Secondary Education, M.A.T., English/Language Arts Concentration (Traditional Program)
This program is for those with a baccalaureate degree and undergraduate coursework in English who seek an Illinois secondary education certificate. Candidates will be eligible for certification in Secondary Education (Type 09) with an endorsement in English. Visit Certifications and Endorsements at NLU for more details.
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
- Have 32 semester hours of coursework in English (12 semester hours of upper division courses)
- Pass the Content Test in English/Language Arts
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 | |
| EPS511 | Human Learning and Development in Instructional Contexts | |
Secondary Education – 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 | |
| SEC590B | Student Teaching Secondary School Language Arts/English | |
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 | |
| SEC590B | Student Teaching Secondary School Language Arts/English | |