MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING

PHYSICS

I. Purpose

This program is intended to serve students who have not obtained initial professional certification, and who wish to prepare for careers in secondary school teaching with physics as a major content area. Programs will be individually structu red in consultation with a committee in order to accommodate students with diverse needs and backgrounds. An undergraduate major in physics, although desirable, is not a necessary condition for acceptance in the program. Provision will be made for stud ents who have not completed all of the undergraduate prerequisites for the program.

A. The applicant must meet the following general requirements for admission to the MAT program:

1. Submission of a complete application to University of South Carolina Graduate School.

2. Admission to the graduate school on the basis of satisfactory Graduate Record Examination scores.

3. Graduation from an accredited college.

4. Minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

5. The applicant shall not have obtained or qualified for initial professional certification in any state.

6. Acceptance by the Department of Physics and Astronomy and by the College of Education.

B. Undergraduate prerequisites for the program are:

1. Introductory Physics (three semesters).

2. Introductory Chemistry (one year).

A student lacking these prerequisites must arrange to complete them, together with any prerequisite mathematics, in consultation with his or her advisory committee.

A. The student must meet the basic requirements for the M.A.T. degree:

1. Completion of at least 48 hours or credits in graduate courses, half of which must be at or above the 700 level. Teaching content area courses may make up 15-24 hours of total, with the remaining hours in Education. List of Education Courses Required for MAT

2. Candidates must have completed the requirements for a Class 1 professional certificate in teaching area and in professional education (24 credits including undergraduate and graduate work). Specific Education requirements are listed on t he attached page.

3. A thesis may be submitted in lieu of six semester hours of course credit.

4. A formal evaluation will be conducted by the student's committee during the semester when other requirements will be completed.

B. In structuring the program, the student and his advisory committee will give careful consideration to

1. The overall coherence of the program,

2. The current academic background and related teaching experience of the candidate,

3. The candidate's professional needs as a classroom teacher, and

4. Undergraduate deficiencies.

Physics courses 781-789 are especially designed for teachers, and should be accessible without extensive specialized background. Courses in the supporting fields of Mathematics and Chemistry are also acceptable. Other graduate level courses may be acceptable also and may be drawn from in formulating a coherent degree program. This includes 500-level courses that are available for graduate credit.

Professor Jeff Wilson
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Telephone (803) 777-4650 or FAX (803) 777-3065
or e-mail jwilson@sc.edu

M.A.T. Education requirements

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