Specialization in Health Education, 6-12 and Middle School
A Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) with specialization in Health Education prepares candidates with a baccalaureate degree to apply for secondary licensure (Type 09) and middle school endorsement to teach health in Illinois secondary and middle schools. Successful completion of this specialization leads to health education initial educator licensure. Licensure is granted on the basis of completion of an accredited program of study in health education, two recommended courses regarding middle school students and schools, and passing the required ICTS tests. By completing these requirements, students will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to assessment, diversity and special needs, human development and learning, and pedagogy in the content area.
Admission
All applicants to the M.A.T. program must meet requirements for admission to the Graduate School and be accepted for admission by the faculty admissions committee of the specialization in health education. The completed application must include GRE scores, official transcripts verifying the applicant’s baccalaureate degree, two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors that can provide supportive evidence of the applicant’s professional qualifications and potential for success in graduate study, and a writing sample that describes the applicant’s career goals and philosophy of health education.
Students may apply a maximum combined total of 18 semester hours of graduate credit earned as a student-at-large at NIU or as transfer credit, with their adviser’s approval, from another institution toward the M.A.T. degree.
Admitted candidates must pass the ICTS Test of Academic Proficiency prior to enrolling in PHHE 622.
Deficiency Study
Students are expected to enter the degree program with background in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, current health concepts including first aid and CPR, an introductory psychology course, and a basic educational technology course. Students may demonstrate their basic psychology knowledge by taking EPS 300 or its equivalent. Students may demonstrate their basic knowledge of the use of computers in education by completing ETT 229 or by passing a competency test. Students with inadequate background in health content knowledge may be required to make up these deficiencies with faculty adviser approval.
Criminal Background Checks and Drug Screening
Students in nursing and the M.A.T. are required to undergo criminal background checks and drug screening. The nursing program and the M.A.T. with a specialization in health education may be unable to place students in a clinical or student teaching settings if they have a positive drug screen or if the student has a prior criminal record; therefore, the student may not be able to complete the program of required courses.
Requirements
The student must complete at least 46 semester hours of graduate course work; at least 34 of the 46 semester hours must be in health education. All courses outside health education must be approved by the school in advance.
The student must follow a program of study. This program will be designed by the student and his or her adviser and will be built upon the program requirements below.
In lieu of a comprehensive examination, the student must submit a completed capstone research-based project in the form of an electronic portfolio of a Teacher Work Sample to be reviewed by the faculty adviser. The portfolio is completed in the last semester of course work and contains required artifacts and reflections that demonstrate mastery of the professional teaching standards and degree requirements. If a student’s portfolio fails to pass as the capstone project, it may be repeated once with permission of the faculty member and approval of the school.
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