Master of Arts in Teaching General Admission Requirements

The following documents must be received prior to admission:

  1. North Georgia Graduate Admissions application and non-refundable application fee.
  2. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended. Official international transcripts must have a foreign course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Evaluations must include certification that the applicant has received a baccalaureate from a regionally-accredited institution and state a calculated cumulative grade-point average.
  3. Official scores on the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or evidence of a graduate degree. Only those scores that are less than six years old will be considered.
  4. Official scores for GACE I and GACE II. GACE I can be exempted with a master's degree in any field or acceptable scores on the SAT, ACT, or General Record Exam General Test (GRE) as listed below.

In accordance with Board of Regents' policy, the following documents must be received prior to the first day of the term:

  1. North Georgia Immunization Certification form.
  2. In applying for in-state tuition, proof of lawful presence in the US.
  3. Criminal Background Consent Check form.

Regular Admission

To qualify for regular admission, individuals must have:

  1. Baccalaureate in a teaching field from a regionally-accredited institution with a grade-point average of at least 2.75 calculated in accordance with North Georgia Graduate Admissions procedures.
  2. Official scores on the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE) of at least 900 (verbal and quantitative combined) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) of at least 391 or evidence of a graduate degree.
  3. Passing scores on the GACE I or equivalent — SAT of at least 1,000, English and mathematics scores combined; or ACT of at least 43; mathematics and verbal scores combined; or Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE) of 1,030, verbal and quantitative scores combined; or evidence of a graduate degree.
  4. Passing scores on the GACE II prior to enrolling for the second semester of the program.

In accordance with Board of Regents' policy, the following documents must be received two weeks prior to the first day of the term:

  1. North Georgia Immunization Certification form. Applicants seeking admission for an online program are required to submit the North Georgia Immunization Certificate form by checking the exemption for distance learning/online. If at any time students choose to take a class on the Dahlonega campus, or any other designated campus site, they are required to submit complete immunization documentation according to Board of Regents' policy.
  2. If applying for in-state tuition, proof of lawful presence in the U.S.
  3. Criminal background consent check form.

Students enrolled in field-based courses who have not submitted all of the above documentation prior will not be allowed to attend until all documentation has been received. Students are responsible for all course material and for all announcements and assignments. The decision to permit students to make up work that is required in any missed class resides with the instructor.

Criteria for Evaluation of Transcripts

The Master of Arts in Teaching degree requires that candidates have completed teaching content requirements prior to being admitted into the program. Below are two methods to determine whether a candidate meets the content requirement.

  1. No additional content is required if the applicant has a degree in or directly related to the area in which the applicant is seeking initial certification. For example, an applicant with a History degree seeking initial certification to teach History, has completed GACE I (or the equivalent), and has completed pedagogy and content in GACE II.
  2. In consultation with an advisor, an applicant with a degree in a content field not related to the area in which certification is being sought may be required to take additional content courses prior to admission into the MAT program (example, an applicant has a Psychology degree and is seeking initial certification to teach Biology).

Irregular Admission

Students who have not completed any determined content courses as outlined above may be granted irregular status for their first term in order to complete additional content courses. Students admitted irregularly will be reviewed at the end of their first semester to determine eligibility for continuation in the program and eligibility for regular admission status. Irregularly-admitted students who earn a grade less than a B in any graduate course taken during the irregular period will not be allowed to continue in the MAT program. A student who has been removed because of a deficient grade may reapply for admission by submitting a letter to the MAT program coordinator after a period of one year from the date the student was removed. Irregularly admitted students may not pre-register for classes, and they are not eligible for financial aid through North Georgia College & State University.

Provisional Admission

Students who do not meet the regular admission criteria stated above may be granted provisional admission pending a successful admission appeal (see Appeal of Graduate Admission). Students admitted provisionally may register for no more than six hours total of graduate credit. Student status will be reviewed to determine eligibility for regular admission following completion of six hours. Provisionally admitted students who earn a grade less than a B in any graduate courses taken during the provisional period will not be allowed to continue in the MAT program. A student who has been removed because of a deficient grade may reapply for admission by submitting a letter to the MAT program coordinator after a period of one year from the date the student was removed. Provisionally admitted students may not pre-register for classes, and they are not eligible for financial aid through North Georgia College & State University.

Non-Degree Admission

Individuals interested in taking graduate education program courses, but do not want to pursue a graduate degree, may apply for admission as non-degree graduate students. Individuals must receive pre-approval from the Education program coordinator before enrolling in courses and may register for no more than a total of 12 hours of graduate credit. Requests will be considered on a space available basis.

The following documents must be received prior to admission:

  1. North Georgia Graduate Admissions application and non-refundable application fee.
  2. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended documenting completion of a baccalaureate from a regionally-accredited, four-year institution with a minimum grade point average of 2.50 calculated in accordance with North Georgia's Graduate Admissions procedures. Official international transcripts must have a foreign course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Evaluations must include certification that the applicant has received a baccalaureate from a regionally-accredited institution with a minimum grade point average of 2.50.

In accordance with Board of Regents' policy, the following documents must be received two weeks prior to the first day of the term:

  1. North Georgia Immunization Certification form. Applicants seeking admission for an online program are required to submit the North Georgia Immunization Certificate form by checking the exemption for distance learning/online. If at any time students choose to take a class on the Dahlonega campus, or any other designated campus site, they are required to submit complete immunization documentation according to Board of Regents' policy.
  2. If applying for in-state tuition, proof of lawful presence in the U.S.

Any non-degree student who receives a grade of C or below will subject to a program review to determine the student's eligibility to enroll in coursework for the subsequent term. If a non-degree student is suspended from the program, the student must wait at least one year before applying for readmission. A non-degree student wishing to apply for admission to the MAT degree program must notify the MAT program coordinator, submit a new application, and meet all program admission requirements. All credit to be applied toward a degree must be approved by the MAT program coordinator.

Transient Student Admission

Students may not enroll in 5000-level MAT courses in a transient status.

Appeal of Graduate Admission

A candidate whose application is denied because the graduate admission cumulative grade point average is below the minimum requirement for the program or because an acceptable test score for an appropriate entrance exam was not earned has the right to appeal the decision. An appeal must be made in written form to the School of Education, North Georgia College & State University, Dahlonega, GA 30597-1001. The letter should clearly state the grounds for appeal. A student whose appeal is accepted will be admitted provisionally and is not eligible for financial aid while under provisional admission status. Students may not appeal for regular admission.

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Master of Arts in Teaching