Earn a Master’s and Teaching Credential
The master of arts in teaching with licensure (MAT) program is designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree who want to simultaneously earn a master’s degree in education and become a licensed teacher in Illinois. Most candidates are able to begin their first teaching position just two years after starting the program. The MAT pairs curriculum with clinical experiences that are focused on helping you become an effective educator, no matter your background.
Credential Options
You will choose one of five Illinois teaching licenses as part of the MAT program, and your coursework and clinical experiences will prepare you to pass necessary exams and meet Illinois requirements to teach in your chosen age group. Licensure options available are:
Where Alumni Work
North Park alumni teach throughout Chicagoland, at urban and suburban schools, including private and parochial schools. Our graduates have found jobs in Chicago Public Schools, as well as suburban districts including Evanston, Skokie, Niles, Northbrook, Crystal Lake, and Arlington Heights. Alumni also teach in American schools in Egypt, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, and Costa Rica.
Alumni Profile
“Being in such a compassionate cohort of other career changers made me feel like we were all working towards making a difference in our communities by dedicating our lives to education,” says Melissa Morris G’08, a former advertising professional who’s now an English teacher at Chicago’s Taft High School.
Approvals and Endorsements
Along with your teaching license, you can earn additional approvals and endorsements, such as English as a Second Language (ESL) or bilingual education. These courses will prepare you to work in increasingly diverse learning communities, and prepare you to work in schools that recognize the importance of these specialized skills in every classroom.
Clinical Experience
You’ll complete three unique clinical experiences—teacher aiding, mini-teaching, and student teaching—as you prepare to lead your own classroom. You’ll be carefully placed in schools that allow you to experience public, private, suburban, and urban classrooms, and you’ll get valuable feedback from cooperating teachers and North Park faculty to help you maximize what you’re learning.
Faculty Spotlight:
Dr. Theodore Zervas
An expert in comparative and international education, Dr. Theodore Zervas is also an avid traveler and served as a visiting professor at a university in Mexico. He brings his passion for multiculturalism to the classroom.
Scholarships and Tuitions
A price tag doesn’t have to be a barrier to continuing your education and becoming an excellent teacher. North Park offers generous scholarship and grant options, including an Alumni Grant for new graduate students who earned their bachelor’s degree at North Park.
Cohort Model
The School of Education uses a cohort model that allows graduate students to learn with like-minded peers. You’ll start with a cohort in your first fall term and have the same classmates throughout your degree program, helping you develop close relationships that will last into your professional career. You’ll graduate with a network of colleagues who can support you as a teacher, even as you find jobs in different districts.
Campus Locations
Students taking graduate education courses can choose from classes at our main campus in Chicago or satellite campus in Arlington Heights. Both locations offer classes in the evenings and on Saturdays, giving you the flexibility to complete your degree on a schedule that works with your life.