Master of Arts in Teaching Degree

Admissions

An application packet may be completed online:  www.mat.covenant.edu/application, or requested by mail, email, or phone from the MAT office.

Master of Arts in Teaching
Graduate School of Education
Covenant College
14049 Scenic Highway
Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
800.677.3626
mat@covenant.edu
www.mat.covenant.edu

Application and accompanying documentation for admission must be submitted on or before February 1.

Admissions Calendar

Individuals choosing to drop a course after May 16 will not receive a refund and are responsible to pay total course tuition and fees. This policy is in compliance with federal and fiscal regulations. No exceptions may be made. See Refund Policy .

Admission Requirements and Procedures

Regular Admission - Required For Degree Completion

For admission as a regular student in the MAT, the following is required:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
   1. Applicants having completed a major in any of the following content fields are eligible for a Certificate of Eligibility (grades 6-12) from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission upon completion of the MAT degree: biology, chemistry, economics, English, history, mathematics, political science, physics. Minimally, a major should consist of 30 semester hours. Applicants with a major in biblical studies will be eligible for secondary certification by the Association of Christian Schools International.
   2. Applicants having completed a major with concentrations of at least 15 semester hours in two of the following content fields are eligible for middle grades Certificate of Eligibility (grades 4-8) upon completion of the MAT degree: language arts, mathematics, science, social studies.
   3. Applicants having completed a major in any of the following content fields are eligible for a Certificate of Eligibility (grades P-12) upon completion of the MAT degree: art, computer science, drama, French, German, music, Spanish.  Minimally, a major should consist of 30 semester hours.
   4. Upon completion of the MAT degree, applicants are eligible for a certificate from the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).
2. Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0. Applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA between 2.5 and 2.99 may receive provisional admission.
3. Passing scores on GACE Program Admissions Assessment (Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators) or exemption through SAT, ACT, or GRE scores. Official score reports are required.
4. Passing scores on the appropriate GACE Content Assessment (Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators).
5. Transcript analysis by GSE admissions for applicants with bachelor’s degree other than Covenant College. 
6. Content Standards Diagnostic for applicants with bachelor’s degree other than Covenant College.
7. Written statement of faith in Jesus Christ.
8. Two references.
9. Completion of a course in educational psychology from a regionally accredited college or university.
10. Completion of a course in introduction to teaching from a regionally accredited college or university. The course should include a minimum of 30 hours of fieldwork/observation in K-12 classrooms.
11. Completion of a course in special education from a regionally accredited college or university.
12. Letter of cooperation from the head of school if the applicant is employed as a teacher and wishes to use employment towards clinical practice requirements.
13. International applicants, see additional requirements: International Applicants section of this catalog.

Admission Procedures

Application and supporting materials are accepted through February 1 in the graduate office. Application packets may be completed online from the MAT website: www.mat.covenant.edu, or requested by mail, email, or phone from the MAT office.

The following is to be submitted to be considered for admission to the MAT:

1. A completed application form.
2. Payment of the application fee: $50.00, non-refundable.
3. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework.
4. Official score report of GACE Program Admissions Assessment. If exempt, submit official score report verifying qualifying exemption scores on SAT, ACT, or GRE. GACE website: www.gace.ets.org.  Exemption scores are as follows:
   • For SAT Score Reports dated prior to 7/1/2019:
     1000 on Verbal/Critical Reading, and Math OR
     1000 on Evidence based Reading/Writing and Math
   • For SAT Score reports dated on or after 7/1/2019:
     1080 on Evidence based Reading/Writing AND Math
   • ACT 43 combined on English and math
   • GRE 27 combined on verbal and quantitative
     
     Additional information is provided in the application packet.
      
5. Official score report of GACE Content Assessment. GACE website: www.gace.ets.org. Additional information is provided in the application packet.
6. Content Standards Diagnostic. Diagnostic form provided in application packet.
7. A written profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; one page in length, typed.
8. Two completed reference forms from educators.
9. Official transcript showing completion of a course in educational psychology from a regionally accredited college or university.
10. Official transcript showing completion of a course in introduction to teaching from a regionally accredited college or university. The course must include 30 hours of fieldwork/observation in K-12 classrooms.
11. Official transcript showing completion of a course in special education from a regionally accredited college or university.
12. Letter of cooperation from the head of school if applicant is employed as a teacher and wishes to use employment towards clinical practice requirements.

International Applicants

Covenant defines international students as anyone who is not a citizen of the United States of America. International applicants must submit the following in addition to the above:

1. The International Student Certification of Finances form prior to, or along with, submitting the application for admission to the MAT. The form is provided in the application packet and available at www.mat.covenant.edu. In addition, a copy of the student’s passport biographical page must be submitted before an I-20 can be issued or before the student would be considered for institutional financial aid. The certification form must be supported with a copy of a bank statement or letter from a bank confirming the availability of financial resources to pay for educational expenses. If a third party sponsor or organization will be providing resources for the student, a similar confirmation of resources from an individual or a letter from an organization should be included. One to two months should be allowed for processing certification of finances and two months minimum should be allowed to obtain a student visa.
2. International transcripts submitted for admission to the MAT must be evaluated and authenticated. The following organizations are reputable such that Covenant College will accept a course evaluation (to award college credit on a course-by-course basis) and a degree confirmation. All are well established and have different fee structures and time lines of services so the applicant may select the organization they prefer to utilize.

Foreign Credentials Service of America
http://foreigncredentials.org/
Austin, TX
512.469.4565

Transcript Research
http://transcriptresearch.com/
Lancaster, PA and Dallas, TX
214.810.1124

Josef Silny & Associates
http://www.jsilny.com/
Miami, FL
305.273.1616

International Education Evaluations, Inc.
http://www.foreigntranscripts.com
Charlotte, NC
704.772.0109

World Education Services
http://www.wes.org/
New York, NY
212.966.6311

Educational Credential Evaluators
https://www.ece.org/
Milwaukee WI
414.289.3400

Global Credential Evaluators, Inc.
http://gceus.com/
Offices in Texas, Mississippi and Virginia
800.707.0979 TX

3. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. A minimum score of 577 (paper- based exam) 233 (computer-based exam), or 90 (Internet-based exam) is required for the TOEFL, and a minimum of 7 is required for the IELTS.  An official score report should be submitted to Covenant College (Code 6124).
   For additional information:
   TOEFL  www.ets.org/toefl
   IELTS  www.ielts.org
    
4. A copy of the biographical page of applicant’s passport.
    
5. Note: College credits taken in the home country may not apply toward any Covenant master’s degree program.

Admission Status

Regular Student Status

An applicant who meets all admission requirements to the MAT is accepted as a regular student. Regular student status is required for admission to the Teacher Education Program and to complete the MAT degree. To maintain regular student status a minimum 3.0 grade point average must be earned throughout enrollment in the MAT.

Provisional Student Status

An applicant not having fully met admissions criteria may be considered for provisional admission. The student will be informed of unmet criteria to be satisfied to obtain regular student status. The status of a provisional student is reviewed after six hours of coursework; no more than six hours taken while in this category may be applied toward the degree. A student must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) on courses taken as a provisional student. Regular student status is required for the MAT degree to be granted.

Financial Information

Fees and Expenses - 2019-2020 Academic Year:

Tuition

Fees

No student may register for additional courses until all previous financial commitments have been satisfied. Financial aid grants may not be used to fund the Enrollment deposit required at registration. Enrollment deposit is not refundable.

Summary of Fees and Expenses per Term–2019-2020 Academic Year

Payment Schedule and Information

1. Submitted with application for admission: $50 application fee.
2. Submitted with pre-registration for summer term only:
   1. $500 non-refundable enrollment deposit towards tuition
   2. Application for financial aid, if applicable
3. An enrollment deposit is not required for fall and spring preregistration.
4. Covenant College accepts payment for student accounts from an e-check on-line ($1 fee), MasterCard (4% fee), Discover (4% fee), or PayPal. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted in the Accounting office for a 2.75% fee as well as American Express for a 3% fee. Cash or check are accepted in the Accounting office as well. See Application and Registration form for complete details.
5. Details regarding payment are included in the registration packet.
6. Students are responsible to verify their account balance through their Banner account. Students receive a monthly electronic statement to their Covenant email. College offices will also communicate with students via their Covenant College email account.
7. Students are responsible for purchase of textbooks and supplies. Included with the registration packet is a list of textbooks and required course materials.

Registration

Summer Term–May 26-August 1

Individuals choosing to drop a course after May 16 will not receive a refund and are responsible to pay total course tuition and fees. This policy is in compliance with federal and fiscal regulations. No exceptions may be made. See Refund Policy .

Fall Term–August 6 - December 18

Spring Term–January 8 - May 4

Returning students may not register if carrying more than one incomplete course grade, have outstanding tuition/fees/fines, or have any other unmet obligation to the college. Students may not register for Clinical Practice II without approval to the Teacher Education Program.

Individuals choosing to drop a course after registration for the fall or spring term will not receive a refund and are responsible to pay total course tuition and fees. This policy is in compliance with federal and fiscal regulations. No exceptions may be made. See Refund Policy .

General Academic Information

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to be in attendance at all sessions.

During the summer term, one day of excused absence is permitted for an emergency. More than one day of absence will result in the student being required to retake the course. Appeals may be submitted in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School of Education for consideration by the graduate faculty.

During the fall and spring terms, the attendance policy is determined for each course by the course professor of record and by the Handbook for Clinical Practice.

Calendar for 2019-2020

MAT Summer Term, 2019

MAT Fall Term, 2019

MAT Spring Term, 2020

Certification

Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)

Graduates of the MAT are eligible to apply for an ACSI certificate upon completion of the degree. Certificate level is determined by content field: elementary (K-8), secondary (7-12), or all level (K-12), valid for five years.

Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)

The MAT was approved by the GaPSC in May, 2011.

The MAT is a state approved program by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). State approved status and accreditation are necessary for obtaining certification in any state. Graduates of the MAT are considered program completers of a state approved program and are eligible for a Certificate of Eligibility from the GaPSC upon completion of the degree and all GaPSC requirements.

Graduates hired by a Georgia school qualify for an Induction Certificate requested by the hiring school or the graduate. Graduates hired by a school in a state other than Georgia may apply for certification in that state, and typically additional assessments are required.

MAT students are informed about certification procedures including establishing a My PSC account. For questions related to certification, please contact the Certification Official at certification@covenant.edu or 706.419.1407. Additional information about certification in Georgia may be found at www.gapsc.com.

Course Deadlines and Incompletes

Coursework is to be turned in by the date specified in the syllabus or course calendar for each course. Students failing to meet deadlines can expect to be penalized as much as one letter grade. If a student believes that a deadline will not be met, communication with the professor prior to the deadline is essential. An Incomplete Grade Request form must be completed by student and instructor prior to the conclusion of the term in order for an incomplete course grade to be granted. Any incomplete (I) granted for a course not completed by the date specified will be replaced with an F. All work for a course with an incomplete grade must be submitted to the instructor by the specified date or on the Monday morning following if the specified date falls on a weekend. Financial aid eligibility for the next term would be determined based on the resulting grade point average.

Specified dates:

• Incomplete received in summer term must be completed by August 15
• Incomplete received in fall term must be completed by January 3
• Incomplete received in spring term must be completed by May 18

Students may not register for additional coursework with more than one incomplete course grade. An Incomplete Grade Request form must be submitted prior to the conclusion of the term in order for an incomplete course grade to be granted. Forms are available from the office of the Graduate School of Education.

Degree Requirements

A total of 34 semester hours of coursework is required for completion of the Master of Arts in Teaching degree. The degree must be completed with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and only one course with the grade of C (with the exclusion of EDU 595 Clinical Practice II ) will be applied to graduation requirements. All coursework applied toward the degree must be taken within six years of degree conferral.

Covenant does not offer noncredit courses and noncredit coursework is not accepted to fulfill degree requirements.

If a student is unable to complete the degree within six years, application may be made to the Dean of the Graduate School of Education to extend the program. If extended, continuation fees apply.

Purpose and Standards of Teacher Education Program

Revised August 2016

Covenant College Teacher Education Program

Purpose Statement

Learning, Serving, Transforming

The purpose of the teacher education program at Covenant College is to prepare competent and compassionate teachers who practice their profession according to biblical guidelines in diverse educational settings. Candidates develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become teachers who model life-long learning and faithful service to God as change-agents in society.

Graduate School of Education General Learning Outcomes:

Graduate educators will:

1.    Apply a Reformed theological framework to educational theory and practice. This framework includes:

TF1. Christ is preeminent in all things. His life, death, resurrection, and exaltation inaugurated the new age in which Christ is King.
TF2. The Bible is God’s Word. It provides the grand narrative (creation, fall, redemption) that defines this life, the life to come, provides light to our personal lives, and guides institutional and societal life.
TF3. Humans are multi-dimensional beings made in God’s image, fearfully, wonderfully, and differently made.
TF4. Creation is inherently meaningful and educators are called and providentially guided to unfold its potentialities to the glory of God and the good of humankind.
TF5. All creation is adversely affected by the fall into sin. The battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness affects all people, institutions, and cultures.
TF6. God in his grace provides to both believers and unbelievers legitimate insights into the created order, including ways to overcome the effects of the fall across all the domains of life.
TF7. Educators are to be faithful stewards of the gifts, abilities, and interests that God gives us.
TF8. Educators look hopefully to the return of Christ. Living, loving, learning, celebrating, working, worshipping, and serving are shaped today by God’s call to give witness to Jesus Christ.

2.    Conduct, apply, and evaluate educational research to improve practice.
3.    Describe the role of schools in society over time.
4.    Facilitate needed change in practice to close the gap between the current situation (the “is”) and the desired situation (the “ought”).
5.    Demonstrate intellectual maturity.
6.    Collaborate with stakeholders to build a just and inclusive school community.

Standards for Teacher Candidates

Learner and Learning

1.  Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.

2.  Learning Differences. The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.

3.  Learning Environments. The teacher works with others to create environments that support individuals and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

4.  Content Knowledge. The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to ensure mastery of the content.

5.  Application of Content Knowledge. The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

Instructional Practice

6.  Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.

7.  Planning for Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.

8.  Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

Professional Responsibility

9.  Professional Learning and Ethical Practice. The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.

10.  Leadership and Collaboration. The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth and to advance the profession.

Programs and Courses

Programs

• •  Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Courses

• •  EDU 510 Foundations for Curriculum Development
• •  EDU 520 Introduction to Research
• •  EDU 530 Content Area Literacy for Adolescents
• •  EDU 540 Nature and Needs of Adolescent Learners
• •  EDU 550 History and Philosophy of American Education
• •  EDU 551 Research in History & Philosophy of American Education
• •  EDU 560 Middle/Secondary Content and Methods
• •  EDU 570 Educational Assessment and Research
• •  EDU 580 Clinical Practice I
• •  EDU 585 Diversity Field Experience
• •  EDU 590 Research Seminar
• •  EDU 595 Clinical Practice II