MAT in Social Studies Education

Social studies education cultivates the ways students think about their own place in history, their position in the economy, their impact in civic spaces, and their notions of belonging.

For the M.A.T. in Social Studies Education, we seek candidates who wish to explore and develop strategies for teaching students about the rich complexities of our world. Our program prepares the social studies teachers of tomorrow through direct work with practicing teachers, current students, doctoral students, and university faculty.

Highlights

1. Leads to initial licensure to teach social studies at the 6-12 level
2. Great option if you’re interested in becoming a teacher and already have a B.A. or B.S.
3. Work closely with talented doctoral students and nationally recognized faculty

Curriculum

Spend a significant amount of time observing and working with expert teachers in partner schools, combined with university coursework where you rethink and refine your practice.

You’ll learn to teach while embedded in practical settings, giving you the opportunity to constantly test and use cutting-edge theories of teaching and learning.

If you hold a bachelor’s degree in a social studies content area and wish to gain teaching certification while working on a master’s degree, this degree program is for you. Our M.A.T. in Social Studies Education results in a recommendation for initial certification in one of the four primary social studies content areas in grades 6-12:

• History
• Economics
• Geography
• Political science

If you lack a degree in one of the four content areas, you will need to complete 21 semester hours in your selected content area (at the 3000-level and higher) beyond your normal requirements for the M.A.T.. You may include content area courses taken as an undergraduate or some of the elective courses in the M.A.T. program.

Begin our program in any semester and proceed through most of it at your own pace, either part time or full time. You must take the pedagogy, practice, and theory coursework in the Fall semester and student teaching (and its related seminar) in the Spring. Those two semesters require full-time study. There is a comprehensive exam at the culmination of the program.

Typically, you earn your M.A.T. after 57 hours. You may shorten your program of study if you took courses as an undergraduate that count toward certification such as courses in educational psychology, social foundations of education, and social science content-area courses. Work with your academic advisor about waiving requirements.

Download a Sample Curriculum (PDF)

Additional information and disclosures regarding state licensure for professional practice in this field can be found at the UGA Licensure Disclosure Portal .

Social Studies M.A.T. Student Handbook (PDF)

How to Apply

Part 1: Apply to the University of Georgia

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

Start A Graduate School Application

Part 2: Apply to the M.A.T. in Social Studies Education

Eligibility

Cumulative GPA for all undergraduate courses should be 2.8 or above on a four-point scale.

Application materials

When all of the Graduate School’s application materials have been received, they are reviewed by the Social Studies Education program faculty. The faculty may request additional materials from applicants before making a recommendation on the application. The faculty make a recommendation to the Department of Math, Science, and Social Studies graduate coordinator, who in turn makes a recommendation to the Graduate School. The final decision on admissions is made by the Graduate School. Applicants and the department will receive notification directly from the Graduate School concerning a decision on acceptance.

Candidates should have a minimum 2.5 GPA on undergraduate or previous graduate work. Go to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission website for details.

For the section of the Graduate School application requesting three letters of recommendation, simply enter “Not Applicable” for all three in the application.

Deadline to Apply

• March 1 (Summer and Fall)
• October 1 (Spring)

Applications received after these deadlines may be considered.

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Student Outcome Data