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.
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
Degree Requirements
| Code | 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 | Content and Methods for Teaching Mathematics at the Middle and Secondary Levels | 3 |
| EDSC-6618 | Content and Methods for Teaching Science at the Middle and Secondary Levels | 3 |
| EDSC-6619 | Content and Methods for Teaching Social Science at the Middle and Secondary Levels | 3 |
| Student Teaching Internship Semester | ||
| EDUC-6985 | Student Teaching Seminar | 0 |
| Select one: | ||
| EDUC-6923 | Student Teaching Internship for Middle Grade Teachers | 6 |
| EDUC-6925 | MAT Capstone 1 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 33-36 | |
- 1
This course may only be taken with special approval of the Director of Field Experience and the Division Chair
Subject Area Endorsements for Middle Grades Education
Language Arts
This endorsement requires 24 semester hours in this content area with a 3.0 GPA. Candidates are required to pass the state content test for Language Arts. Undergraduate courses can be taken at CUC or transferred in from another institution. (Undergraduate courses at CUC are generally offered during the day).
- Rhetorical Writing
- Linguistics
- Literary Theory
- American Literature
- British Literature
- World Literature (including Non-Western)
- Non-print media studies
- Adolescent Literature
- Speech Communication/Public Speaking
- Methods of Teaching Middle Grade English/Language Arts
Mathematics
This endorsement requires 24 semester hours in this content area with a 3.0 GPA. Candidates are required to pass the state content test for Mathematics. Undergraduate courses can be taken at CUC or transferred in from another institution. (Undergraduate courses at CUC are generally offered during the day).
- Calculus I
- Calculus II (including series/sequential)
- Calculus III (including multivariate/Vectors)
- Linear Algebra
- Geometry (beyond analytical geometry)
- Statistics/Probability
- History of Math
- Methods of Teaching Middle Grade Mathematics
General Science
This endorsement requires 24 semester hours in this content area with a 3.0 GPA. Candidates are required to pass the state content test for Science-Biology. Undergraduate courses can be taken at CUC or transferred in from another institution. (Undergraduate courses at CUC are generally offered during the day).
- General Biology I
- General Biology II
- General Chemistry I
- Introduction to Physics
- Introduction to Earth Science
- Methods of Teaching Middle Grade Science
Social Science
This endorsement requires 24 semester hours in this content area with a 3.0 GPA. Candidates are required to pass the state content test for Social Science-History. Undergraduate courses can be taken at CUC or transferred in from another institution. (Undergraduate courses at CUC are generally offered during the day).
- History of Illinois (required)
- Introduction to Economics
- World Geography
- American History
- World History
- American Government and Civics
- Methods of Teaching Middle Grade Social Science-History
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).