Pre‑affiliating with the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) allows you to begin your teacher preparation journey and graduate‑level coursework while you’re still an undergraduate at UNC‑Chapel Hill. Students may apply to affiliate with Pre‑MAT as early as their first semester at Carolina. Students must complete the pre-requisites required for the program to be eligible to apply. If a student has more room in their schedule, they can then take classes that can transfer to the MAT.
As a Pre‑MAT student, you can:
- Take up to 12 credit hours of approved graduate‑level School of Education courses; these courses can also count towards your undergraduate degree.
- Transfer eligible credits toward the UNC MAT if you are later admitted to the program
No. Students affiliated with Pre‑MAT must still apply to the Master of Arts in Teaching program through the Graduate School. Applications are reviewed in a priority pool during the admission process, with more weight given to students who have opted to take the graduate level coursework during their time in undergrad.
UNC‑Chapel Hill students may apply to affiliate with Pre‑MAT as early as when they are accepted to Carolina through our assured admission program or through application once you have arrived at Carolina. Pre‑MAT affiliation is only for UNC‑Chapel Hill undergraduates.
Undergraduate coursework for Pre‑MAT affiliation is intended to support future graduate study, and all course selections should be made in close consultation with an academic advisor. A full list of eligible courses — up to a maximum of 12 credit hours—can be found on the School of Education’s About Credit Transfers page. To be able to transfer a course to the MAT program, a B+ or higher must be earned in the class.
No. You may take up to 12 credit hours of eligible coursework, but you are not required to take all the listed courses. There are rules associated with transferring credit into a graduate school program, so taking all listed courses will not allow for all to be transferred to the master’s program. Credits transferred from an undergraduate students should consult with advisors to discuss what coursework may be most beneficial for them as they plan their graduate coursework.
Students can transfer coursework to the MAT program from other institutions. Please connect with the MAT program to learn if your coursework will be approved to be transferred into the program.
We encourage students to discuss course planning with an academic advisor within the School of Education. We work to make sure you are prioritizing your pre-requisites for the program and then seeing how the transfer coursework can be included as well. Each student’s coursework mapping will look different.
No. Student teaching is not included in Pre‑MAT. It is a requirement of the full Master of Arts in Teaching program and is completed after a student is formally admitted to the graduate program.
Yes. Pre‑MAT affiliation is flexible. If your plans change, you can update your affiliation status at any time. Pre‑affiliating doesn’t lock you into the MAT program — it simply gives you the option to take up to 12 credit hours of approved graduate‑level coursework early, which may later count toward the MAT, if you’re admitted. If you decide not to pursue the MAT, there’s no penalty; the courses you’ve taken can still count toward your undergraduate degree if they were approved to double‑count.
Yes, students are eligible to take classes that are eligible for transfer into the MAT program without being affiliated to the pre-MAT. However, access to seats may be limited without affiliation.
It depends, as not all teacher licensure pathways are eligible for NC Teaching Fellows. Students pursuing elementary education, special education or secondary STEM education in North Carolina are eligible for the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, which offers up to $10,000 a year ($5,000 per semester) in forgivable loans for students.
Students pursuing secondary Social Studies or English and Language Arts are not eligible.
UNC–Chapel Hill undergraduates may apply for Pre‑MAT affiliation as soon as they are admitted to the University. Students complete a brief online request form through the School of Education to indicate their interest in pursuing the Master of Arts in Teaching after graduation. Once affiliated, students gain access to advising and may enroll in approved graduate‑level coursework.
For questions about admissions, program requirements, or advising, contact the Office of Student Affairs at education_studentaffairs@unc.edu, attend an upcoming virtual information session, or schedule an appointment with an undergraduate advisor.