Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Special Education
with a concentration in
Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I)
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BEGINNING SPRING 2006 PROGRAM CORE CHANGE TOOK EFFECT FOR NEW STUDENTS
The M.A.T. program is designed specifically for individuals who do not have a teaching certificate. Based on the ISBE Special Education Certification Structure and Content Area Standards and a multifaceted conceptual framework, this newly revised program is designed to facilitate the preparation for changing and increasingly complex professional roles in schools. You are qualified to teach in a variety of educational settings: an inclusive classroom as a co-teacher; a mainstreamed classroom as a collaborative-consultant; a resource room or self-contained classroom as a diagnostic teacher; and an alternative setting, such as a special public or private school.
The MAT program is designed specifically for individuals who have already earned an undergraduate degree in a field other than education and want to obtain a first teaching certificate in special education. Completion of this program results in a master's degree in Special Education. The state of Illinois has additional test requirements for certification.
The link between theory and practice marks the essence of graduate study at National-Louis University. Each of the 3 semester hour graduate courses for the masters degree have a clinical experience component of 15 clock hours. The clinical experience requirements are organized around the content of each course and represent a practical application of the material presented. In order to receive the MAT degree, students are required to fulfill the clinical experiences, Practicum I (requires a minimum of 20 clinical hours), and a full time student teaching in the public schools. For the MAT, student teaching can never be completed during the summer quarter.
General Education Requirements
The University mandates specific general education requirements for a first teaching certificate. If you have not met these requirements in undergraduate study, they must be satisfied before you are eligible to apply for student teaching. National- Louis University provides opportunities for you to meet general education requirement deficiencies. When you are admitted to the MAT in Special Education program, your transcripts will be evaluated.
Offering of Classes
The majority of classes in the Special Education program are offered at National-Louis University's Lisle, North Shore, and Wheeling campuses, with some courses offered at the Chicago and Elgin campuses. As a full-time student, you may complete the program requirements in as little as 2 years.
Mandated Undergraduate General Education
Requirements: Semester Hours
- Communication Skills 2
- Biological and Physical Sciences 2
- Mathematics 2
- Social Sciences 2
- History 2
- Global/Multicultural Perspectives 2
- Literature 2
- Arts 2
- Philosophy 2
MAT in Special Education
Previous Core Course Requirements: Semester Hours
- EPS500B Human Development with a Focus on Elementary & Middle School Age Children 2
- ESR506 Graduate Research: Interpretive/Critical 2
- ESR507 Graduate Research: Empirical/Quantitative 2
- FND504 History and Philosophy of Education 2
- FND505 Perspectives on Contemporary Issues in Education 2
New Core courses -spring 2006
- EPS511 Human Learning and Development in Instructional Contexts 3
- ESR514 Research in Action: Becoming Practitioner Researchers 3
- FND510 Social Justice Perspectives on the History and Philosophy of American Education 3
Professional Certification Requirements for
Special Education LBS I Through Entitlement
Semester Hours
- SPE500 Introduction to Exceptional Children and Adolescents* 3
- SPE506 Frameworks and Perspectives in Special Education* 3
- SPE572 Practicum I** 2
- SPE545 Assistive Technology(Technology for Special Education) 2
- SPE502 Language Development and Challenges in Children & Adolescents OR 2
- SPE526 Best Practices in Word Finding: Academic Accommodations for Students with Expressive Language Difficulties 2
- SPE503 Collaborative and Consultative Teaming and Teaching* 3
- SPE508 Critical Literacy* 3
- SPE501 Educational and Diagnostic Assessment of Exceptional Children and Adolescents* 3
- SPE509 Clinical Literacy* 3
- SPE523 Diagnosis & Remediation of Mathematics Disabilities/Special Education* 3
- SPE507 Social/Emotional: Development, Teaching, and Support* 3
- SPE527 Individual Curriculum and Instruction* 3
- SPE592C Practicum/Teaching Children and Adolescents with Special Needs 5
* Each of these courses has a component of 15 clock hours of clinical experience.
** This course requires a minimum 20 hours of clinical experience.
Certification Requirements
In order to be certified in special education, you must complete the general education requirements, the professional education coursework, and clinical experiences, plus pass the State of Illinois examinations in basic skills, APT (K-12), LBS I and Special Education General Curriculum (SEGC) test..
Special Ed Page | Beliefs | Framework | Person Narrative | M.A.T | M.Ed. | C.A.S
