M.A.T. in Elementary Education: What It Is and How It Can Advance Your Career
A Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Elementary Education is a graduate degree for career changers and recent college graduates who want to become licensed teachers of elementary-age children, typically grades 1 through 6. Like other M.A.T. programs, it's designed specifically for people who already hold a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field and need a structured path to a teaching license, rather than restarting an undergraduate education degree. Many universities offer the degree, including National Louis University, which offers an M.A.T. in Elementary Education through its National College of Education.
What Is an M.A.T. in Elementary Education?
The Elementary Education Program is designed to prepare candidates to teach as generalist teachers in elementary classrooms, delivering instruction in reading and language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies to students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse abilities. Through coursework, candidates explore child development, teaching for diversity, literacy, math, classroom management, and assessment. Through fieldwork and student teaching, candidates learn to apply this work in real classrooms with real students.
The National Louis University M.A.T. in Elementary Education degree is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in any field and seek initial licensure to teach elementary grades in Illinois. This degree program will prepare students to become qualified elementary teachers and receive the Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) upon completion of program requirements and passage of required state exams.
Why Pursue an M.A.T. in Elementary Education?
Elementary education is a common entry point for career changers into teaching because it doesn’t require prior subject-matter knowledge, unlike secondary education. Instead, candidates are trained as general education teachers to instruct students in core elementary subjects, including reading and language, math, science, and social studies. Such a program can be highly accessible to individuals who have earned a bachelor’s degree in almost any field and are now looking to transition into a teaching career.
The degree also appeals to people who want to have long-term relationships with students. Elementary education offers educators the chance to form lasting relationships with their students over the course of a school year or, in some cases, for the duration of their students' academic careers. Other types of educators, for example, those who work in secondary education, can have hundreds of students throughout the course of a single academic year, some of whom they may never have in class again.
Because elementary education is typically taught as a generalist program, there is more flexibility for those who have earned an elementary education license to teach in different grade levels, in different schools, and in different districts. In addition, the elementary education license can be transferred to teach in other states, sometimes with minimal additional requirements to obtain the new state’s teaching license.
Key Questions About the M.A.T. in Elementary Education
What grade levels does this license cover?
While program specifics vary, typically an MA in Teaching program leads to initial licensure to teach elementary school children. Most states have a certain age range for which programs can lead to initial licensure. For example, in Illinois, where National Louis University is located, programs can lead to initial licensure to teach elementary school grades within the PEL (Professional Educator License) structure. That is, within the Illinois structure for initial licensure to teach elementary school children, typically grades 1 through 6. Thus, an MA in Teaching program applicant from outside of Illinois should first find out how the specific program they are applying to can lead to initial licensure in their state, and what the corresponding age range is for initial licensure to teach elementary school children in that state. Some states, for example, have a middle school grade level, in addition to elementary school, and thus MA in Teaching programs in those states can lead to initial licensure to teach children in elementary school, and/or in the corresponding middle school grade level.
How long does the program take?
Most M.A.T. programs are designed for career changers with no prior education coursework and can therefore be completed in about two years. Students can complete the program on a full-time or part-time basis and at their own pace. Some programs offer an accelerated pathway for students who meet certain criteria.
Are there different pathways into the program?
Teacher preparation programs usually offer more than one way to earn a teaching license. Some programs offer a traditional path to becoming a teacher through student teaching in the final semester of graduate studies. Some programs offer a Teacher Residency, which enables candidates to begin learning to teach while still taking graduate classes and becoming teachers under the mentorship of experienced teachers. Some programs allow candidates to earn their teaching license while completing graduate studies through a year-long internship, during which they are paid as teaching assistants and become certified teachers. Lastly, there are alternative programs that allow a candidate to earn a teaching license while completing graduate studies in a high-need school, where the candidate becomes the teacher of record and is mentored by an experienced teacher and supervised by a university supervisor(s).
Are there special requirements or background in math or science for applicants to this degree?
As long as the candidate has no prior courses in special education, they will learn what is needed to obtain a license to teach elementary school students. Some programs administer basic skills assessments as part of their admissions process or as requirements for a state-issued license. The candidate is tested on their basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills.
What does student teaching involve?
Student teaching is typically a full-time experience in which candidates are placed in a classroom and supervised by both an experienced mentor teacher and a university supervisor. Candidates teach and manage their own classroom of students for the duration of the semester, gradually taking on more planning and responsibility as the semester progresses. This is typically the last experience in a teacher preparation program and is the most important preparation experience for future teachers.
What the Curriculum Typically Covers
The following courses are typical for M.A.T. in Elementary Education programs. Note that there are program- and state-level differences in program requirements, so the following is typical but not definitive for any school or program.
- Child and adolescent development
- Literacy instruction — teaching reading, writing, and language arts across elementary grades
- Elementary mathematics pedagogy
- Science and social studies instruction for elementary classrooms
- Classroom management and positive behavior support
- Assessment and data-driven instruction
- Special education fundamentals and inclusive practice
- Supervised field experience and a culminating student teaching placement
Career Outcomes
Demand remains high because each public school has several classroom teachers for elementary-aged students. Employment of kindergarten and elementary school teachers is projected to increase slightly from 2008 to 2018, reflecting persistent shortages in many rural and high-poverty urban areas, even as under-staffed suburban districts grapple with their own teacher shortages. Wage and job availability data for kindergarten and elementary school teachers can be found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published annually by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Occupational Outlook Handbook, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers.
In addition to classroom teaching, teachers can become instructional coaches, curriculum specialists, reading interventionists, and school administrators. While there are additional steps to teaching (such as ESL/bilingual or special education endorsements), there are jobs available for these teachers in general education classrooms. This is particularly the case in districts that have high numbers of English language learners or students with disabilities.
The salary of an elementary teacher is generally based on a school district's salary schedule, which may increase with each passing year of experience and with additional graduate work. Thus, although elementary teachers generally do not transition to administrative positions, their compensation can increase over the course of their teaching careers. Potential students may review the salary schedules of specific school districts where they hope to teach. Salaries for elementary teachers vary by state, the overall wealth of the school district where they teach, and the cost of living in that district.
M.A.T. in Elementary Education at National Louis University
The M.A.T. in Elementary Education at National Louis University’s National College of Education, within the Teacher Preparation programs, leads to eligibility for the Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL). NLU’s M.A.T. programs, including the Elementary Education program, are offered through several different pathways designed to meet the needs of a variety of students, including those with no prior experience in classrooms, as well as paraprofessionals and teaching assistants already working in schools who wish to earn their license while continuing to work in those schools.
