Secondary Education - Alternative Certification 8-12 (MAT)

Master of Arts in Alternative Route to 8-12 Certification in Secondary Education
Unit: College of Education and Human Development (GE)
Department: Elementary, Middle and Secondary Teacher Education
Program Website 
Academic Plan Code(s): By subject area, see below.

Program Information

The Alternative Certification program is designed to assist the local school districts in meeting the demand for qualified teachers in high need content areas. The program provides candidates with an opportunity to pursue initial teacher certification while working as a full-time teacher on a temporary provisional certificate.

Employment is not required for initial acceptance to this program. However, candidates must be employed in a Kentucky-accredited school by the start of the school year in order to continue in the program. This program is a two-year, 30 credit hour program resulting in initial teacher certification and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree.

The Master of Arts in Teaching degree in Secondary Education leads to certification in:

• Biology (SE_ _MATBIO)
• Chemistry (SE_ _MATCHE)
• Earth & Space Science (SE_ _MATESS)
• English (SE_ _MATENG)
• Mathematics (SE_ _MATMAT)
• Physics (SE_ _MATPHY)
• Social Studies Education (grades 8-12) (SE_ _MATSST)
• World Language Education (Spanish and French, grades P-12) (SE_ _MATSPA and SE_ _MATFRE)

Application Requirements

Candidates considering an application to the MAT program should contact the MAT pre-admissions counselor (teacher@louisville.edu) prior to applying for admission. A transcript evaluation must be completed before a candidate can be considered for admission.

• Completed UofL graduate application submitted at https://apply.graduate.louisville.edu/apply/
• Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate coursework.  To be considered official, transcripts must be sent by the issuing institution to the UofL Graduate School. Transcripts issued to the candidate, and/or uploaded by the candidate, are considered unofficial.
  • International transcripts must be evaluated per UofL Graduate School requirements: https://graduate.louisville.edu/admission/international/evaluation
• PRAXIS II exam. Candidates must register for the appropriate PRAXIS Content Knowledge exam and upload a copy of the registration ticket. Candidates should review the Kentucky certification test requirements at https://praxis.ets.org/state-requirements/kentucky-tests.html.
• Personal statement – Candidates should upload two essays in response to the prompts below. The essays should be included in one document. Each essay should be double-spaced (Times New Roman 12 point font) with no more than three pages per essay. 
  • Essay 1: In consideration of the characteristics of an effective teacher, the ability to collaborate, and to support student collaboration in the classroom, is essential. Please self-evaluate this important skill and indicate whether you consider this as a strength or weakness. If you consider it as a weakness, please explain how you might further develop this skill. Also, please explain how you might encourage collaboration in your future classroom.
  • Essay 2: In what ways have your life experiences shaped the way you learn, and how you interact with others with different life experiences? Additionally, explain how you would support the ideal of "respect for all learners" in your future classroom.
• Current resume
• Recommendations – Three (3) recommendations are required. Requests are automatically sent to the recommenders’ emails once the graduate application is submitted. Adequate time should be given for recommenders to respond to the request by the application deadline. Candidates may log into their admission portal to check the status of the recommendations.
  • Work with Children and/or Adolescents Recommendation - This recommendation should be completed by an individual who has observed the candidate’s work/engagement with children and/or adolescents. The recommender should address the candidate’s ability to relate to and work with children/adolescents, as well as his/her ability to organize, lead and direct activities. The faculty screening committee wants to see evidence that candidates have engaged with the age group he/she intends to teach, and that a professional (such as a teacher or school administrator, scout leader, community organization director, etc.) confirms the candidate’s potential for success in the teacher education program.
  • Professional/Community Recommendation - This recommendation should be completed by an individual who can address the candidate’s character and professional qualities (punctuality, communication, leadership, work ethic, etc.). Pastors, P-12 teachers, supervisors/employers, and community organization directors are a few examples of appropriate recommenders.
  • Faculty Recommendation - This recommendation should be completed by a faculty member at the college level. The faculty member should address the candidate’s academic skills and potential to succeed in a graduate program including: critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration. College graduates who have been away from higher education more than five years may have difficulty obtaining a faculty recommendation. Candidates who will not be enrolling in prerequisite courses prior to the MAT program, may choose to submit a Professional/Community Recommendation instead. Two Professional/Community Recommendations would then be required. 
• Signed documents included in the application. You will be asked to review and sign the Statement of Understanding of Admissions Guidelines and the Professional Code of Ethics/Technology User Agreement.

International Applicants:

• International applicants must submit additional application items, and meet additional admission requirements.  Information on the international application and admission requirements can be found here: https://graduate.louisville.edu/admission/international

Admission Requirements

• Complete application (including all checklist items above and payment submitted).
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Candidates enrolled in the final semester of their bachelor’s degree can be reviewed for provisional admission - pending a final, degree transcript. 
• Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75. Candidates with a GPA lower than 2.75 should consult with the pre-admissions counselor to discuss state certification requirements and potential options.
• Prerequisite course requirements. Candidates must have a transcript evaluation completed by the pre-admissions counselor (teacher@louisville.edu) prior to applying for admission. Candidates are required to complete a Bachelor’s degree with a major in the teaching content area, or complete specific course requirements in their content area. In addition to the required content prerequisites, the following courses are required: Written Communication and Oral Communication with a grade of “C” or higher.
• Interview with the admissions screening committee. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their qualifications for admission and should project a professional image. Candidates are encouraged to prepare for the interview by reflecting on the domains in the professional dispositions rubric.

Admission is competitive. Meeting the GPA minimum and all other admission requirements does not guarantee that prospective students will be accepted into the program. 

Program admission dates: Summer or Spring semester only

(Priority) Application Deadline:   April 15 for Summer and October 15 for Spring

Program Requirements

To maintain your Temporary Provisional Certificate, you MUST be enrolled in Alternative certification coursework.

Midpoint Assessment: Successful completion of all first year courses; 3.0 cumulative GPA with no grade lower than C in each course (C- does not count); all prerequisites met; satisfactory performance on all Hallmark Assessment Tasks; Target performance on all rubrics. 

Degree Candidacy: Students who are not enrolled during the semester in which they are graduating must register for degree candidacy as outlined in the Graduate Catalog, under the section called academic policies and requirements.

Praxis Disclaimer: Teacher certification requirements are subject to change. Before registering for the test(s), please refer to the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) website at epsb.ky.gov/ or ets.org/praxis/ky for current requirements.