Secondary Education, M.A.T., Mathematics Concentration (Traditional Program)
This program is for those with a baccalaureate degree and undergraduate coursework in Mathematics who seek Illinois secondary education licensure. Graduates will be eligible for a Professional Educator License endorsed for secondary education/ Mathematics (grades 9 to 12). Visit Licensure and Endorsement at NLU for more details.
For more information on state licensure and certification information please visit NLU’s Public Disclosures page.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):
1. Develop and practice a philosophy of education based on self-reflection.
2. Use knowledge of students to design a respectful learning community in which learning experiences are engaging, challenging, and meet the diverse needs of all learners.
3. Develop instructional practices that facilitate higher-order thinking and depth of student understanding.
4. Design and use formative and summative assessments that align with learning outcomes, inform instruction, and measure multiple forms of evidence.
5. Provide ongoing, meaningful performance feedback to enhance student learning.
6. Use current technology that is appropriate to the instructional outcomes, complements content-specific material, and actively engages students.
7. Exhibit a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of being a teacher.
In addition to National College of Education Graduate Admissions Requirements, applicants must:
- Have a grade point average of 3.0 or better in Mathematics coursework
- Have 32 SH of coursework in Mathematics (12 SH of upper division courses must be completed with a grade of "B" or better)
- Pass the Content Test in Mathematics
In addition, candidates must fulfill all of the areas listed below:
- CALCULUS (6 SH)—These courses should cover the topics of limits, continuity, differentiation and applications of integration and possibly some topics from analytic geometry. The use of calculus in solving real life problems with technology should be emphasized. The courses meeting this requirement should be sequential in nature.
- FOUNDATIONS OF GEOMETRY (or COLLEGE GEOMETRY) (3 SH)—This focuses on major concepts of Euclidean geometry, with introduction of non-Euclidean geometry, including the study of axiom and postulate-based deductive systems and the development of mathematical conjectures and proofs. The construction and representation of two and three-dimensional shapes is included as perspective drawings, or physical models, and as virtual representations, using dynamic geometry applications.
- GEOMETRY (3 SH)—Courses such as projective, affine and topology fit here. Three semester hours of an analytic geometry that was integrated in a calculus sequence may be placed here. These three semester hours of geometry must be upper (300/400/graduate) level.
- NUMBER THEORY (3 SH)—Courses should contain number theory, comparisons of numbers and number systems, and representation/application of complex numbers. Courses with titles such as group theory, ring theory and field theory will also fit in this area.
- MODERN/ABSTRACT ALGEBRA (3 SH)—Courses within this area should contain the development of the real number system and its subsystems and the analysis and explanation of procedures used for operations involving integers, rational, real and complex numbers. The use of technology to demonstrate and apply the properties of real numbers and their use in solving real life problems should also be included in this course.
- LINEAR ALGEBRA (3 SH)— The content of the course should include matrices and their operations, solutions of systems and equations, vector spaces, linear transformation, eigen values and eigenvectors with a focus on the use of linear algebra in solving real life problems. A course in matrix algebra or matrix theory will fit in this area.
- DISCRETE MATHEMATICS (3 SH)— Coursework within this area will involve the elements of graph theory, recurrence relations, finite difference approaches, linear programming and combinatorics. Coursework can also contain discrete structures and the application of algorithms. Courses with titles such as finite math, logic, data structures and discrete structures would also fit in this area.
- PROBABILITY & STATISTICS (3 SH)—Coursework in this area should contain the treatment of topics as mutually exclusive events, independent ad dependent events, conditional probability, combinatorics, random variables, sampling methods, confidence intervals, inferential statistics, distributions and correlation. Estimating probabilities and data representation using graphing calculators or statistical software should also be covered in this course. A statistics course in other areas (business, economics, etc.) may be placed here.
- HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS (3 SH)—This course provides a study of the historical development of the central concepts of mathematics from early times to the present. Students analyze the accomplishments of significant mathematicians within historical, cultural, and scientific contexts, including contributions from diverse cultures.
- MATH ELECTIVES (2 SH)—Any college-level math courses, if needed to reach 32 SH
Program Details:
- Requires 34 SH for completion
- Requires student teaching. Student teachers spend a minimum of 11 weeks in the classroom at an assigned school.
MAT Core - 4 SH
| EPS 511 | Human Learning and Development in Instructional Contexts | 2 |
| FND 510 | Social Justice Perspectives on the History and Philosophy of American Education | 2 |
Secondary Education – Mathematics Requirements - 24 SH
| CIL 505 | Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language | 3 |
| RLP 540 | Teaching Content Area Literacy at the Middle and Secondary Level | 3 |
| SEC 502 | Introduction to Teaching at the Secondary Level | 3 |
| SEC 514 | Methods of Teaching Mathematics at the Secondary and Middle Levels | 3 |
| SEC 581C | Secondary Education Practicum | 3 |
| SEC 590C | Student Teaching Seminar | 6 |
| SPE 500 | Introduction to and Methods of Teaching Students with Disabilities | 3 |
Secondary Education Elective Options - 6 SH
Choose one pair of the courses below:
| CIL 500 | Foundations of ESL and Bilingual Education | 3 |
| | and | |
| CIL 510 | Assessment of ESL and Bilingual Education Students | 3 |
| | or | |
| MGE 501 | Introduction to Middle Grades Education: Young Adolescents in Context I | 2 TO 3 |
| | and one of the following courses | |
| MGE 509 | Integrated Curriculum in the Middle Grades | 1 TO 3 |
| MGE 510 | Methods of Teaching Middle Grades Science | 3 |
| MGE 512 | Methods of Teaching Middle Grades English/Language Arts | 3 |
| MGE 514 | Methods of Teaching Middle Grades Mathematics | 3 |
| MGE 518 | Methods of Teaching Middle Grades Social Studies | 3 |
| | or | |
| RLW 541 | Teaching Writing | 2 TO 3 |
| | and | |
| RLL 520 | Survey of Youth Literature, PreK-12 | 3 |
| | or | |
| RLR 502 | Teaching Comprehension and Content Area Reading | 3 |
| | or | |
| SPE 501 | Educational and Diagnostic Assessment of Exceptional Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| | and | |
| SPE 506 | Frameworks, Perspectives, and Collaboration in Special Education | 3 |
The following courses are required for licensure:
| EPS 511 | Human Learning and Development in Instructional Contexts | 2 |
| FND 510 | Social Justice Perspectives on the History and Philosophy of American Education | 2 |
| RLP 540 | Teaching Content Area Literacy at the Middle and Secondary Level | 3 |
| SEC 502 | Introduction to Teaching at the Secondary Level | 3 |
| SEC 514 | Methods of Teaching Mathematics at the Secondary and Middle Levels | 3 |
| SEC 581C | Secondary Education Practicum | 3 |
| SEC 590C | Student Teaching Seminar | 6 |
| SPE 500 | Introduction to and Methods of Teaching Students with Disabilities | 3 |
Note: Candidates may become licensed 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 their degree.
Secondary Education Student Teaching Enrollment Requirements
Admission to and continuance in student teaching are contingent on the following actions.
Candidates must:
- Be accepted into the graduate program of National College of Education
- File, by the designated deadline, the application form for student teaching
- Submit to their advisor a report of a TB test taken within 90 days of the student teaching placement, results of criminal background check and acknowledgement of Mandated Reporter status form
- Turn in a signed log of all the pre-clinical hours specified in their pre-clinical hours required for the program
- Complete all of their licensure courses except for SEC 590C (Student Teaching)
- Pass all methods courses at National Louis University with a grade no lower than a B
- Participate in faculty assessment and receive approval of his or her portfolio (Livetext)
- Provide evidence of emotional stability, adequate personality adjustment and competency as indicated by licensure coursework and departmental assessments