Secondary Education, M.A.T., English/Language Arts Concentration (Alternative Certification)

This route to the M.A.T. and teacher certification is for candidates accepted into one of NLU’s alternative certification partner programs. Candidates in these programs teach in Chicago Public Schools while completing their certification coursework.

Students working for this certification hold a one-year PROVISIONAL certificate during the first year. After completing certified courses and a year-long internship, they receive an ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATE.

Teachers may apply for an INITIAL CERTIFICATE (the standard Type 09) after four years of teaching.

In addition to National College of Education Graduate Admissions Requirements, applicants must:

Pass the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP)
Have a grade point average of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of coursework
Have a grade point average of 3.0 or better in English coursework
32 semester hours of coursework in English (12 semester hours of upper division courses)
Pass the Content Test in English/Language Arts
Note: The written statement and three references are waived

In addition, candidates must fulfill all of the areas listed below:

9 SH in Writing Skills: 6 SH of Composition (Comp I/II, advanced writing courses or writing-intensive courses) and 3 SH of Creative Writing
17 SH must be in Literature: one course in each of the following areas:
- Introduction to Literary Criticism
- American Literature
- English Literature
- Non-Western or Ethnic American Literature
- Shakespeare
- Poetry or Adolescent Literature
6 SH can be in writing, literature, speech, or journalism

This degree requires:

32 SH
An internship
That candidates choose 6 SH of electives from one of the following areas: Reading, ESL, Middle Level or Special Education (see tables below)

MAT Core - 8 SH

FND504	History and Philosophy of American Education
ESR514	Research in Action: Becoming Practitioner Researchers
ESR511	Action Research II: Contextualizing and Analyzing

Secondary Education – Alternative Certification in English Requirements - 18 SH

SEC502	Introduction to Teaching at the Secondary Level
SEC525	American Urban Education
SPE500	Introduction to Exceptional Children and Adolescents/Special Education
SEC512	Teaching English in the Secondary Level
SEC592B	Secondary Education Alternative Certification: Internship for English Language Arts

Secondary Education – Reading Electives - 6 SH

Choose 6 SH from the following:

RLR502	Teaching Comprehension and Content Reading
	or
RLR503	Teaching Content Area and Advanced Reading
	and
RLL522	Adolescent Literature
	or
RLL528	Survey of Multicultural Literature K-12

Note: If needed to equal 6 SH, a Reading Elective can be chosen under advisement

Secondary Education – ESL Electives - 6 SH

CIL500	Foundations of ESL and Bilingual Education
CIL505	Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language

Secondary Education – Middle Level Electives - 6 SH

MLE500	Middle School: An Overview
MLE502	Middle Level Curriculum

Secondary Education – Special Education Electives - 6 SH

Choose two courses from:

SPE501	Educational and Diagnostic Assessment of Exceptional Children and Adolescents
SPE506	Frameworks and Perspectives in Special Education
SPE507	Social/Emotional Development and Teaching and Support
SPE527	Individualized Curriculum and Instruction

The following courses are required for certification.

Candidates may become certified prior to completion of the M.A.T. degree, and have six years from the beginning of coursework to complete the degree. Candidates are strongly advised to complete the degree.

FND504	History and Philosophy of American Education
EPS511	Human Learning and Development in Instructional Contexts
SPE500	Introduction to Exceptional Children and Adolescents/Special Education
SPE502	Language Development and Challenges in Children and Adolescents
SEC512	Teaching English in the Secondary Level
SEC592B	Secondary Education Alternative Certification: Internship for English Language Arts