MAT in Middle Grades Education through the UGA Teacher Residency Program

What is a Residency Program?

We know that the best place to learn is in the field. A residency is an innovative approach to teacher preparation where future teachers work alongside skilled teacher mentors while taking university courses and are paid to work.

The University of Georgia’s Teacher Residency Program is a full-time, in-person, three-semester program that prepares, supports, and retains middle grades teachers. In this initial certification program, teacher residents will earn a Master of Arts in Teaching in Middle Grades Science for grades 4-8. Additional content areas will be added during the 2026-2027 school year.

Why This Residency?

A Supportive Pathway into the Teaching Profession

Our residency program aims to remove barriers and build futures for those who want to be teachers. Teacher residents in our program will:

• Receive free tuition and other reduced UGA costs
• Earn a stipend while in the program.
• Experience wrap-around supports including working closely with a mentor teacher who will coach their resident and provide feedback on a daily basis
• Be placed in the same school with the same teacher all year, participating in the school and district’s professional development opportunities
• Learn in UGA classes with low faculty-to-student, which allows for deep and hands-on learning

Upon graduation, teacher residents commit to teach in the school district where they are placed for three years after completing the program. We are partnering with Clarke County School District in Athens, Georgia, for residency placements.

Curriculum

UGA students in the Teacher Residency Program will be immersed in topics and experiences, such as:

• Developing an understanding of middle grades students’ communities and cultural contexts and how we can bring those assets into our curriculum and instruction
• Examining how youth, educators, and schools are always connected to and impacted by a larger network of systems
• Designing engaging curriculum and instructional practices that are equitable and accessible for all students
• Assessing and responding to middle grades students’ learning needs

These academic experiences will draw on residents’ work in their placement classrooms and vice versa for a complete residency experience.

Download a Sample Program of Study

Become a University of Georgia Teacher Resident

Required Criteria

• Bachelor’s degree in a field outside of education from an accredited college or university
• Cumulative GPA for all undergraduate courses should be 2.5 or above on a four-point scale*
• Commitment to serve as a teacher in the Clarke County School District for three years upon program completion

*Your application will still be considered if your cumulative undergraduate GPA is below 2.5. Please submit a request for more information if your GPA is below 2.5 .

An entrance exam is not required.

Note: Teacher Residency cohorts begin during summer semesters only.

How to Apply

The Graduate School handles admissions for all graduate programs at the University of Georgia, including those in the Mary Frances Early College of Education. The Graduate School website contains important details about the application process, orientation, and many other useful links to guide you through attending UGA at the graduate level.

To Apply:

1. All applicants must complete this initial form to indicate their interest in the Teacher Residency Program .
2. All applicants must complete a UGA Graduate School application .
3. Select Athens campus from the dropdown menu.
4. Select MGED MAT (Middle Grades Master of Arts in Teaching) from the degree dropdown menu.

Required Documents for Application

1. Submit a resume. Here is an example resume template that may be used, but no particular format is required.
2. Submit official transcripts from all institutions attended. (While the UGA Graduate School does not require official transcripts to be considered, the UGA Teacher Residency Program does require them for applicants. We will use applicants’ transcripts to determine if additional science content courses are needed as part of your program of study.)

Deadline for Application

The application and all required documents must be submitted no later than April 30, 2025.

Start a Graduate School Application

When all application materials have been received by the UGA Graduate School, faculty in the Teacher Residency Program will review each application. Faculty may request additional materials from applicants before making a recommendation on the application.

Applicants will receive notification directly from the Graduate School about the applicant’s acceptance decision.

Have Questions?

Partners