Teaching, M.A.T.

Roland Coloma, Department Chair

Doug Feldmann, Ph.D., Graduate Program Director

Purpose

This program is designed for individuals who wish to become certified teachers in middle schools or high schools. Candidates who enter this program must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution. It is intended for individuals who are looking for a career change and desire to become dedicated educators in areas of need. Upon successful completion of the program, candidates will earn a Master of Arts in Teaching degree and a recommendation for Kentucky certification in one of the following certification areas.

The curriculum for the MAT program is designed to be completed in five semesters (including one summer). Candidates enroll in the fall semester and continue through the following spring, summer, and fall terms, then culminate with student teaching (clinical experience) or KTIP during the spring term of the second year. The primary purpose of this format is to allow candidates who are employed on a full-time basis to continue their employment while attending Master of Arts in Teaching classes in evenings and online.

Areas of Certification available through the MAT:

Middle Grades 5-9	Secondary Grades 8-12	Grades P-12
English and Communications	Biological Sciences	French
Mathematics	Chemistry	German
Integrated Science	Earth/Space Science	Spanish
Social Studies	English
	Mathematics
	Physics
	Social Studies

The MAT program does not provide certification in Elementary Education.

Contact Information

Teacher Education Graduate Office - MEP 263C
gradedu@nku.edu or 859-572-1567

Admission Requirements

Phase I: Pre-Admission

To be considered for admission to the MAT program, you must submit the following items to the Teacher Education Graduate Office (MEP 263C) and meet the following conditions:

1. Submit a supplemental MAT program application available online on the College of Education & Human Services website (http://coehs.nku.edu/content/dam/coehs/docs/grad/MAT%20SuppApp_new.pdf).
2. Submit a letter to the MAT admissions committee that includes a brief autobiography, a description of life experiences related to the planned certification area, teaching, or other experiences with children outside the formal educational community other than family members.
3. Submit a current resume that includes work experience, prior education, and experience working with children other than in a family setting, whether through work or volunteerism.
4. Submit an unofficial copy of all college transcripts from regionally accredited institutions documenting all undergraduate and graduate coursework. You must have an earned undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale or 3.0 in the last 30 hours of undergraduate study.

When the four pre-admission documents are received, the Teacher Education Graduate Office will initiate an evaluation of all transcripts that document the content area in which the applicant plans to teach and will schedule a panel interview by the MAT admissions committee.

Transcripts will be evaluated by authorized faculty members of Northern Kentucky University. The applicant will be notified by the Teacher Education Graduate Office when the transcript evaluation is complete. If the evaluation indicates that additional content area coursework is required, the applicant will be required to complete the necessary undergraduate coursework for that certification area before being fully admitted to the MAT program. No content course in which a grade below C was earned may be accepted as part of the content area, and the certification GPA (combined both previously earned credit as well as new credits required as a result of the transcript evaluation) must be no lower than 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.

Applicants must successfully complete a panel interview by the admissions committee with an on-demand written essay to assess an applicant’s qualifications, dispositions, and ability to communicate clearly.

The MAT admission committee will review all candidates’ files and make preliminary admissions decisions based on all of the materials submitted, the panel interview, and the on-demand written essay. Pre-admission applicants will receive written notification of the MAT admission committee’s preliminary decision with instructions outlining the procedures to apply for full admission to the program. The MAT program is a limited enrollment program. Meeting the minimum preadmission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.

Phase II: Application and Admission

Applicants must receive a positive recommendation in Phase I (Pre-admission) from the MAT admission committee before continuing to Phase II (Application & Admission). Once an applicant has received the approval of the MAT admission committee to continue to Phase II, he/she must submit the following items to the Office of Graduate Programs in order to be fully admitted to the MAT program:

NKU application for graduate admission. Official transcripts from all institutions attended sent directly from the universities. Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can attest to the candidate’s potential for teaching. A criminal and federal background check. Recommended service to be used is Certified Background: https://www.certifiedprofile.com/ (NKU’s Package Code: NQ45) Official notification of appropriate Praxis II content exam(s) with the minimum score required by the state of Kentucky. To register, go to: http://www.ets.org and look for PRAXIS II under Kentucky state requirements. Transcript(s) showing completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with the grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, or a GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 30 semester hours of coursework. Successful completion of the “Core Academic Skills for Educators” test, administered by the Educational Testing Service, with minimum passage scores as follows (To register for the Core Academic Skills for Educators test, go to http://www.ets.org) : Reading - 156 Mathematics - 150 Writing - 162
	OR
	Official notification of Graduate Record Exam (GRE) with the following corresponding scores:
Verbal Reasoning with a minimum score of 150 Quantitative Reasoning with a minimum score of 143 Analytical Writing with a minimum score of 4.0

To register for the GRE, visit http://www.ets.org/gre.

If the applicant is applying for the Alternative Certification option of the Program under SB77, he/she should submit (1) a form (available in the COEHS Graduate Education Office) from the superintendent indicating the district’s intention to employ and (2) a completed CA-TP form for the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board. Once accepted, the applicant must obtain a signature on the MAT Verification of Employment form.

To be fully admitted to the MAT program, the applicant’s complete application must be approved by the MAT admission committee and the Teacher Education Committee.

♦ Indicates prerequisite.