Master of Arts in Teaching

Requirements for Admission

Graduation from an accredited University;
Overall GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for full admission;
A major undergraduate program appropriate for requested teaching area;
A completed online application
$40.00 application fee;
$100 Graduate Deposit Fee;
Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from an academic source. (Ideally, this will be from a professor who taught the applicant in one or more courses);
Official transcripts from all University’s attended; and
Admissions will require a competitive score on the Miller Analogies Test.
A personal statement. This statement should be a reflection on how your personal goals as an educator tie with the Converse concept of the “Ideal” Educator. This ideal is derived from the Converse University Founder’s Ideal in which Dexter Edgar Converse said his desire was that Converse students “may be enabled to see clearly, decide wisely, and to act justly.” How do you see your Converse graduate program helping you “to see clearly, decide wisely, and to act justly”? Your personal statement should be approximately one page (250 – 300 words). In keeping with the Honor Tradition at Converse, your essay must be entirely your own work. Organize your essay clearly, proofread, and spell-check your essay carefully. Be as specific as you can as you reflect on how Converse can help you become the “Ideal” Educator.
MAT Art Education applicants must submit a digital portfolio of 10-15 works along with a listing of works/media, an artist statement, and schedule an interview with the Program Coordinator for Art Education prior to admission.

All applications will come before the Graduate Admissions Committee. The Committee will accept applicants fully or provisionally, defer applicants, or reject applicants based on its determination of likelihood for success in graduate studies. Having the minimal credentials does not guarantee a student’s admission.

Prospective students may wish to schedule an appointment with the program director in their area of study.

The Converse Electronic System Powered by Student Learning & Licensure (SLL)

All MAT candidates are required to purchase SLL. Candidates submit a minimum of six to eight lesson plans, portfolios, projects, or other work samples via the Converse electronic system powered by SLL. Professors assess candidate work through this online system as well. The Education Department uses SLL to track candidate performance and to measure program effectiveness.

SLL accounts are active for the duration of a candidate’s degree program plus a year or a total of five years, whichever is greater.

Requirements for Admission to Teacher Education

Teacher candidates should be familiar with the department website that contains descriptions of majors/minors The Teacher Education Handbook, the Clinical Experience Handbook, the Student Teaching Handbook, important details, policies and announcements.

Apply for admission to the Teacher Education Admission Program after the completion of EDU560, Introduction to Education, and passing of Clinical I, and after you have met all of the following criteria:

Accepting score on the Millers Analogy Test
Statement of Disclosure-prior felony misdemeanor convictions

Requirements for Degree

To meet requirements for the MAT degree, the graduate candidate must:

Complete an approved program in one of the designated areas within a five-year period from the first graduate course counted toward the MAT degree program. (Program completion depends upon the number of courses taken each semester. Normally, a minimum of two years is necessary to complete an initial certification program);
Submit Praxis II scores (Specialty Area) from designated area of degree;
Maintain an overall B (3.0) average. (Secondary and Middle Level teachers must maintain a B average in Content Area courses as well as overall program coursework.);
Have all transfer work sent to the Registrar, and approved by their appropriate dean, and program advisor, by the deadline to submit the Application for Degree form;
Complete all coursework, including any incomplete courses, with grades submitted to the Registrar by the required date for graduates at the end of the spring term;
Request and complete the Application for Degree form by the deadline for May Commencement;
Complete the graduate questionnaire, for which students will receive a link through their Converse email; and
Fulfill all financial obligations and have cleared any outstanding business with the University one week prior to the Commencement exercises.

It is the responsibility of the student, not the adviser, to ensure the completion of all requirements.

Registration For Classes

Students may register online, by mail or on-site prior to the beginning of classes. See Academic Calendar for specific dates.

Standardized Tests

Prerequisite for admission to the teacher Education program is an accepting score on the Miller Analogy Test (MAT). Program completers at the Graduate level are defined as those students who receive a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree, complete a graduate Teacher Education Program that includes student teaching, and demonstrate mastery of content by obtaining a passing score on the Praxis II and Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT).

Clinical Experiences

The teacher education curriculum at Converse University includes sequential clinical experiences in public school settings. A candidate must complete at least two of these clinical experiences prior to student teaching. The state of South Carolina requires a SLED background check and a clear TB test report for anyone entering a public school classroom for a clinical experience. Visit: http://tinyurl.com/Clinicals

Student Teaching

Student teaching is the capstone experience for the candidate who completes a program in any one of the initial certification areas. Prior to student teaching, candidates complete course work, examinations, clinical experiences, and other requirements. During student teaching the candidates have opportunities to apply the theories and principles they have studied during their course work in teacher education. The student teaching experience includes sixty full days in the classroom during the spring or fall term and carries nine credit hours. Candidates are required by the State of South Carolina to complete an application for student teaching one year in advance of the student teaching term. Complete instructions are available in the Graduate Studies office. Placement requests are due by September 15 for the following Spring term and March 1 for the following Fall term. Placements must be in a public school located in the upstate of South Carolina. Generally, this would include Greenville, Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties.