Master of Arts in Urban Teaching

DEGREE: MASTER OF ARTS           42 Semester Hours

Degree Requirements:

Complete 42 semester hours of course work as indicated including the Master's Capstone Experience, and all general education competency requirements.

The student must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on all course work taken toward the Master of Arts.

Previous course work and life experience of the student will be evaluated to determine if additional hours will be needed. Students who complete the program will be eligible to apply for an Initial Elementary (Type 03) teaching certificate.

Admission Standards and Requirements

Candidate must:

1. Be employed by a school or school district in Chicago.
2. Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university,  
3. Have a minimum of one year of full-time substitute teaching experience in the City of Chicago.
4. Have 2.85 GPA or better for regular admission. Provisionally admitted students must have a 3.00 GPA or better after the first four graduate courses are taken.
5. Submit an official sealed transcript from each college or university previously attended.
6. Submit a completed Concordia University application for admission .
7. Write an essay of approximately 750 words under supervision. The essay will be evaluated by the Admission and Appeals Committee.
8. Submit evidence that the State of Illinois Basic Skills Test has been passed.
9. Submit two letters of recommendation. If possible, one should be from a college of university instructor, and one must be from the principal of the school at which the candidate works. Letter forms are part of the admission application. Forms are to be sent to the Graduate Admission Office.

Letters should be from individuals able to comment on the following:

• academic proficiency,
• personal character, and
• competence and effectiveness in professional work.

Refer to the College of Education Handbook for information related to additional program requirements and checkpoints.

General Education Competencies for the MA: Urban Teaching Program

Communications Skills    

• 3 semester hours-English Composition II or equivalent
• 3 semester hours-Fundamentals of Speech or equivalent
• 2 semester hours - Electronic Communication Requirement
  1. Students may enroll in the undergraduate course [CSC-1100 Electronic Communication] they may enroll in the web-based section if desired.
  2. Students may take a timed, in-lab exam (offered two times per semester) to demonstrate competency. In preparation for this exam, they may attend any or all of a 4-session, 4-hour modular seminar to assist in improving the skills not currently possessed.

Mathematics       

• 3 semester hours above Intermediate Algebra

Natural Sciences (one lab science course required)

• 3 semester hours-Biological Science
• 3 semester hours-Physical Science

Humanities*

• 9 semester hours in at least two different areas

Social Sciences*           

• 9 semester hours in at least two different areas

*One course in either area must be classified as a Non-Western or Third-World course. Students must complete an American History or American Government in these areas.

Students must demonstrate completion of a specialty area common to school curriculum. Students may meet competencies in each of these areas via the successful completion of appropriate course work, through assessment of life experiences, i.e. credit for prior learning (CPL) or CLEP exams.

Areas of Study

A. Required:

1. EDL-6100 Research in Education
2. **EDU-6025 Teaching Science and Mathematics in the Elementary Classroom
3. EDU-6035 Curriculum and Methods of Teaching Elementary/Middle School P.E., Music, and Art
4. **EDU-6040 Classroom Teaching Skills
5. EDU-6060 Classroom Management and Assessment
6. **EDU-6201 Teaching of Reading
7. EDU-6420 History of the American Educational Experience or,
8. EDU-6430 Philosophies of Education or,
9. EDU-6440 History of Western Education
10. EDU-6510 Standards-Based Education
11. *EDU-6912 Practice Teaching: Elementary/Middle School Education (6)
12. **PSY-4410 Psychology and Methods of Teaching the Exceptional Learner
13. **PSY-6505 Psychological Theories and the Educational Process

B.   Select one from the following......................3 hours

• SOC-4610 Social Inequality: Minority Group Relations
• SOC-4620 Social Inequality: Class, Status, and Power
• SOC-4630 Urban Sociology
• SOC-6620 Cross-Cultural Studies: Teaching Limited English Proficient Students

C.   Select one ethics course from the following.............3 hours:

• EDL-6300 Ethics of School Leadership
• THY-6400 The Christian in Society

D.   Capstone Experience: Portfolio and Oral Defense

E.   Clinical Experience

The student must have a minimum of one year full-time successful substitute teaching experience in the City of Chicago. The following courses provide a structural framework for clinical experiences:

• *EDU-6040 Classroom Teaching Skills
• EDU-6201 The Teaching of Reading
• PSY-4410 Psychology & Methods - Teaching the Exceptional Learner
• *EDU-6025 Teaching Science & Mathematics: Elementary Classroom
• *EDU-6060 Classroom Management and Assessment

* Students must be admitted to the Professional Instructional Courses prior to taking these courses which serve to meet the Master's Capstone Experience.

**These courses must be completed prior to Practice Teaching

For Bilingual/ESL Approval by the State of Illinois:

To obtain state bilingual approval, students must complete six courses (18 hours). Students are allowed to include SOC-6620 for the sixth course. Students completing the six courses are eligible to apply directly to the State of Illinois for Bilingual/ESL approval. The following five bilingual courses (15 hours) need to be taken in addition to the 42-hour program.

1. FOL-6100 Languages and Linguistics
2. PSY-6027 Assessment of Bilingual Students
3. FOL-6120 Theoretical Foundations for Teaching Bilingual Students
4. FOL-4100 Teaching English as a Second Language            
5. FOL-6110 Methods and Material for Teaching Limited English-Proficient Students/Bilingual Programs

Middle School Endorsement

Middle School Endorsement in specific content areas may be awarded to students by entitlement if at the time of graduation the following criteria are met:

1. EDU-4500 Middle School: Assumptions and Curriculum
2. PSY-4105 Developmental Psychology: Middle Childhood or
3. PSY-4110 Developmental Psychology: Adolescence
4. 18 semester hours in an approved content area (methods
5. courses may not count toward the required 18 semester hours)

Monitoring Student Progress
Checkpoints have been established to monitor student's progress toward achieving expectations and meeting performance standards.   Students who do not meet expectations may be referred to the Graduate Student Academic Review Committee, the Care and Concern Committee, or the Admission and Appeals Committee. These committees make recommendations for remediation, probation, suspension or expulsion of the student as appropriate. Actions may be appealed using the established university appeals process. These checkpoints are described below:

Checkpoint I: An assigned academic advisor meets with the student for development of the degree plan.

Checkpoint 2: The following criteria must be met prior to enrollment in methods courses:

1. completion of a Character Verification Form
2. completion of a minimum of twenty hours of clinical experience
3. completion of PSY-6505 Psychological Theories and the Educational Process.
4. approval of application into the Professional Instructional Courses
5. passage of the Illinois Test of Basic Skills.

Checkpoint 3: Completion of 12 semester hours with a GPA of at least 3.0 and the removal of all deficiencies. Students will meet with their faculty advisor to review the degree plan and make necessary adjustments.

Checkpoint 4: Completion of 21 semester hours with satisfactory progress and submission of a final degree plan (application for candidacy form).

Checkpoint 5: Prior to student teaching, the student must have approval of admittance into the Professional Semester, successfully passed the State of Illinois elementary examination, and completed a minimum of 24 semester hours including:

1. EDU-6025 Teaching Science and Mathematics in the Elementary Classroom
2. EDU-6040 Classroom Teaching Skills
3. EDU-6060 Classroom Management and Assessment
4. EDU-6201 Teaching of Reading

Additionally, all general education competencies must be completed prior to student teaching.

Checkpoint 6: The capstone experience is the portfolio and oral defense completed as part of EDU-6912.

Checkpoint 7: Prior to the awarding of the degree, the academic record of the student will be reviewed by the Office of the Registrar and Certification Officer to ensure that all requirements have been met by the student. In order to be considered for program completion and certification students must pass the Assessment of Professional Teaching: Elementary.