Master's in Elementary Education

Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education (Type 03 certification)

National Louis University's Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education program is designed for career changers who want to work toward their Illinois Type 03 certification for teaching kindergarten through ninth grade.

Consider getting your Master's in Elementary Education at NLU if you:

• Have a bachelor's degree in another discipline
• Plan to teach at the elementary or middle level
• Would like to get your degree in as few as 15 months
• Want to study at a well-established teaching institution

Why NLU for Teaching Elementary Education

NLU has a long-standing reputation for its education and teacher training programs, and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Since 1886, we've trained thousands of Chicago-area teachers, and  continue to graduate the majority of Illinois’ Golden Apple Award winners —
one of the most prestigious teacher honors in the state.

Our instructors bring both academic skills and practical experience
to the classroom, offering the best in elementary education. As a result, we’re well known for preparing educators who can meet the demands of today's diverse classrooms and become leaders in the education profession.

What You Will Learn

• How to teach students while taking into account their unique learning styles. The guiding principle
  of NLU instructional methods is based on constructivist philosophy: that learning is an active social process and teachers are the facilitators in that process.
• Best practices in the classroom, and how to apply appropriate teaching methods to language arts, reading, math, social studies, sciences, and health and physical education.
• How to assess and evaluate your techniques, and how to use
  research to enhance your teaching practices.

Career Outlook

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010–2011 Edition, employment for teachers is projected to grow about 13 percent between 2008 and 2018. Many job openings will continue to result from the need to replace the large number of teachers expected to retire during this same period. Currently, our country's education schools don't graduate an adequate number of qualified teachers to meet the demand, and job prospects are best in areas including urban and rural school districts.¹

NLU students are recognized by school principals as teachers who are comfortable in the classroom, can improve student performance and understand how schools are run.

Clinical Experiences

The State of Illinois requires a minimum of 100 hours of pre-clinical experience before student teaching. Hours are completed as part of the coursework, including ELE500, ELE510, and SPE500. An additional 30 hours of field experience are needed as part of the Master of Arts in Teaching program requirements and are completed in EPS511 and FND510.

Each student's growth as a teacher is encouraged and documented throughout the program through the development of clinical competencies and a Professional Portfolio.

Prepare for the TAP with an NLU Workshop

The ILTS Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) is one of the most important tests on the road to becoming a teacher. NLU offers a series of TAP workshops in critical content areas. All workshops are FREE to NLU applicants and students and open to everyone else for a fee.** Get fully prepared for the TAP and register for a workshop today!

Admission Requirements

All Master's in Elementary Education applicants must meet NLU's general admission requirements. Refer to the appropriate application checklist available online at www.nl.edu/applyonline.

In addition to NLU’s general admission requirements, applicants to the Master's in Elementary Education program must also satisfy the following admission requirements:

• Passing score on the Test of Academic Proficiency* (taken within the last five years).
• Grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the most recent 60 credit hours. GPA’s between 2.5 and 2.9 will be considered for admission on an individual basis

¹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010–11 Edition. www.bls.gov/oco/ocos318.htm 

* As of February 1, 2012, the Illinois Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) has been replaced by the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP). Teacher candidates who have passed the ITBS do not have to take the TAP if they apply for certification within 5 years of successfully passing the ITBS. Teacher candidates who have not successfully completed the ITBS must take and pass the TAP prior to admission. Teacher candidates who are not certified within 5 years of taking and passing the ITBS or the TAP will need to repeat the TAP if they have not reached the maximum 5 attempts.

Per ISBE policy, an individual may attempt to pass the TAP a maximum of 5 times. Previous attempts to pass the ITBS do not count toward the limit of 5 attempts to pass the TAP.

Please note: The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) may change the state certification and endorsement requirements at any time and without prior notice. Teacher candidates will be bound by the requirements in place when applying for certification, not by the certification requirements in place when beginning their program. That is, the state may specify that a new regulation is immediately applicable to all candidates with no provisions made for candidates who began their work on certification under different regulations.

**You must be an applicant or student at the time of registration for the workshops to be free. If you pay for a workshop and become an applicant afterward, we can’t provide a refund.