初次认证的中级教育MAT导致具有学士学位和内容专业的合格人员（或等同于那些在认可地区有资格获得临时临时认证的人员）的初中认证（5-9年级） 。该课程的课程工作和经验为具有各自学科专业知识但没有专业教育背景的学生提供了教学知识和技能，以使其成为各自领域的高素质教育者。该计划完成后，毕业生将是专业的教育工作者，他们具备运用最先进的，循证的，最佳的教学实践以提高学生成绩的能力和技能。
The MAT in Middle Grades Education for Initial Certification leads to initial certification in Middle Grades Education (grades 5-9) for qualified individuals with bachelor’s degrees and content majors (or equivalent for those who qualify for temporary provisional certification in approved areas). Course work and experiences in the program provide students who have a deep knowledge of their respective disciplines, but no background in professional education, with the pedagogical knowledge and skills to become highly qualified educators in their fields. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be professional educators who possess the dispositions and skills to apply state-of-the-art, evidence-based, best teaching practices to increase student achievement. There are three concentrations in this program: Alternate Route to Certification Concentration for EnglishLanguage Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science (EARC) Standard Concentration for EnglishLanguage Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science (ESTN) Residency Concentration for Science and Mathematics (ERSM) (e.g. GSKyTeach)<br><br>Students in all three concentrations are expected to become competent in theory, research, and application of best teaching practices in their respective fields and to exhibit appropriate teacher disposition behaviors as indicated by the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Disposition Rating Form. All professional education courses in the program require satisfactory completion of critical performance indicators (CPIs); these must be submitted as directed before the final course grade is recorded. Each course’s CPIs become a part of the student’s portfolio that is reviewed periodically throughout the program. Students who seek admission to the Alternate Route to Teacher Certification must meet additional requirements in order to qualify for temporary provisional certification, and they must complete all requirements for certification within three years of the time of employment by a school district. A recommendation for professional certification will be contingent upon successful completion of the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP) and submission of qualifying scores on all required examinations for the desired area of certification. Additional information about the Alternate Route to Teacher Certification concentrations may be found on the website for the Office of Professional Educator Services.