Master of Arts in Teaching (Elementary Education with Licensure)

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How often do you think that maybe you were destined to teach elementary school – and not meant for whatever career is currently paying your bills? Your new life is only seven semesters away with our Master of Arts in Teaching for Initial Elementary Education Licensure. Our evening program, perfect for working adults, will build on your bachelor's degree in any field to mold you as a teacher for first- through sixth-grades in Illinois public schools. If you also want to earn your ESL and/or bilingual endorsement, you can accomplish that with only two additional semesters of study. Classes are conveniently delivered at our regional centers in Naperville and Rockford, and scholarships and financial aid are available.

Real-world Learning

Your early clinical occurs in a classroom during the regular school year in which you develop, teach and assess literacy instruction. During your student-teaching, you will be placed in a school for 16 weeks full-time during the day – just like a regular teacher.

You can apply to the NIU Graduate School as a degree-seeking student or as a Student-at-Large, which allows you to take a course while waiting for official admission to the program. Your complete application packet will require:

  • Your career goal statement.
  • Two references.
  • Your college transcripts

Apply Online

Our mission is to prepare you to become a leader in your chosen profession through programs of study grounded in engaged learning experiences. You'll take a variety of courses that will prepare you to meet the demands of the complex learning environment of an elementary classroom. Coursework includes the historical foundations of education, assessment and data-driven decision making, methods of instruction and curricular development, exceptionality and difference, and human growth and development.

  • EPFE 521 - Historical Foundations of Education in the U.S.
  • EPS 550 - Classroom Management
  • LTLA 544 - Exploring Children's Literature
  • EPS 504 - Psychology of Education: Elementary and Middle School Years
  • LTIC 501 - Multicultural Education: Methods and Materials
  • LTRE 500 - Improvement of Reading in the Elementary School
  • SESE 556 - Inclusion and Collaboration in the General Education Classroom
  • TLEE 502x - Methods of Instruction in the Mathematics Curriculum for Elementary School
  • TLEE 532 - Teaching Science in Elementary School
  • KNPE 574 - Physical Education for Elementary School Teachers
  • ETRA 502 - Technology and Assessment for Elementary Education
  • LTLA 530 - Contemporary Language Arts
  • TLEE 530 - Teaching Social Students in Elementary School
  • LTRE 511 - Teaching Reading in the Content Area
  • TLEE 561 - Seminar in Elementary School Internship
  • TLEE 586 - Student Teaching
  • TLEE 587 - Practicum in Elementary School

Contact Us

Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Nick Slicer, Graduate Advisor
815-753-7948
nslicer@niu.edu

Request Information

Complete this short contact form and our advisor will follow-up with specific program information. 

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