All students pursuing the Master of Arts in Teaching will be required to complete core experiences in which they demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to assessment, diversity and special needs, human development and learning, and pedagogy in their content area.
Check departmental information for any additional requirements.
All applicants for the Master of Arts in Teaching program must meet requirements for admission to the Graduate School and be accepted for admission by the program coordinator and Department.
An applicant for admission must provide 1.) at least two letters of recommendation from professors, employers or supervisors that provide supportive evidence of an applicant’s professional qualifications; 2.) a personal statement relating to why they are interested in this program; and 3.) all college or university transcripts.
Specialization in Elementary Education with Initial Licensure
The Master of Arts in Teaching specialization in elementary education with initial licensure prepares students to become teachers in elementary schools. They will complete all requirements for a Professional Educator License to teach grades first through sixth.
Graduate Program Learning Modality: This program can be completed fully online.
Specialization in Middle Level Education with Initial Licensure
The Master of Arts in Teaching specialization in middle level education with initial licensure prepares students to become teachers in middle schools. They will complete all requirements for a Professional Educator License to teach grades fifth through eighth.
Deficiency Study for Specialization in Middle Level Education with Initial Licensure
The Illinois State Board of Education requires 24 credit hours of coursework in the endorsement subject area, including at least 3 credit hours of methods coursework. Methods coursework is included in the required courses for the MAT program, but an evaluation of transcripts may identify course work deficiencies for the remaining 18-21 content coursework hours required by the Illinois State Board of Education. Identified deficiencies must be satisfactorily met prior to student teaching. Students are encouraged to resolve deficiencies as early in the program of study as possible. A schedule for completing courses identified as deficiencies may be established by the academic adviser.
Professional Education Requirements (16-29)
Students pursuing the Master of Arts in Teaching with initial licensure in Elementary or Middle Level Education require a minimum of 29 semester hours of graduate course work. Students pursuing the Master of Arts in Teaching with initial licensure in Early Childhood Education require a minimum of 16 semester hours of graduate course work. These consist of the following professional education requirements:
Requirements for Endorsement in One of the Following Content Endorsement Areas:
Middle Grades Content Endorsement: English Language Arts (6)
For a middle-grades language arts endorsement, students must complete 24 hours of literacy content, which shall include three hours of content-specific methods focused on the middle grades
For a middle-grades math endorsement, students must complete 24 hours of math content, which shall include three hours of content-specific methods focused on the middle grades.
For a middle-grades science endorsement, students must complete 24 hours of science content, which shall include three hours of content-specific methods focused on the middle grades, and coursework in each of the following areas: physical, life and earth and space sciences.
Middle Grades Content Endorsement: Social Science (3)
For a middle-grades social science endorsement, students must complete 24 hours of social science content including three hours of content-specific methods focused on the middle grades, and coursework in each of the following areas, in relation to Illinois, the United States and the world: history, geography, civics and government and economics.
