Secondary Education, M.A.T., Mathematics Concentration (Resident Teacher Program)

With this program, NLU partners with the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) to deliver the M.A.T. Secondary Education program in a model which integrates a ten-month teaching residency and 12 months of graduate level coursework.

Program participants spend one year working full-time in Chicago Public Schools classrooms with mentor teachers. While gaining classroom experience, participants take the coursework that allows them to earn a full Master of Arts in Teaching degree from NLU.

Graduates contract to work in an underperforming Chicago Public School for a minimum of four years.

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.

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

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 36 SH for completion
  • Requires student teaching

MAT Core - 2 SH

EPS 511Human Learning and Development in Instructional Contexts

2 OR 3

Note: EPS 511 must be taken for 2 semester hours.

Secondary Education – Mathematics Requirements - 28 SH

CIL 505Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language

3

RLR 540Teaching Content Area Literacy at the Middle and Secondary Level

3

SEC 502Introduction to Teaching at the Secondary Level

5

SEC 514Methods of Teaching Mathematics at the Secondary and Middle Levels

5

SEC 597CResident Student Teaching in Secondary Education Mathematics

2

SPE 500Introduction to and Methods of Teaching Students with Disabilities

3

TIE 535Instructional Design Foundations for Digital Age Learning Environments

1 TO 3

Notes: SEC 514 must be taken for 5 semester hours. SEC 597C must be taken for a total of 6 semester hours. TIE 535 must be taken for 3 semester hours.

Secondary Education Elective Options - 6 SH

Choose one pair of the courses below:

SPE 501Educational and Diagnostic Assessment of Exceptional Children and Adolescents

3

and

SPE 506Frameworks, Perspectives, and Collaboration in Special Education

3

or

CIL 500Foundations of ESL and Bilingual Education

3

and

CIL 510Assessment of ESL and Bilingual Education Students

3

or

MLE 500Middle School: An Overview

3

and

MLE 502Middle Level Curriculum

3

or

RLW 541Teaching Writing

2 TO 3

and

RLL 520Survey of Youth Literature, PreK-12

3

or

RLL 522Adolescent Literature

2 TO 3

or

RLL 528Diverse Perspectives in Youth Literature, PreK-12

3

Note: If selected, RLW 541 and RLL 522 must be taken for 3 semester hours.

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 597C (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