Secondary Education (MAT)

Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education (SE MAT)
Unit: College of Education and Human Development (GE)
Department: Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Education
Program Website 
Academic Plan Code(s): By subject area, see below.

Program Information

• 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)

Early Start Program 

The Master of Arts in Teaching program in conjunction with the undergraduate programs in Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics offers a comprehensive and professionally-focused program leading to an additional degree of MAT Middle or Secondary Education. This early start program enables superior students to receive two degrees within five years. A total of 149-152 credits are required for the dual degrees: 122-125 credits of coursework devoted toward the baccalaureate degree and 36 credit hours toward the MAT, with nine (9) credit hours double-counted. This program will be available for students who are entering their junior year. They may take graduate level courses in the College of Education and Human Development in their 4th year of study.

The current qualifications for the joint degree program have been agreed upon by discipline faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education and Human Development. The criteria vary by discipline. Students enrolling in the accelerated program will be non-thesis students and must adhere to all policies pertaining to Graduate Students. All interested students must submit an application to the College of Education and Human Development MAT program and meet the admission criteria.

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 (https://louisville.widen.net/s/9ldf6f9qx8/cehd-professional-disposition-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 Fall semester only

(Priority) Application Deadline:   March 1 for Summer and June 1 for Fall

Program Requirements

¹

Can be taken at any point in the program.

Degree Candidacy: Students not enrolled during the semester in which they intend to graduate must register for degree candidacy as outlined in the Graduate Catalog.

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

The Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education program and all related content areas prepares students to meet the requirements for certification and/or licensure.  If you plan to pursue professional licensure or certification you should first determine your state’s criteria for examination and licensure to see how/if our program meets those requirements prior to enrollment. We recommend that you also contact your state’s licensing board directly to verify that the requirements have not changed recently and to answer any questions especially those regarding additional requirements beyond the degree. 

More information about certification or licensure is available at the following website:  https://louisville.edu/about/departments/academic-planning-accountability/disclosures/professional-licensure.

For programs with an online option, more information about certification or licensure is available here: 
https://online.louisville.edu/resources/compliance/license.