MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING (MAT)
Middle Grades Education
Online-Synchronous
33-36 major credits
*
1 year, 16 weeks -OR- 2.5 years
**New Accelerated Model allows candidates to complete coursework in one year, plus 16-week semester of student teaching! Students can select either the traditional model (2.5 years) or accelerated model when applying.**
Program Overview
The Master of Arts in Teaching: Middle Grades Education program is designed to prepare qualified professional for teaching in middle school settings. Upon successful completion of degree requirements, candidates are eligible for a Professional Educator License (PEL) with a middle grade endorsement from the state of Illinois for grades 5 through 8 inclusive.
Program Objectives
Concordia-Chicago’s MAT in Middle Grades Education emphasizes the following:
- The development of core competencies in instructional planning, delivery and assessment
- Respect and support for diversity in educational settings
- How to ethically lead learning
- The role of standards within the profession
- The commitment to continuous improvement
- The establishment of positive, social-emotional learning cultures
- The development of collaborative relationships to serve the learning of every student
- An understanding of adolescent development
- The importance of reflective practice and culturally responsive teaching
Areas of Study
| Course Number | Title | Hours |
| Prerequisites to Professional Courses | ||
| EDUC-6045 | Introduction to Theories of Learning and Cognition | 3 |
| EDUC-6435 | Introduction to Education | 3 |
| Professional Courses: Students must be admitted to Teacher Candidacy to continue | ||
| EDSC-6230 | Literacy Instruction for Content Area Classrooms: Middle and Secondary | 3 |
| EDSC-6570 | Teaching Diverse Learners at the Secondary Level | 3 |
| EDUC-6040 | Introduction to Classroom Teaching and Technology for Learning | 3 |
| EDUC-6060 | Classroom Management and Assessment | 3 |
| EDUC-6290 | Characteristics and Instruction of Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDUC-6415 | Professional Responsibility and Ethics for Teachers | 3 |
| EDUC-6445 | Introduction to Research: Pre-Service Teachers | 3 |
| Select one of the following courses per chosen major (3 hours): | ||
| EDSC-6602 | Content and Methods for Teaching English at the Middle and Secondary Levels | 3 |
| EDSC-6606 | ||
| EDSC-6618 | Content and Methods for Teaching Science at the Middle and Secondary Levels | 3 |
| EDSC-6619 | ||
| Student Teaching Internship Semester | ||
| EDUC-6985 | ||
| Select one: | ||
| EDUC-6922 | Student Teaching: Secondary Education | 6 |
| EDUC-6925 | MAT Capstone* | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 33-36 |
* This course may only be taken with special approval of the Director of Field Experience and the Division Chair
Concentration Areas & Content Coursework Requirements for MAT - Middle Grades Education Program Studies
-Requires grades of C or higher in college-level coursework (not remedial) to fulfill content coursework requirements.
-Must be completed at regionally accredited institution(s) of higher education and be documented on official transcript(s).
- English Language Arts *Fully Online*
- 3 semester hours: American Literature
- 3 semester hours: Additional Literature course
- 3 semester hours: Composition or Writing
- 3 semester hours: Communication or Speech
- 6 additional semester hours from required categories above or journalism, grammar, non-print media, literacy, linguistics, or rhetoric.
- Mathematics *Methods Course Meets in Hybrid Format On-Campus*
- 3 semester hours: Calculus I
- 3 semester hours: Calculus II
- 3 semester hours: Linear Algebra
- 3 semester hours: College Geometry (beyond analytical geometry)
- 3 semester hours: Statistics/Probability
- 3 additional semester hours in abstract algebra, history of math, group/ring/number theory or proof, probability, real/complex analysis, or discrete math/computer science (mathematical aspects)
- Science *Fully Online*
- 3-4 semester hours: Physical Science (autecology, conservation, dendrology, ecosystems, entomology, forestry courses as related to ecology and habitat management, population dynamics, and silviculture, chemistry, Analytical chemistry, atomic structures, biochemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, quantitative chemistry, thermodynamics, physics, electricity, nuclear physics, physics, quantum mechanics, radioactivity, relativity, solid state physics, thermodynamics)
- 3-4 semester hours: Life Science (anatomy, bacteriology, biochemistry, biology, botany, embryology, endocrinology, ethology, evolution, genetics, herpetology, microbiology, mycology, ornithology, paleontology, physiology, plant taxonomy, synecology, zoology)
- 3-4 semester hours: Earth and Space Science (astronomy, cosmology, earth science, environmental geography, geology, geomatics, geomorphology, hydrology, landscape ecology, meteorology, mineralogy, oceanography, physical geography (land masses, physical landscapes, etc.), weather/climatology)
- Additional hours of science courses (including Physical Science, Life Science and/or Earth and Space Science) to reach 18 hours
- Social Science *Fully Online*
- 3 semester hours: History of Illinois
- 3 semester hours: U.S. History
- 3 semester hours: World History
- 3 semester hours: Additional history course
- 6 additional semester hours from required categories above or geography, civics and government, or economics.
Clinical Experience (Pre-Professional Hours)
- 100 hours (all pre-professional hours are embedded in the MAT coursework and must be completed prior to student teaching).
- Each course will describe the number of hours required to be completed in classrooms and the nature of the experience that a candidate must complete.
Capstone Experience
- Positive Impact Presentation (PIP) on student learning
- Teacher Performance Assessment [edTPA]: State-required portfolio, taken during the student teaching semester, is to be passed and submitted to the Illinois State Board of Education prior to licensing (PEL).
Note
This is only an introduction of the program. You are responsible to review the Graduate Catalog for program details.
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What Teachers Are Saying
"Concordia University Chicago offers a convenient cohort program that made attending school, working, and being a single parent accessible and attainable. The Curriculum and Instruction Master's program met on the same weekday for two years and maintained a predictable and realistic schedule."
"A colleague of mine handed me a flyer about all of the programs offered at Concordia University Chicago and what appealed to me was that there was a location offered right down the street from where I live and the programs were arranged so that you were able to continue working while moving towards your master's degree."
"My master’s degree from Concordia University Chicago has helped me to become more of an expert in my field. I feel more confident in knowing what my students need and how to meet their needs. I also believe that it has helped me to stand out as a leader in education."
