Teaching, M.A.

Saint Louis University's Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) with alternative certification is designed to provide an alternate route for students with undergraduate degrees other than education to seek Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education certification. This degree is designed to offer students expanded knowledge in content areas and pedagogy, current educational practices, and teaching and learning processes. 

Program Highlights

In the spirit of the Jesuit tradition of education, Saint Louis University's Master of Arts in Teaching program is committed to providing students with:

• Individualized academic experiences that focus on their specific content area of intellectual interest
• Opportunities to address social and moral issues related to education, especially in urban settings
• Coaching from the School of Education's faculty, allowing for real-time feedback on student teaching methods and classroom management

Available Pathways

SLU's Master of Arts in Teaching offers three unique pathways:

• Billiken Teacher Corps (BTC)
• M.A.T. Catholic
• STL Teaching Fellows @ SLU

I chose the M.A.T. cohort at SLU because I was ready to teach. I had the experience, content knowledge and desire. This program put me in a classroom immediately and gave me a chance to become officially certified and along the way." — Traron Shivers, M.A.T. Class of 2022

Curriculum Overview

Students in each of the Master of Arts in Teaching degree's three pathways must successfully complete the required Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments. Having obtained Missouri provisional certification, they will teach for two years in an accredited Missouri public or non-public school. Students participate in the school or district’s professional development programs and performance-based teacher evaluation programs during that time. 

Courses are concentrated during the summer, with one evening course and a practicum requirement during the fall and spring semesters, allowing students to focus on teaching during the academic year. Summer courses begin in early summer, preparing students to enter the classroom in August. 

Alternative Certification

Each of the pathways of SLU's Master of Arts in Teaching with alternative certification is designed to enable students who have undergraduate degrees in content areas and were not education majors to seek Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education certification via an alternative route.

Billiken Teacher Corps (37-38 credits)

The Billiken Teacher Corps (BTC) is a unique service-learning opportunity to have a transformative impact in under-resourced St. Louis-area Catholic schools.

Billiken Teach Corps fellows live the Jesuit mission of being men and women for and with others. The fellows live in an intentional faith community for two years while teaching full-time and earning their Master of Arts in Teaching degree with full tuition remission. This scholarship is premised upon successful adherence to the Billiken Teacher Corps community residence standards and the standards for teachers in Catholic schools. For more information, contact Angela Moret at angela.moret@slu.edu.

M.A.T. Catholic (37-38 credits)

The M.A.T. Catholic pathway is designed for current Catholic school educators who want to seek Missouri teacher certification via the alternative route. Already certified Catholic school teachers who would like to develop their teaching skills further are encouraged to join this pathway. Automatic scholarships covering up to one-third of the M.A.T. degree are awarded to those working in Catholic schools. For more information, contact Angela Moret at angela.moret@slu.edu.

STL Teaching Fellows @ SLU (31-32 credits)

The STL Teaching Fellows @ SLU offers a unique opportunity for students to teach in one of SLU’s partner school districts, earning an average full-time teaching salary of $40,000 while pursuing a master’s degree. Once admitted to the M.A.T. program, students receive assistance from our faculty advisors to arrange job interviews at partner schools. We offer a competitive tuition rate of $620 per credit hour to allow students to earn a high-quality degree for less than $10,000 per year. For more information, contact us at slued@slu.edu or 314-977-3292.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

Master of Arts in Teaching with alternative certification students teach full-time for two years on a provisional teaching certificate from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The school principal assigns a mentor who teaches in the same content area as the student and at a similar grade level. A University supervisor makes classroom observations and holds follow-up conferences every month.

SLU faculty assist students with job placement in partner schools before the beginning of the program.​

Careers

Possible careers for graduates with a Master of Arts in Teaching include teaching middle school language arts, mathematics, science or social studies; and teaching secondary English, mathematics, biology, chemistry, social studies, music or world languages.

Admission Requirements

Master of Arts in Teaching with alternative certification applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree or higher in a content area or a related field of the desired certificate from a regionally accredited institution.

Application Requirements

• Application form
• Transcript(s)
• Letters of recommendation:
  • MAT Catholic, STL Teaching Fellows @ SLU: Two letters
  • Billiken Teacher Corps Pathway: Four letters
• Résumé
• Professional goal statement

Requirements for International Students

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students. International students must also meet the following additional requirements:

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Financial documents are required to complete an application for admission and be reviewed for admission and merit scholarships. 
• Proof of financial support that must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the student's time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of the student's study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include:
  • Courses taken and/or lectures attended
  • Practical laboratory work
  • The maximum and minimum grades attainable
  • The grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations
  • Any honors or degrees received.

WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Please note that application deadlines for this program differ for international students.

Application Deadlines

Master of Arts in Teaching with alternative certification students must start their program in the summer semester because the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requires specific courses to be taken before teaching in elementary, middle, or secondary school classrooms.

• M.A.T. Catholic, STL Teaching Fellows @ SLU: March 1 for priority consideration.
• Billiken Teacher Corps Pathway: Jan. 25 for priority consideration.

Review Process

A committee reviews each application holistically.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Students should complete their applications by the program admission deadlines for priority consideration for departmental graduate scholarships. For more information, visit the student financial services office online at www.slu.edu/financial-aid.

Each of the M.A.T. pathways offers unique scholarship opportunities: 

Billiken Teacher Corps

Fellows live in an intentional faith community for two years while teaching full-time and earning their Master of Arts in Teaching degree with full tuition remission. This scholarship is premised upon successful adherence to the Billiken Teacher Corps community residence standards and the standards for teachers in Catholic schools. For more information, contact Angela Moret at angela.moret@slu.edu.
 

M.A.T. Catholic

Automatic scholarships covering up to one-third of the M.A.T. degree are awarded to those working in Catholic schools. For more information, contact Angela Moret at angela.moret@slu.edu.

STL Teaching Fellows @ SLU

We offer a competitive tuition rate of $620 per credit hour to allow students to earn a high-quality degree for less than $10,000 per year. Other scholarship opportunities may be available. For more information, contact us at slued@slu.edu or 314-977-3292.

1. Graduates will be able to understand the central concepts, structures, and tools of inquiry of the discipline(s) and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful and engaging for students.
2. Graduates will be able to understand how students learn, develop and differ in their approaches to learning.
3. Graduates will be able to provides learning opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners and support the intellectual, social, and personal development of all students.
4. Graduates will be able to recognize the importance of long-range planning and curriculum development.
5. Graduates will be able to develop, implement, and evaluate curriculum based upon student, district, and state standards.
6. Graduates will be able to use a variety of instructional strategies and resources to encourage students’ critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
7. Graduates will be able to use an understanding of individual/group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages active engagement in learning, positive social interaction, and self-motivation.
8. Graduates will be able to model effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques with students, colleagues, and families to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
9. Graduates will be able to understand and uses formative and summative strategies to assess the learner’s progress and uses both classroom and standardized assessment data to plan ongoing instruction.
10. Graduates will be able to monitor the performance of students and devises instruction to enable students to grow and develop, making adequate academic progress.
11. Graduates will be able to be a reflective practitioner who continually assesses the effects of choices and actions on others.  
12. Graduates will be able to actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally in order to improve learning for all students.
13. Graduates will be able to have effective working relationships with students, families, school colleagues, and community members.

Master of Arts in Teaching with alternative certification students must complete the Missouri requirements for a provisional certificate, the appropriate Missouri content assessment, and all other certification requirements established by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Additionally, students must participate in the assigned school district’s professional development programs and Performance-Based Teacher Evaluation (PBTE) program.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Master of Arts in Teaching with Alternative Certification (STL Teaching Fellows @ SLU)

Master of Arts in Teaching with Alternative Certification (Billiken Teacher Corps and Catholic)

Apply for Admission

For additional admission questions, please contact:
Saint Louis University School of Education
314-977-3292
slued@slu.edu