Accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching with Elementary (grades 1-6) Certification*
Important Note
In order to apply for the MAT Elementary Education, the declared major for the BA degree should not include education. Students will get an MAT degree in Elementary Education, so their undergraduate major should be different. (e.g., BA in Sociology + MAT in Elementary Ed). For their BA degree, students can major in a discipline in the liberal arts, sciences, arts, or music. However, Bible/Theology and Christian Education are not eligible undergraduate majors for the MAT Elementary Education program. For prospective MAT students, Dr. Kim is the (unofficial) advisor in the Education department. He can be reached at ilhee.kim@wheaton.edu.
Recommended Sequence of Courses
Freshmen Year
| EDUC 101 | The Teaching Profession | 2hrs |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 135 | The School and Society | 2hrs, A Quad |
| EDUC 136 | Teaching Ethnically and Linguistically Diverse Students | 2hrs, B quad |
| EDUC 136L | Cross-Cultural Tutoring Practicum | 1hr, concurrent with Ed 136 |
Sophomore/Junior Year
| EDUC 225 | Learning and Development | 4hrs |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 225L | Teacher Aiding Practicum | 1hr, concurrent with Ed 225 1.5 hrs x2 days a week |
| MATH 125 | Mathematics for Elementary Education To register for this course, you need approval from an Education Department faculty member |
4hrs, Fall |
| EDUC 305 | Learning Differences Do not register for EDUC 305L (MAT students should register for EDUC 505L in the spring of senior year) |
2hrs, A quad |
Note: If you are doing ESL endorsement, do not register for LING 326.
Junior Year
| EDUC 314 | Methods & Materials: Children’s Books in Elementary Classroom May be taken Fall of Senior Year |
4hrs, Fall |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Semester | Apply to WheTEP!-- Information sent out by the Education Department | |
| Spring Semester | By March 1st Apply online to the Wheaton College MAT program through the Graduate School! Before applying to the MAT program, make sure your major is not elementary education. See note above. |
Senior Year
Fall Semester
| EDUC 313 | Theories and Methods of Teaching Elementary and Middle School Students | 4hrs, Fall |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 314 | Methods and Materials: Children's Books in the Elem. Classroom | 4hrs, Fall |
| EDUC 551 | Mind, Brain, and Education | 2hrs, Fall |
Spring Semester: "Elementary Methods Block"
Note: All of these classes must be taken in the same semester.
| EDUC 512 | Theories and Methods: Elementary and Middle School Reading | 4hrs, Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 315 | Theories and Methods of Teaching Elementary and Middle School Mathematics | 4hrs, Spring |
| EDUC 317 | Theories and Methods of Teaching Elementary and Middle School Language Arts | 2hrs, Spring |
| SCI 322 | Elementary and Middle Grade Education Science Curriculum | 2hrs, Spring |
| SSCI 321 | Theories and Methods of Teaching Elementary and Middle School Social Studies | 2hrs Spring |
| EDUC 505L | Learning Differences Practicum | 0 hrs |
| EDUC 511L | Elementary Methods Practicum | 0 hrs |
| LING 618 | English Language Learning Methods and Materials | 2hrs, Spring |
| EDUC 542 | Research Methodologies in Education | 2hrs, Spring |
Important Note: All teacher candidates must pass the Illinois Elementary Content Area Tests before student teaching
Bachelor of Arts degree awarded in Liberal Arts Major
MAT Fall Semester (14 credit hours)
| EDUC 587 | Philosophical Foundations of Education | 3hrs, Fall- Course starts after student teaching practicum |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 594 | Craft of Teaching | 2hrs, Fall- Taken concurrently with student teaching practicum |
| EDUC 596 | Student Teaching | 9hrs |
Additional Requirements
Pass the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment) which is required in the state of IL for licensure
With the satisfactory completion of student teaching and the State of Illinois examinations, candidates can apply for State of Illinois teacher licensure. This will allow eligible candidates to apply for their full IL Professional Educator License and apply for Spring teaching positions
MAT Spring Semester (10 credit hours)
| EDUC 531 | Ethical Perspectives of Teaching | 2hrs, Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 597 | Scholarly Inquiry Paper | 2hrs, Spring |
| LING 531 | Theological Perspectives on Language and International Education (online) | 2hrs, Spring B Quad |
| BITH Category 1 Course |
Select one from BITH 565 Christian Theology, BITH 566 Foundations for Biblical Interpretation, BITH 576 History of Christianity to 1900) |
4hrs, semester vaires: check course offerings |
Induction Year of Teaching
Teacher candidate employed full-time as teacher/scholar
EDUC 599 Final Project Continuation (all semesters)
After taking EDUC 597, Scholarly Inquiry Paper, MAT students should continue to enroll in EDUC 599, Final Project Continuation in each subsequent semester (summer, fall, spring) until their scholarly inquiry paper is finally approved. A $50.00 fee will be charged for each semester (summer, fall, spring) of Final Project Continuation. The scholarly inquiry paper must be completed within five years of the first term as a fulltime graduate student (i.e. fall 2022 graduate course work beginners must fully complete the scholarly inquiry paper by Aug. 31, 2027).
In consultation with the MAT coordinator, an MAT student who wants to conduct a research in an educational setting after completion of the course requirements may petition to switch to EDUC 698, Thesis. Each subsequent semester until the thesis is completed the student must enroll in EDUC 699, Thesis Continuation ($50 fee). The five-year requirement for thesis completion remains in effect.
When either the scholarly inquiry paper or the thesis is satisfactorily completed and accepted by Wheaton College Library for the College's archives, the Master of Arts in Teaching degree will be awarded.
*For the most up to date course information, please consult the Graduate course catalog.