Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Music Education

Total Credit Hours:  36         Degree Format: Traditional

The College of the Arts and the Department of Music offers the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Music Education degree. The M.A.T. is designed for individuals interested in initial certification.

Successful completion of this program leads to initial Georgia Professional Standards Commission teaching certification at the T-5 Level. This is an on-campus program for applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree in music and are seeking P-12 teaching certification in Music for the state of Georgia. Two tracks are offered for the degree: choral/general and instrumental studies.

The M.A.T. in Music Education curriculum is 36 hours and offers tracks in both choral/general and instrumental studies. It culminates in a semester of full-time clinical practice in a public school.

Program Advisor: Ms. Renee Whitmer, email: brwhitmer@valdosta.edu, phone: 229-333-5925

Department of Music Website

ADMISSION DEADLINES

• Summer Semester: April 1
• Fall Semester: No admission
• Spring Semester: No admission

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Online Graduate Application

• Application Fee (credit or debit card and e-checks accepted)
• Apply Online

Official transcript from your bachelor’s degree-granting school and from any graduate coursework.

• Transcripts of coursework completed in-residence at VSU will be obtained by the Graduate School
• Must hold a bachelor’s degree in music from a regionally- accredited institution (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Music).
• Must have fulfilled the specified prerequisites (see below) for acceptance into the program.  Probationary admission may be granted to applicants lacking the specified prerequisites.
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. GPA will be calculated on all attempted undergraduate coursework in which a letter grade was awarded.

Three Recommendations

• General Recommendation Form Required
• Please enter the name and email of your recommenders as you complete the application. They should receive an email inviting them to compelte the recommendation after that. If they do not receive the emai (or find it in their spam folder), they may submit their recommendation as an email attachment to gradschool@valdosta.edu. The General Recommendation Form can be used if the email from the online recommendation system does not arrive.
• Recommendation letters from persons whose observations of the applicant’s character and abilities are current. 
• Letters must be accompanied by the required form or submitteed through the online recommendation system.

VSU Medical Form

• The VSU Medical Form must be completed and signed by the student/applicant.
• This form must be received prior to enrollment, NOT prior to admission.
• Applicants who are currently enrolled, and those who attended VSU in the past, are not required to resubmit the Medical Form

Verification of Lawful Presence

• This is not required for individuals who do not qualify for in-state tuition or a residency waiver.
• This must be received prior to enrollment (if applicable), NOT prior to admission.
• Citizenship documentation is needed for any applicant who wishes to be considered for in-state tuition.
• Check out a complete list of accepted documents and residency information here.

Unless otherwise indicated above, all required documents must be received on or before the admission deadline for your file to be reviewed. It is the applicant's responsibility to allow adequate time for document delivery and to en-sure receipt of documents. Please allow at least 7-10 days for delivery by mail.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS 

International applicants must meet all admission criteria and documentation requirements as defined by the program, however, additional documentation may be required.  Please review the information below for specific information and guidelines.

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Exam, IELTS, or completion of Level 6 at VSU’s English Language Institute. – Applicants whose first language is not English (based on country of citizenship) must submit evidence of English language proficiency. International applicants whose first language is not English but who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution may be exempt from the TOEFL requirement.
• Certificate of Finances- The Certificate of Finance is required of any applicant requiring a student visa to enter the United States to complete his or her studies. This document is considered a part of the application for admission and applications will not be reviewed without this document.  Applicants who do not require an I-20 student visa to complete their studies are exempt from this requirement.
• Evaluation of International Transcripts - Applicants who have completed coursework at an institution outside of the United States must submit a course-by-course evaluation of the coursework.  This transcript evaluation must be completed by an international education credentials evaluation service such as Josef Silny, ECE, etc.  The transcript evaluation does not replace the transcript requirement. Official transcripts are still required.

IMPORTANT PROGRAM INFORMATION

• Program considerations for Provisional Admission:  Students admitted without the prerequisites listed below must take these courses during the first summer and/or fall semester to be eligible for clinical practice spring semester.  Prerequisites are:
  • EDUC 2120 or equivalent educational diversity course
  • EDUC 2130 or PSYC 7010 Educational Psychology or equivalent educational psychology course
  • SPEC 3000 or equivalent course
  • MUE 3000 or EDUC 2110 or equivalent introduction to education course
  • MUSC 3100 or equivalent arranging course
  • MUSC 3132 or piano proficiency exam
  • MUE 3650 or equivalent beginning conducting course

ADMISSION CLASSIFICATIONS

• Students can have regular or probationary status upon admission
  • Probationary Admission - Applicants who do not have a GRE verbal score of 150 or higher, quantitative score of 141 or higher, combined MAT score of 350, or a grade-point average of 3.0 of higher in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework may be considered for admission as a probationary student if they have at least a 3.0 on the analytical section of the GRE.
  • If admitted under probationary status a student must complete the following requirements to be eligible to be changed for regular status: A grade point average of 3.0 upon completion of 9 hours of graduate coursework.

HAVE QUESTIONS?

• For admission questions about this program, please contact the Graduate School by phone, email, or stop by our office.
  • Call Us: 229-333-5694 
  • Email Us: gradschool@valdosta.edu 
  • Visit Us: Converse Hall (Main Campus), Third Floor, Suite 3100
• For additional program details contact the Program Coordinator: Ms. Renee Whitmer, email: brwhitmer@valdosta.edu, phone: 229-333-5925.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

1. Students must complete an application for graduation one semester prior to their expected graduation date.
2. A 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) is required for graduation. No grade below a “C” will be credited toward the degree.
3. Any undergraduate curricular deficiencies must be completed prior to clinical practice.
4. Students will need to submit the edTPA portfolio meeting the minimum state of Georgia standards.
5. Students will need to attempt the appropriate GACE content exam to graduate and pass the exam for certification. 
6. Students will need to meet all the standards set forth by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) for the professional degree in Music Education. 

Graduation Requirements Page - M.A.T. Music Education Program

RETENTION, DISMISSAL, & READMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. The MAT in Music Education has specific, fixed loads for each semester of study that ensure completion of the degree in four consecutive semesters of study. Any exception to load must be approved by the Coordinator of Music Education and the Head of the Department of Music.
2. After admission, courses taken more than seven years prior to the semester of degree completion cannot be used to meet graduate degree requirements or admission to doctoral candidacy requirements unless otherwise indicated by individual program requirements. 
3. No more than 6 semester hours of academic work may be transferred from another institution into a College of Education graduate program.  Transfer credit will be evaluated by the academic department after the student is admitted. To be eligible, credit must be no more than seven years old at the time of admission unless otherwise approved by the program.
4. Earning grades below “B” in graduate courses will result in the following consequences: students will be dismissed from the Graduate School if they accumulate three or more academic deficiency points unless otherwise indicated by individual program policy. A grade of “C” (although it may be credited toward a degree) equals one deficiency point. A grade of “D,” “WF” or “F,” or “U” (none of which will be credited toward a degree) equals two deficiency points. 
5. If dismissed from the program, a student must sit out a minimum of two semesters before applying for readmission and may not resume classes until the subsequent cohort begins in the next year. Readmission is not guaranteed. The academic program reserves the right to place specific conditions and contingencies on any offer of readmission.