General Information
The Master of Arts in Teaching degree program is an initial licensure program and is subject to the rules, regulations and laws of the state of Illinois. Concordia University Chicago offers approved MAT programs that lead to Illinois Professional Educator licensure and, as approved, programs can change to be in compliance with changing state rules and regulations.
Admission to the University
Current standards, policies and procedures for admission to Concordia University Chicago must be met by all students intending to apply to the College of Education and enter the Master of Arts in Teaching Program. Students admitted to the University to enter an MAT licensure program begin in Education Studies until all admission requirements to enter the College of Education are satisfied. Upon Admission to the College of Education, the student will be admitted into the MAT program of their choice.
Program Design
The Master of Arts in Teaching programs are designed to accommodate adult learners who are returning to school to fulfill a dream to teach. Many classes are currently offered online, both synchronously and asynchronously. Those that are not currently offered online are offered on campus in a face-to-face setting. All students must meet state requirements for completion of Field Experience observations that are scheduled during normal school hours (8AM-3PM, when schools are open) to fulfill observation requirements. Thus, candidates may need to plan time in schools to observe (and away from work) while enrolled in the program. Student teaching requires candidates to teach in an elementary, middle or secondary school for a full 16-week semester.
Transfer of Courses
Coursework to meet subject area endorsements may be transferred to Concordia University Chicago. Any transferred coursework must have a grade of C- or above to be used toward a subject area endorsement. The coursework must also meet any distribution requirements set by the state for the subject area in which an endorsement is being sought. The University will audit transcripts for compliance regarding these endorsement requirements. Transfer of education coursework from other institutions will be reviewed for acceptance by the MAT Coordinator.
Monitoring Candidate Progress Transition Points
The state of Illinois, the State Board of Education, the State Educator Preparation and Licensing Board and accrediting agencies require that approved licensure programs and recognized institutions have a continuous assessment policy in force to evaluate candidates in teacher education programs. Concordia University Chicago has established four transition points to meet these mandates. See Monitoring Candidate Progress Transition Points in the Transition Points tab.
Licensure
Students may not take a course as Pass/Fail if the course is mandated by their licensure program through ISBE, excluding the student teaching internship course and the edTPA course.
Concordia University Chicago maintains an office to support candidates for the Professional Educator License and related endorsements. Candidates for licensure are coached during the student teaching internship on the entitlement process. The University also provides employment services through the Career Services Office.
The College of Education Student Manual
This manual provides details and guidelines for meeting the criteria for successful completion of the Internship Semester and the process for obtaining the Illinois Professional Educator License. Successful completion includes:
- Satisfactory completion of the Internship by meeting or exceeding all assessment benchmarks.
- Prepare and present documentation of positive impacts on student learning from your internship teaching (Positive Impact Presentation).
- Complete all state-required Content Area tests/assessments prior to student teaching.
Teacher Education Licensure Programs Requirements
The State of Illinois, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois State Educator Preparation and Licensing Board (SEPLB), and accreditors, Council for the Accreditation of Education Programs (CAEP) require teacher preparation institutions to have a continuous assessment policy in force to evaluate teacher candidates throughout their programs. The College of Education meets these requirements with formative and summative assessments of teacher candidates integrated throughout the curriculum. Teacher candidates must also earn a grade of C- or higher in every course that leads to entitlement to be licensed to teach. Concordia-Chicago has established an assessment system with four transition points to meet these mandates. The Transition Points and their requirements are listed below.
Transition Point One: Acceptance to Teacher Candidacy
Education majors move from education major status to Teacher Candidate status at this first transition point. Teacher candidates are eligible to begin their specialized training in methods, classroom management, assessment of learning, and other professional clinicals and coursework. To become a teacher candidate, the education major must submit an application to the College of Education.
Teacher candidacy is a prerequisite for Professional Program (methods) courses in each Education Program. Each potential candidate must submit an application to the College of Education by November 15 or May 15. The admission requirements that make up a complete application include:
- Fingerprint Criminal Background Check results on file with the Office of Field Work Experience
- Minimum of 20 pre-professional hours on file in the Office of Field Experience
- Completed Dispositional Assessment of CUC Conceptual Framework complete by candidate
- Create an account on the Illinois Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) and provided IEIN Number
- Successful completion of the Teacher Candidacy Interview (offered each fall and spring)
Following each deadline, a candidate’s completed application with all admission requirements and documents will be submitted to the Teacher Education Admission Committee (TEAC) for review. TEAC will review all applications and determine teacher candidacy. Candidates will receive a letter from the College of Education informing him or her of admitted status.
Transition Point Two: Acceptance to the Student Teaching Internship Semester
The Semester of Internship is classroom teaching with a mentor cooperating teacher. Candidates must be accepted to the Internship before they are given a placement in student teaching. The Office of Field Experience publishes deadlines for applications to the internship semester.
The Teacher Education Admission Committee approves candidates for acceptance to the Student Teaching Internship.
To be considered for admission to the student teaching internship, the candidate must:
- Submit the completed Application to the Student Teaching Internship and supporting documentation to the Office of Field Experience on or before the deadline date.
- Pass the appropriate Content Area Test for your program from the State of Illinois Testing System (www.icts.nesinc.com).
- Complete a minimum of 80 hours of the required 100 hours of Field and Clinical Experiences and submit field experience documents to the Office of Field Experience for approval. The entire 100 hours must be completed prior to beginning the internship.
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- Complete all Content and Methods course(s) in the program of study with a grade of C or higher.
- Have earned a grade of C or higher in all coursework applied to their professional program requirements.
- Meet requirements of a valid Fingerprint Criminal Background Check to the Office of Field Experience.
- Complete First Aid/CPR Certification training and submit documentation of completion to the Office of Field Experience.
Transition Point Three: Completion of the Student Teaching Internship Semester
Successful completion of the internship requires:
- Satisfactory completion of the Internship by meeting or exceeding all required benchmarks.
- Prepare and present documentation of positive impacts on student learning from your internship teaching (PIP).
- Complete all state-required assessments enforced at the time of the internship.
- Receive a passing score on the state-mandated edTPA assessment of teacher performance.
- The College of Education Student Manual provides details and guidelines for the meeting the criteria for successful completion of the Internship Semester.
Transition Point Four: Completion of Program
To complete the Teacher Preparation program and be eligible for educator licensure in the state of Illinois, the candidate who has completed all program requirements and the internship must:
- Meet the requirements of the edTPA Portfolio at the time of program completion.
Re-Entry to Earn Licensure
Alumni who completed an Education Studies degree who desire to return to earn Illinois Licensure may attend Concordia University Chicago as a guest student to complete a current approved licensure program in the area of concentration completed. Alumni must receive faculty advising and permission to enter the program from the Program Leader in which they seek licensure. Note, all CUC policies, state requirements, tests, internships and program requirements, in force at the time of re-entry, must be met to be entitled.