PROGRAM in LANGUAGE ARTS

Master of Arts in Teaching: Language Arts

The Master of Arts in Teaching: Language Arts Program has been designed for returning students who wish to obtain initial teacher certification at the elementary or secondary level along with a master’s degree in the area of Language Arts and English instruction. This program has three components of coursework:

  • Professional Core in the areas of multicultural education, media technology, literacy theory/pedagogy, general curriculum development, and research- 18 credit hours
  • Concentration in Language Arts with courses in curriculum and instruction, reading, linguistics, TESL, English and/or speech- 18 credit hours,
  • Certification coursework composed of additional pedagogical study and field experiences (including 100 hours of clinical experiences and student teaching internship)
  • 15 credit hours for elementary and 9 credit hours for secondary.

Students must also have completed general education requirements as specified by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Admission Requirements:

  • Elementary: an undergraduate Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college
  • Secondary: An undergraduate or graduate Bachelor's degree in English from an accredited university or college.
  • A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 (4.0 scale)
  • Undergraduate coursework in English (composition or literature), Speech~Drama or Linguistics: for the elementary sequence, 18 credit hours are required; for the secondary sequence, a major in English with a minimum of 32 credit hours is required.
  • Six (6) credit hours in the history/ philosophy of education (EDFN-405: Development of Educational Thought) and educational psychology (learning and development: EDFN-406: Human Development and Learning) or equivalent.
  • Graduate Records Examination score
  • Passing score on the Illinois State Board of Education Basic Skills Examination

State teacher examinations:
M.A.T. students are required to pass State of Illinois Basic Skills, Subject Matter Knowledge, and the Assesment of Professional Teaching tests. Study guides and applications are available at www.icts.nesinc,com

Middle School Endorsement is integrated into the required coursework of the elementary and secondary sequences. Students who complete the MAT Program will receive Middle School Endorsement.

Criminal Background Check
Beginning Spring 2004, students will be required to complete a criminal background check prior to school placement for clinicals and student teaching. More information can be obtained from the CEST office.

Requirements for the degree:
Program students must see their advisor to obtain a copy of the course sequence and the program retention criteria. All graduate credits will be at the 400 level, except for a limited number of 300 level courses specifically approved for graduate degree credits in a given Master’s degree program. Departments may permit students to apply up to three of these 300 level courses, to a maximum of ten credit hours, to fulfill program requirements. This policy applies to all students entering graduate degree programs beginning with Fall 1997. Consult with your program advisor or the Graduate College for details.

Secondary Sequence: 45 credit hours

1. Professional Core.................................................... 18 cr.

EDFN 416 - Cultural Pluralism and the Schools..............3 cr.
SCED 401L - New Directions in the Teaching of English in the Junior-Senior High School with Clinical Experience...............3 cr. (Apply to CLS 4023 six months in advance)
ELED 430 - Trends and Issues in Assessment................3 cr.
INMD 410 - Media Technology for Educators.................3 cr.
READ 402 - Issues in Reading Instruction.......................3 cr.
SCED 421L - Research in the Teaching of Language Arts..............................3 cr.

2. Language Arts Concentration................................ 18 cr.
SCED 407A - Teaching Multiethnic Literature in Junior and Senior High Schools with Clinical
Experience...............................................3 cr. (Apply to CEST Office CLS 4023 six months in advance)
READ 415 - Reading and Writing in the Content Area.....3 cr.
TESL 402 - Fundamentals of Modern Linguistics...........3 cr.
Electives selected from areas of English Literature, Creative Writing, Linguistics, TESL or Speech.................9 cr.
See your program advisor for recommended courses.

3. Certification Component.......................................... 9 cr.
SPED 404 - Survey of the Field of Special Education.....3 cr.
SCED 429 - Internship in Secondary Education.....6 cr. (Apply to CLS 4023 one year in advance)

4. Oral Examination
A final oral exam scheduled in the final term of completion of all coursework.

5. Two research papers
One is required in SCED 421L.

Note: For descriptions of the coursework and prerequisites, please see pertinent sections of the catalog.

Contact Information

 For more information, please contact Dr. Katy Smith at k-smith1@neiu.edu