Detailed Information
Program of Study
Agnes Scott College offers a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) Secondary Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics. The program is open to men and women with strong academic qualifications who seek certification to teach and who want the benefits of small classes, choice student teaching placements, and an academic environment that is purposeful yet personal.
The Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics program is a twelve-month course of study that leads to a master’s degree and certification to teach in one of four areas: secondary mathematics, secondary biology, secondary chemistry, or secondary physics. A part-time, two-year program is also an option.
The curriculum for mathematics students links a deep understanding of content knowledge with the development of pedagogical skills and educational theory. In the sciences, students benefit from Agnes Scott’s partnership with the Fernbank Science Center, which provides science education for elementary and secondary students in DeKalb County.
Research Facilities
The College’s $36.5-million Mary Brown Bullock Science Center, which opened in 2003, has laboratories and computer facilities for research in biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology. These include a nuclear magnetic resonance machine lab; high-end computers for scientific computing, teaching, and research; walk-in controlled environment rooms; a neurophysiology laboratory; and animal physiology workstations. Bradley Observatory has undergone extensive renovation and addition. The Delafield Planetarium has a computer-controlled Zeiss projector, as well as a 30-inch Beck telescope, one of the largest in the Southeast.
McCain Library provides access to the Internet at every seat. Agnes Scott’s reciprocal library service gives students direct access to the libraries of eighteen other institutions in the Atlanta-Athens area. Extensive electronic resources are available through the GALILEO project of the University System of Georgia.
Financial Aid
Students studying in the M.A.T. program are eligible to receive federal Stafford Loans, GradPLUS, and private student loans. College-administered financial aid is not available for graduate students.
M.A.T. students who are Georgia residents may qualify for the Georgia HOPE Teacher Scholarship Loan Program, which provides graduate students at private institutions up to $9600 in forgivable loans to complete a master’s degree to teach in a critical shortage field. The loans are forgiven by teaching in Georgia public school classrooms. Students can apply for these loans online at http://www.GACollege411.org.
Federal loan limits for M.A.T. students are $8500 in subsidized Stafford Loans and $12,000 in additional unsubsidized Stafford Loans.
A student may apply for a GradPLUS loan or a private student loan to cover the remaining cost of education, including living expenses. The Agnes Scott Office of Financial Aid can provide students with information on the amount of eligibility as well as application information.
Cost of Study
Tuition for the M.A.T. program in 2009–10 is $475 per credit hour. In addition, there is a student activity and technology fee of $415. The student health insurance fee of $450 is waived if a student has proof of health insurance.
Living and Housing Costs
Two-bedroom apartments are available within walking distance of campus for $900 to $1050 per month. Estimated utilities costs are $100–$150 per month.
Student Group
In 2008–09, there were 18 students in the M.A.T. programs. Students enter the program with a bachelor’s degree with a major or significant preparation in the teaching discipline.
Location
Agnes Scott’s 100-acre wooded campus is located in metropolitan Atlanta and the historic residential community of Decatur. Downtown Atlanta is 6 miles away and is accessible by a rapid-transit rail station two blocks from campus. Atlanta offers opportunities for personal contact with most of the world’s cultures and entertainment that ranges from popular music to performances of the Atlanta Symphony, from local theater to touring Broadway shows, and from recreational parks to major league sports and the world’s largest aquarium. It is also home to a presidential library, the High Museum of Art, and eighteen other colleges and universities.
The College and The Program
Agnes Scott has approximately 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students who come from forty-three states and twenty-five countries, with 33 percent of the students representing diverse ethnic or cultural backgrounds. Students are challenged by a rigorous academic environment but supported by faculty members who take a personal interest in their success.
One graduate of the M.A.T. Secondary English program said Agnes Scott’s challenging yet encouraging atmosphere “gives you the formula to find your voice” (Sylvia Martinez ’98). Another said that “at Agnes Scott, I acquired the attitude of the ‘assumed pursuit of excellence’” (Al Carson ’01).
Applying
To qualify for the program, students must have a bachelor’s degree in or significant preparation in the academic discipline (math, biology, chemistry, or physics); an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in the major and overall; a passing score on the GACE Basic Skills assessment; and GRE scores above the 50th percentile in one of the three areas.
Applicants must submit an official college transcript from each college/university attended (if applying during the senior year, it must be sent when the degree is completed); GACE Basic Skills assessment scores; GRE scores; three letters of recommendation; a one-page, single-spaced statement of purpose; and a completed application and $35 nonrefundable application fee. An applicant who has an SAT total score of at least 1000 (verbal plus math scores) or a minimum ACT score of 43 (obtained by adding the English and math scores) or a GRE total score of at least 1030 (verbal plus quantitative scores) is exempt from submitting GACE scores.
The deadline for applications for summer admission is March 15. Application materials will be accepted after this date as long as initial contact has been established with the Office of Graduate Studies by March 15. All items should be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies.
The Faculty and Their Research
- Art Bowling, Associate Professor of Physics; Ph.D.,Illinois. Classical mechanics, thermal physics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics and mathematical methods for physics.
- Lesley Coia, Associate Professor of Education and Chair; Ph.D., London. Philosophy of education, self-study practices in teacher education.
- Gordon Malcolm Emert Jr., Associate Professor of Education and Director of Teacher Education Programs; Ph.D., Virginia. Curriculum development and instructional methods in English education.
- Lilia Harvey, Associate Professor of Chemistry; Ph.D., Georgia Tech. Organic synthesis and photochemistry.
- Marquita Jackson-Minot, Assistant Professor of Education; Ph.D., Emory. Early childhood education, culturally responsive teaching practices, reflective practice, the influence of remembered teachers on teaching pedagogy.
- O. C. Lam, Visiting Professor of Biology and Professor Emeritus at Clayton State University; Ph.D., Georgia. Environmental education, in-service teacher training.
- Myrtle H. Lewin, Professor of Mathematics and Chair; Ph.D., Wisconsin. Historical and cultural aspects of the development of geometry, pedagogy and gender equity issues in teaching mathematics.
- Karen Thompson, Associate Professor of Biology; Ph.D., Oregon. Differences between male and female insect nervous systems that allow for differences in sexual behavior, significance of the neural mechanisms underlying evolution of specialized behavior.
Correspondence and Information
Agnes Scott College
Myrtle Lewin, Coordinator, M.A.T. Program in Secondary Mathematics
Doug Talbott, Graduate Studies Program Coordinator
Office of Graduate Studies
141 E. College Avenue
Decatur, Georgia 30030-3770
Telephone:
404 471-5394
800 868-8602 Ext. 5394 (toll-free)
Email:
graduatestudies@agnesscott.edu
