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)

Admission Requirements

Candidates who meet the following criteria may be eligible to apply to the Master of Arts in Teaching, Alternative Certification program. Candidates considering application to the MAT program should contact the Education Advising and Student Services office (teacher@louisville.edu) prior to applying for admission. Admission is competitive. Candidates who meet minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission to the program.

1. Complete graduate application. This should be completed three to four weeks prior to the application deadline.
2. Passing scores on Praxis II Content Exam(s)
3. Bachelor's Degree in content area from Accredited College or University with a Minimum 2.75 Grade Point Average (official transcripts required)
4. Prerequisite Course Requirements – Applicants may apply to the program with up to six credit hours of content remaining to complete.
5. C or better in ENGL 102 (or equivalent)
6. C or better in oral communication course
7. TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo
8. Professional Writing Requirements
9. Three Letters of Recommendation
10. Experience working with multiple groups of children/adolescents
11. Signed Professional Code of Ethics/Technology User Agreement/Statement of Understanding of Admissions Guidelines
12. Acceptable interview

Program Requirements

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

¹ Midpoint Assessment:  Completion of all courses listed above; satisfactory dispositions assessment; no lower than a "C" in content methods class(es); a grade of “C” or higher in EDTP 627, EDTP 678, and EDTP 679; 2.50 cumulative GPA in content course requirements; satisfactory performance on all Hallmark Assessment Tasks; Target performance or better on all rubrics.

Certification Assessment: Satisfactory dispositions assessment; passing scores on PRAXIS content and PLT exams; completion of degree requirements.

Degree Assessment:  All program course work with 3.0 cumulative GPA (and no more than a total of two “C’s” in degree courses); satisfactory performance on all Hallmark Assessment Tasks; Target performance or better 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.