s Continuous Enrollment Policy requires enrollment for at least 3 credit hours of coursework during at least two of the three semesters (Fall, Spring, Summer) of each academic year cycle, until degree requirements are met.
Can I earn initial secondary science teacher certification as part of a master’s program?
Yes. This is the purpose of the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program. Certification can also be earned on a non-degree basis.
Please check the UGA Bursar’s Office site for specific and up-to-date information. At this writing, the standard graduate in-state tuition rate, which applies to M.Ed. and M.A. programs, was listed as $309 tuition per semester hour, while for M.A.T. students the rate is $354 per credit hour. All UGA students are also charged $1095 in miscellaneous fees per semester.
Out-of-state tuition rates are roughly 3 times higher. Upon moving from another state, in general one must live in Georgia for one full year as a non-student in order to establish legal residency and thus qualify for in-state tuition rates. If this issue is relevant it is advisable to check with the Bursar’s Office directly for details.
For full-time students, enrollment beyond 12 hours per semester does not incur extra tuition charges (in other words, enrollment for 15-18 hours of credit, which is common for M.A.T. students in their first two semesters or for non-degree certification students, requires paying for only 12 hours’ worth of tuition).
What sources of financial aid are commonly available for master’s and/or certification programs?
Unfortunately, relatively few.
Georgia’s former HOPE Teacher Scholarship Loan program, which was extremely popular with our master’s and certification students in the past, has been “on hiatus” since 2010, and realistically our faculty do not expect that future state budgets will reinstate its funding in the near future.
Occasionally, grant-funded programs provide financial aid aimed primarily at M.A.T. students. Recent examples about which current applicants may have heard include the Noyce Fellowship program (funded by the National Science Foundation) and the UGA-Clarke County Schools’ Teach to Learn program (funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s “Race to the Top” initiative), however neither of these programs are accepting applications at this time. Whenever such programs are available to UGA students, a call for applications/nominations will be prominently featured in multiple locations on this web site, as has been true in the past.
In rare circumstances, full-time M.Ed. or M.A. students in Science Education may be eligible for a Graduate Assistantship appointment, especially if they have a substantial record of full-time science teaching experience, although in nearly all years budget constraints make these positions open only to full-time doctoral students in our department. A very limited number of unusually highly qualified applicants who intend to be full-time students may be nominated by the Graduate Coordinator for competitive special assistantships funded directly by the Graduate School. Either form of Graduate Assistantship includes both a cash stipend and a tuition waiver. Miscellaneous fees must still be paid each semester by students with an assistantship appointment.
A limited number of unusually highly qualified students who are residents of other states may be nominated by the Graduate Coordinator for a Regents Out-of-State Tuition Waiver (ROOSTW) award, through which the Graduate School subsidizes the very substantial difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition rates for any of our graduate programs. ROOSTW awards usually must begin in Fall Semester. Nominations are usually made late in Spring Semester and are only accepted for applicants already admitted to the Graduate School and the program. Part-time students are eligible, although preference is customarily given to full-time students.
What background is expected for admission to science teacher certification programs as a graduate student?
It is not assumed that graduate students seeking certification have taken any previous education courses. Besides the minimum basic standards for admission to the UGA Graduate School, the most important requirement is a strong coursework background in one of the science fields that correspond to the initial Georgia Secondary Science teacher certification fields – Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Earth/Space Science. If you hold a bachelor’s or graduate degree with a major in one of these core science fields you should be sufficiently prepared.
If your academic background is in a science-related field (e.g., most commonly, Agricultural Sciences, Exercise Science, Allied Health Sciences), or especially if your undergraduate major was largely unrelated to science, you may be required to take one or more undergraduate-level science courses before starting the professional education course part of the program (ESCI 6450-6460). If you have little or no science course background, it is possible but potentially very time-consuming to do all of the necessary “makeup” science coursework. These requirements are considerably less extensive and specific than the science content coursework required of our undergraduate Science Education majors, who would be your academic peers in certification coursework and fieldwork.
Here are our guidelines. There are two routes to satisfying these prerequisites:
Option 1 (consistent with minimum Georgia Professional Standards Commission requirements)
A. Pass both parts of the Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE) test required for a specific Secondary Science field - Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Earth/Space Science (for which the applicable GACE is general Secondary Science)
B. Have at least 6 college courses in the same field in which you passed the GACE test, at least 4 of which are above the introductory level.
Option 2 (strongly recommended and preferred by our program):
Have taken a two-course introductory laboratory sequence in one of these basic science fields, plus specialized courses beyond the introductory level in each of the major subfields listed below:
Biology (4 of 5 required):
Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Genetics/Evolutionary Biology
Natural History/Ecology
Anatomy/Physiology
Cell Biology/Developmental BiologyChemistry (all 4 required):
Physical Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Biochemistry
Quantitative/Qualitative AnalysisPhysics (4 of 5 required):
Mechanics
Electromagnetism
Thermodynamics
Waves/Optics
Modern PhysicsEarth/Space Science (all 4 required):
Mineralogy/Earth Materials
Paleontology/Historical Geology
Atmospheric/Marine Science
Astronomy
Note that, at least at UGA and similar institutions, mid-level courses in several of these areas have prerequisites not only of introductory courses in the field but of specific foundational courses from other fields, such as Chemistry (both an introductory sequence and organic) for some Biology courses (e.g., Biochemistry, Genetics) and Mathematics (typically three semesters of calculus) for most Physics courses. In the case of the subfields of Astronomy and Atmospheric/Marine Science, introductory-level courses are sufficient.
Students with an undergraduate major in a core science field, or who satisfy the requirements under Option 2 above, also must eventually pass the GACE test required for the chosen science field in order to be recommended for certification, but not necessarily before being admitted to the program. Our students’ experience has been that following the above guidelines, rather than just fulfilling the minimal Option 1 guidelines, will make success more likely (both on the GACE test and in secondary teaching).
Can I earn “Broad Field” Secondary Science certification, or am I restricted to a single science subject?
Students in our programs may earn Broad Field Secondary Science certification, but only in addition to initial single-field certification.
University System of Georgia institutions are prevented by a Board of Regents rule from granting initial certification in Broad Field. You must qualify in one of the specific fields (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth/Space Science) first, through our program, and may then add Broad Field certification by passing the additional GACE test and applying directly to the Professional Standards Commission. There is no Earth Science GACE test, so students gaining their initial certification in that field take the Broad Field test for their initial certification. Those being initially certified in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics are strongly advised to take the additional test and apply to add on Broad Field certification in this manner. Despite the best intentions underlying the Board of Regents’ policy (all secondary science teachers should have special expertise in their specific subject), very recent experience at some schools with which our programs have a close relationship has indicated that teachers holding Broad Field Secondary Science certification are the more likely to both obtain and retain a job than those holding only single-subject certification.
Can I complete a master’s degree largely or wholly online?
No. There are a few graduate-level courses given on an online basis that may be applied to master’s requirements in Science Education. Prominent examples include several Educational Psychology courses, including the entire sequence leading to a Gifted Education endorsement, and the most general and basic Special Education course.
An M.A.T. program for which all formal coursework is online is available through the Board of Regents, under the combined auspices of several other state institutions, including Columbus State, Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State, University of West Georgia, and Valdosta State. This program is listed as typically requiring five to six semesters, and still requires very extensive (900 hours) personal presence in schools near one of these institutions for Student Teaching and other field experiences, so it does not seem compatible with holding a non-teaching-related full-time job with traditional hours.
What are the basic procedures and requirements for application?
All graduate students in Science Education must apply online to the UGA Graduate School. Required application materials include original, transcripts from all institutions from which you have earned a degree, three letters of recommendation, and, for degree programs, a Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score report. Note that original, official transcripts and GRE score reports must be sent directly to the UGA Graduate School (not to the Science Education office, and copies of any kind are unacceptable), and that the Educational Testing Service will issue GRE reports only for tests taken in the last 5 years.
For degree program applicants, the online application provides a facility to request via automated e-mail that writers of recommendation letters complete the process online. For non-degree applicants, or for those simply preferring to solicit or submit letters in hard-copy form, a cover sheet for letters of recommendation is also available on the Graduate School web site.
We also ask that you complete the Incoming Graduate Student Questionnaire for Science Education in order to give the Graduate Coordinator a sense of your educational and professional background and goals.
What are the minimum objective standards for admission?
Minimum objective standards for master’s program admission established by the UGA Graduate School and the Science Education Program include:
- an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
- a combined Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score (verbal + quantitative) of at least
- 950 on the scale used before August, 2011 (“SAT-type,” 200-800 for each portion), including a minimum of 400 on the verbal portion
- 292 on the current scale (130-170 for each portion), a minimum of 146 each on verbal and quantitative
Deviations from these minimum quantitative standards are sometimes possible, if the Science Education faculty believe, and can successfully argue to the Graduate School, that an applicant’s subjective qualifications are truly unusually outstanding (e.g., exceptionally strong letters of recommendation, unusually impressive accomplishments related to a current or possible career in science education).
In the case of applicants whose undergraduate GPA falls slightly short of the 3.0 standard but who have been more successful in previous graduate coursework (either at UGA or elsewhere), all graduate and undergraduate credit hours may be combined in GPA calculations in order to reach this standard.
The Board of Regents requires any student enrolling in any teacher certification program at any University System of Georgia institution to have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5. This requirement also applies for non-degree (“certification only”) applications to our program, and is completely inflexible. The verbal GRE standard of 400 or 146 is also considered absolute by the Board of Regents for all teacher education programs. The final decision in all admissions decisions lies formally with the Graduate School, although recommendations from programs/departments are approved in a vast majority of cases.
What is the relationship between course requirements for certification and master’s degree requirements?
While certification may be pursued as part of M.A. studies, the fact that half of the M.A.T. requirements may ‘do double duty’ for certification purposes makes this degree choice the most efficient and practical for most students seeking certification.
For M.A.T. students, five of the required Science Education courses (ESCI 6450, 6460, 6480, 7470 and 7480) contribute to both certification and master’s requirements. Up to two other graduate-level courses usually used to satisfy certification requirements may also count towards fulfilling requirements for any of the master’s degrees. Examples of courses that commonly suit this twofold purpose are EPSY (Educational Psychology) 6010, 6060, or 6800, and SPED (Special Education) 6030.
It is not possible to earn initial certification as part of an M.Ed. program. Existing T-4 certification became a requirement for M.Ed. admission with the advent of our M.A.T. program in 2008.
Can I earn teacher certification on a non-degree basis?
Yes. You may choose to fulfill only the certification requirements and never enroll in a degree program, or eventually choose not to finish M.A.T. requirements after completing certification. Common reasons for doing so include: already having earned a masters (or even doctoral) degree in another field; desire to study for only two or three semesters; plans to seek a teaching job far from Athens after completing certification; or desire to minimize tuition costs.
Earning teacher certification at the graduate level on a non-degree basis is equivalent to the typical senior-year program for undergraduate majors in Science Education. See the detailed guidelines for Secondary Certification for specifics.
How do application or admissions requirements, procedures, or policies differ for non-degree students?
Non-degree applicants are not required to submit standardized test scores. Non-degree applicants to Science Education, however, are still required to submit three letters of recommendation. Since this is contrary to the default assumption of the designers of the Graduate School’s application web site, that site’s feature for requesting and receiving online recommendations is not available for non-degree applications. Therefore recommendations should be solicited using either a paper or electronic copy of the separate cover sheet, and mailed directly to Dr. Georgia Hodges at the address at the bottom of this page, or scans sent as an e-mail attachment to galee@uga.edu.
What is the relationship between admission to the UGA Graduate School and admission to a specific degree and/or certification program?
For applications to any Science Education master’s degree program, admission to the Graduate School also constitutes admission to that degree program.
For certification students (M.A.T. or non-degree), however, admission to the core Science Methods (“Block 1″) courses and Student Teaching (“Block 2″) portions of the Secondary Science Teacher Education program is a separate matter, not handled by the Graduate Coordinator. For the Secondary Science Certification Program, the contact person for this process is Dr. Georgia Hodges, M.A.T. Coordinator, galee@uga.edu.
The primary extra requirement is completion of some form of prior experience with children in an educational setting, as described and documented in the Statement of Pre-professional Experience, which should also be submitted to Dr. Hodges at the address at the bottom of this page. Certain legal requirements, such as a criminal background check and arrangements for tort liability insurance, must also be fulfilled before Permission of Department status for enrolling in Block 1 courses can be granted (because they include field experience with students in schools).
Can I start a master’s and/or certification program at any time of the year, or only when the academic year begins in the Fall?
Currently, all programs may be started during any semester – Fall, Spring, or Summer. Science Education courses leading to certification (Block 1: Methods and Block 2: Student Teaching) are offered during both academic year semesters but not in the Summer.
Can I continue as a full-time master’s degree student immediately upon completion of an undergraduate degree in science education or completion of certification at the graduate level?
Yes, although in practice this is quite rare and many of our faculty consider it not advisable. The most common approach is to find employment as a teacher after completion of certification and complete master’s coursework on a part-time basis. This is advantageous in two ways: financially, because of the income and seniority gained from working as a teacher as soon as possible; and academically, because practical experience beyond student teaching provides a context and perspective that most students and instructors consider a valuable asset in master’s-level courses. For those graduating with an undergraduate degree and/or certification in the middle of a school year (at the end of Fall Semester), however, it may make good practical sense to get a “head start” on completing masters coursework on a full-time basis for Spring and/or Summer semester only, before beginning a teaching job in the Fall.
Helpful links for applicants:
- Apply to the UGA Graduate School
- Cover sheet for letters of recommendation
- Incoming Graduate Student Questionnaire for Science Education
- Program information:
- Statement of Pre-professional Experience
Dr. Julie L. Kittleson
Graduate Coordinator for Science Education Programs
jkittl@uga.edu
Dr. Georgia L. Hodges
M.A.T. Coordinator for Science Education
galee@uga.edu
Department of Mathematics and Science Education
University of Georgia
212 Aderhold, Athens, GA 30602
phone (706) 542-1763
fax (706) 542-1212
