History is in the making at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) as applications are now being accepted for the college's first graduate degree, the Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education (MATSE). The inaugural cohort will begin classes on Jan. 11, 2027.
The MATSE is an accelerated, hybrid, cohort-based program that prepares students to teach a content area in grades 6-12. Students complete a year-long clinical placement in a middle or high school and can earn their degree in less than 18 months. Graduates will be eligible for the Georgia Professional Standards Commission's T-5 teaching certificate, which qualifies them for a higher starting salary than teachers who hold only a bachelor's degree.
"This degree is designed for recent college graduates, career changers, those transitioning from military service, individuals teaching outside their certification field and educators working with a provisional teaching certificate," said Dr. Angie Jasper, dean of GGC's School of Education. "The demand for qualified teachers remains high, and this program will help prepare educators to fill critical workforce needs across Georgia."
According to the Georgia Department of Education, approximately 3,200 teaching positions remain vacant statewide, with more than 800 of those openings in Gwinnett, Fulton and Cobb counties. Special education, mathematics and science teachers account for more than one-third of the vacancies.
The MATSE prepares future educators for several high-demand certification fields in secondary education, including biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, geography, political science, mathematics, physics, economics and English.
Applications are now being accepted at www.GGC.edu/MATSE.