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Prospective Students FAQs
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Whom should I contact if I am interested in enrolling in the M.A.T. program? The following enrollment representatives should be contacted if you are interested in enrolling in the M.A.T. program: Back to the Top Once admitted to the program, will I be assigned an advisor? When you are admitted to the university, you will be assigned an advisor based on your campus. Once you enter a cluster, your 502/504 instructor will become your advisor. The following are the advisors for each campus:
Chicago: Sy Karlin
Wheeling: Marilyn Halliday
Lisle: Vera Kemeny
Elgin: Theresa Robinson
North Shore: Scott Sullivan
Back to the Top What is "cluster registration," and how do I register for courses? Courses in the Secondary Education sequence are held in two formats: cluster and non-cluster. Cluster courses for Secondary Education include all necessary classes to gain certification. Once a student has gained admission to a cluster, no further registration is necessary for cluster coursework. Those course locations and times may be accessed through your NLU Portal or on the NLU website. Non-cluster coursework leads to the M.A.T. degree. There are four courses for which students must register on their own: ESR 514, SEC 525, and two elective courses. Cluster students must register for non-cluster coursework via the blue sheet in the Quarterly. Non-cluster coursework may be taken at any time during the program. Back to the Top What are the M.A.T. course sequences for Fall, Winter, and Spring? Students may begin the certification course sequence with a cluster for winter, spring, or fall. Students can join a cluster at any of these times. The proposed course sequences beginning in the fall, winter, and spring can be accessed in the following links:
Students wishing to take courses leading to their MAT prior to beginning their certification course should contact the department administrative assistant, Wilma Stiltz. Courses for the MAT do not need to be taken with a cluster.
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Do I have to complete an M.A.T. to be certified?
At NLU, the Secondary Education program is an M.A.T. (Master of Arts of Teaching) degree program. Students have five years from the date of their Type 09 certification (or Type 10 in Foreign Language), after completion of the cluster portion of the program. Successful completion of the M.A.T. is not a prerequisite for earning a teaching credential, but the Secondary Education Department strongly suggests that all students complete the M.A.T. degree.
How will I be assessed throughout the program?
Each student in the Secondary Education department is required to compile and complete a portfolio that outlines the growth of the teacher candidate throughout the program. The portfolio is built throughout the entire program and will form a portion of the student teaching grade. Students will also be assessed in a variety of ways throughout the program, including but not limited to: group projects, speeches, lesson presentations, research projects, response journals, interdisciplinary curriculum projects. For more information on the portfolio and Secondary Education department assessment policies, download this form: Student Portfolio Information & Checklist.
When do classes typically meet?
Class schedules are set by the campus where you enroll. The general schedule for courses is as follows:
Monday & Wednesday:
Elgin Campus
North Shore Campus
Lisle Campus
Tuesday & Thursday:
Chicago Campus
Wheeling Campus
The subject area courses for SEC 510 - 524 are generally held on Tuesday nights from 6:00pm - 8:50, but that schedule is subject to change per needs of department.
Will I have to travel to different campuses for my courses?
The subject area courses, SEC 510 - 524, are placed on campuses determined by the number of students enrolled for a course on a given campus. Every effort is made to ensure that students are placed as close to their home campus as possible. In general, most students do end up having to travel for this course, so prepare as if you will have to travel.
What is a typical workload for each semester?
In the first term of a cluster program, students take eight (8) semester hours of coursework. In the second cluster term, the load is five (5) semester hours, and in the third term, when you are student teaching, you will be taking six (6) semester hours. For each semester hour of class, you can expect two hours of work outside of class. Student teaching, of course, is much more demanding, as you will be assuming the full time duties of a teacher for 10 weeks. The Secondary Education department strongly discourages taking any other coursework or working during the student teaching term.
Can I work full time and still finish the program?
Working full time is not recommended by the Secondary Education department, and is impossible during student teaching. A total of one hundred hours of observation hours during school hours are required in the first and second terms of the program. The first two terms are very intense academically and the third demands full-time work in the classroom. Keep in mind that each semester hour equals roughly two hours of outside work for each class.
What tests do I have to take, and where can I find information about them?
Candidates in the Secondary Education program are required to take a variety of tests to gain admission to the program and be eligible for a teaching certificate. The tests and links to information are listed below:
- Illinois Basic Skills Test
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- Taken prior to admission to the Secondary Education program
- Miller Analogies Test
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- Information can be found from your enrollment representative on campus
- Illinois Subject Area Exams
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- Each subject area has its own test. In Illinois, there are a variety of tests available. For example, if you are notified by NLU that you are qualified to teach psychology, you must take the psychology test, not the history or geography test, even though all of these areas fall within the same general area, social studies. If you have questions about which exam you should take, contact the NLU Transcript Evaluators to find out precisely which exam will be right for you.
- A list of content-area tests can be found at: http://www.icts.nesinc.com/IL13_testselection.asp.
- The Secondary Education Department recommends the study guides from the Advanced Placement test in their subject area. They are published by Princeton Review, Kaplan Review and many other presses. They are available at most bookstores in the reference or test preparation sections.
- APT Test
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- This is a test of teaching pedagogy skills. The Secondary Education Department recommends students take the APT after the first methods course of your program. You are free to take it any time during the program, but the first methods course prepares students well for the exam. Study guides, practice questions, test dates, registration, and test frameworks are online at: http://www.icts.nesinc.com.
- Most Secondary Education students will register for the APT: 6-12 test, but those going for certification in Foreign Language should take the APT: K-12 test, because they are earning a Type 10 license.
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Where do I register for state tests?
The Illinois Certification Testing System (ICTS) is online at http://www.icts.nesinc.com. All registration, practice tests, test frameworks and study guides are provided here.
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How can I find out what subject areas I can teach?
The determination of which subject area you are qualified to teach is done by the Transcript Evaluation team for the National College of Education at National-Louis University. Students should contact the enrollment representatives at their campus of choice (see table below) and apply to the university. Once you apply to the university, NLU Transcript Evaluators will examine your transcripts to tell you what you will be eligible to teach. Each subject area has a unique course description requirement that will allow you to be a "highly qualified" candidate. The Endorsement Sheet document will give you an idea of the courses you will be able to teach based on your transcripts. Testing also determines your teaching eligibility.
Enrollment Representatives:
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How many semester hours do I need in my subject area? The Secondary Education program requires students to have an undergraduate major or graduate degree or 32 semester hours in a content area. Those hours must be spread across a variety of coursework to meet distribution requirements. Once you apply to the university, the Transcript Evaluators will help students determine if they meet the distribution requirements for a given subject area. Students may all unofficially determine their subject area by reviewing transcripts and using this document to determine your subject area: Endorsement Sheet.
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Last modified on: 2008-11-12 11:12:14 by: Gina Sammarco
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