The mission of the Master of Arts in Teaching for Secondary Teaching is to provide an accessible, efficient route to teacher licensure for candidates who possess a qualifying undergraduate or graduate degree. The online program format is conducive to place-bound and nontraditional candidates who would not be able to complete a traditional, on-campus program. The full-year residency enables candidates to select unpaid, paid, or third-party funded placements in their local communities.

Accreditation: Accreditation is consistent with existing initial teacher licensure programs, i.e., either through the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) or an individual program’s Specialized Professional Association (SPA). Additionally, the program is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education for initial teacher licensure.

Admission Requirements: To be eligible for degree candidacy, applicants must meet all of the requirements for admission to the Graduate School (see “Admission to Graduate Degree and Certificate Programs”). Additional requirements include: (a) an undergraduate or graduate degree with a minimum 2.65 GPA in a minimum of 32 semester hours in a specific content area offered in the program; (b) a formal letter of application summarizing the candidate’s background and motivation for entering the teaching profession; (c) passage of a criminal history background check through the College of Education’s designated vendor; (d) submission of program acceptance letter acknowledging all program requirements. See www.eiu.edu/edprep/paths/Accelerated.php for details and deadlines.

Degree Audit: The graduate plan of study is the EIU Degree Audit, which is generated automatically at the time of degree or certificate candidacy. Modifications of the standard EIU Degree Audit are submitted by the graduate coordinator to the certification officer in the Graduate School at the time modifications are approved. The Degree Audit serves as an unofficial summary of requirements for the program. Degree and certificate candidates are advised to review the comprehensive summary of the Degree Audit process specified on the “Requirements for All Degree and Certificate Candidates” section of the Graduate Catalog. Individual programs may require candidates to submit plans of study in addition to the Degree Audit, candidates should consult with the program coordinator.