Master of Arts in Teaching - Elementary Education

UNC Greensboro’s Master’s in Elementary Education program provides an accelerated pathway to teacher licensure, extensive clinical experiences, and strong emphasis on evidence-based instruction. Designed for individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a field outside of education, the program prepares candidates to become licensed elementary school teachers while earning a master’s degree.

Our teaching candidates come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds including communication, business, psychology, and political science, as well as a careers in retail, engineering, or social work. The common denominator is a strong interest to teach young students and to have a direct impact on the lives of others.

MAster’s in ELEMENTARY EDUCATION Program Distinctions

UNCG’s School of Education has been consistently rated as one of the “Top Graduate Schools of Education” by U.S. News & World Report.

Through faculty mentorship, hands-on teaching opportunities, and a focus on effective instructional practices, students in the MAT in Elementary Education concentration graduate ready to make an immediate impact on students’ learning and success. UNCG integrates clinical experiences throughout the program, allowing students the ability to gain hands-on experience in local partner elementary classrooms and complete a supervised student teaching internship. Those experiences provide participants the ability to connect theory with practice in real settings.

Students in the Master’s in Elementary Education program will have access to professional development, leadership, and research opportunities.

Applicants to the program are required to have posted a minimum 2.7 GPA while earning their bachelor’s degree.

The MAT in ELEMENTARY EDUCATION Student Experience

Master’s in Elementary Education students spend two days a week in elementary school classrooms each semester, collaborating with teachers, tutoring students, and working with parents. During their final semester, candidates serve as student teacher in an elementary classroom each day. 

Students learn from faculty members with backgrounds in elementary education, curriculum development, educational research, and classroom practice. This connection to current educational challenges helps ensure coursework remains relevant to today’s schools.

The curriculum emphasizes the foundational knowledge elementary teachers need most, including:

• Reading and literacy instruction
• Mathematics teaching methods
• Science and social studies education
• Child and adolescent development
• Assessment and data-informed instruction

PROGRAM OF STUDY FOR THE MAT IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

Total hours: 30-33 hours

Earn YOur MAster’s in Elementary Education Online

UNCG’s Master’s in Elementary Education offers the flexibility to complete coursework online while preparing for North Carolina initial teacher licensure. The online format allows aspiring teachers and career changers to balance graduate studies with work and personal commitments and still have access to the collaborative, hands-on experiences of the program.

UNCG School of Education Scholarships

Each year, the School of Education awards over $1 million in scholarships and graduate assistantships to students.

The Haggai Academy is a scholarship program that provides scholarships of up to $8,000 per year, as well as a wide range of additional enrichment opportunities, for non-traditional students (24 years of age or older) pursuing an initial teacher license.

LICENSURE PROCESS for MAT in Elementary Education Students

To earn your teaching license, students must:

• Successfully complete the program of study and student teaching
• Successfully evaluate of all required assessments (Proficiency in North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards and Proficiency in Dispositions) during the spring and fall semesters
• Complete and submit an edTPA Portfolio
• Complete and submit Math and Reading Licensure Exams
  1. Math: Praxis Test 7813 – CKT Math Subtest
  2. Reading: Pearson Test 190 – Foundations of Reading
• Application for licensure through School of Education Office of Student Success

After GraduatiNG WITH YOUR Master’s in ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

Graduates of the MAT in Elementary Education program are well-prepared to:

• Earn initial North Carolina licensure in Elementary Education (K-6)
• Teach in public, charter, and independent elementary schools
• Design engaging, standards-aligned instruction
• Support literacy and mathematics achievement
• Use assessment data to improve student learning

The U.S. Department of Education requires that all higher education institutions advise students as to whether their curriculum provides them with the eligibility to apply for a professional license and/or certification in the state for which they plan to practice. As such, please review UNC Greensboro’s status by state for the initial teaching license. You should note whether the program either “meets”, “does not meet”, or if there “has not been a determination” of the program’s status in the state for which you plan to practice. Licensure Reciprocity Information