MAT in Spanish
Admission Requirements
Applicants are considered on an individual basis. The program will accept and review applications for fall semester only. Transcripts for all undergraduate work must be uploaded along with all other requirements.
In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the program requirements listed below. For details on SPAN MAT with Teaching License and SPAN MAT without Teaching License, please consult the department website.
- Baccalaureate Field Spanish or related field.
- Grade Point Average At least 3.50/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of study.
- Language Proficiency Applicants must give evidence of proficiency in spoken and written formal standard Spanish.
- Minimum English Language Competency Test Score
- TOEFL iBT 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21, OR,
- IELTS Academic 6.5, with 6.0 in each of the four subscores, OR,
- PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
- Sample of Writing in Spanish Applicants are required to submit one sample of their written work in Spanish in the form of an essay for an academic course.
- Letters of Recommendation
- For applicants who possess an Illinois teaching license: three required from professors or supervisors in a teaching position; at least one should be from a professor in an upper-level or graduate Spanish course.
- For applicants seeking Illinois teaching licensure: three required from professors; at least one should be from a professor in an upper-level or graduate Spanish course. Special cases will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Personal Statement A statement of 300 words is required in which applicants should address their reasons for applying to the Master of Arts in the Teaching of Spanish.
- Nondegree Applicants Nondegree applicants holding an undergraduate degree and interested in advanced studies should see the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions website for requirements and application procedures.
- Other Requirements Applicants for the Master of Arts in the Teaching of Spanish who possess an Illinois teaching license need a current Type 03, Type 09, Type 10, or Type 29 Illinois license to apply to the program.
Degree Requirements
In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:
Master of Arts in the Teaching of Spanish
For applicants who possess an Illinois teaching license:
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 36.
- Coursework All 36 hours must be taken in the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies, the Latin American and Latino Studies Program, the Department of English, and the College of Education. No more than eight (8) semester hours of credit (two courses) will be accepted for transfer as part of the 36 required hours, and these credits must comply with university regulations and be approved by the program. Credit toward the degree is not given for any course in which the student receives a grade of less than B.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Theory and Methods in Teaching Heritage Speakers | ||
| Intensive Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics | ||
| Introduction to Literary Analysis and Criticism for Teachers of Spanish | ||
| Second Language Learning | ||
| Foundations of Literacy Instruction, K-8 | ||
or CI 504 | Secondary Literacy | |
| Select four additional courses from the following categories: | ||
| Of the four additional courses, at least two must be Spanish courses, at least one must be an Education course, and one course must be selected from the following: SPAN 400, SPAN 406, SPAN 408, SPAN 409, SPAN 427, SPAN 487; CI 540. | ||
| Literature and Latin American/Latino Cultures | ||
| Topics in Medieval and Early Modern Spanish Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Cervantes' Don Quijote | ||
| Topics in 18th and 19th Century Spanish Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in 20th and 21st Century Spanish Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Colonial History, Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Latin American Letters from the Revolutionary Era to Independence | ||
| Topics in Latin American Letters from Modernismo to the Early 1970's | ||
| Topics in Contemporary Urban Latin American and Latino Culture, Literature and the Arts | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Linguistics, Language Policy, and Teaching | ||
| History of the Spanish Language | ||
| Spanish Sociolinguistics | ||
| Hispanic Dialectology | ||
| Semantics and Pragmatics in Spanish | ||
| Studies in Language Policy and Cultural Identity | ||
| Computer Assisted Language Learning | ||
| Latin American and Latino Studies | ||
| Latinos and Latin America in Transnational Context | ||
| Topics in Latin American and Latino Studies | ||
| Education | ||
| Bilingualism and Literacy in a Second Language | ||
| Assessment and Instruction: A Multilingual/Multicultural Perspective | ||
| Linguistics for Teachers | ||
| Characteristics of Early Adolescence a | ||
| Curriculum and Teaching a | ||
- a
ED 430 and EPSY 446 are 3 hour courses; students will need to take 1 additional hour in order to meet the total hours required for the degree.
- Comprehensive Examination Required.
- Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Course work only. No other options are available.
Concentration in Teaching of Spanish to Heritage Speakers
- Candidates who already have licensure and wish to pursue the MAT in Spanish with a concentration in Teaching of Spanish to Heritage Speakers must complete the following:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Theory and Methods in Teaching Heritage Speakers (SPAN 440 is a mandatory course for the concentration in heritage speakers) | ||
| Intensive Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics | ||
| Introduction to Literary Analysis and Criticism for Teachers of Spanish | ||
| Second Language Learning | ||
| Foundations of Literacy Instruction, K-8 | ||
or CI 504 | Secondary Literacy | |
| Latinos and Latin America in Transnational Context | ||
or LALS 502 | Topics in Latin American and Latino Studies | |
or SPAN 406 | Spanish Sociolinguistics | |
Three additional courses chosen from the above categories, one of which must be from the Education category. | ||
For applicants seeking Illinois teaching licensure:
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 54.
- Coursework All 54 hours must be taken in the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies, the Latin American and Latino Studies Program, the Department of English, and the College of Education. No more than 8 semester hours of credit (two courses) will be accepted for transfer as part of the 54 required hours, and these credits must comply with university regulations and be approved by the program. Credit toward the degree is not given for any course in which the student receives a grade of less than B.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Theory and Methods in Teaching Heritage Speakers | ||
| Foundations of Second Language Teaching | ||
| Teaching Second Language Literacy and Cultural Awareness | ||
| Educational Practice with Seminar I | ||
| Educational Practice with Seminar II | ||
| Intensive Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics | ||
| Introduction to Literary Analysis and Criticism for Teachers of Spanish | ||
| Philosophy of Education and Urban School Policy | ||
or ED 403 | Policy Issues in the History of American Education | |
| Advanced Educational Psychology | ||
or ED 445 | Adolescence and the Schools | |
| Instruction and Assessment in the Urban Secondary Classroom | ||
| Secondary Literacy | ||
| Exceptional Learners | ||
| Select one additional 400- or 500-level course from the following categories: | ||
| Literature and Latin American/Latino Cultures | ||
| Topics in Medieval and Early Modern Spanish Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Cervantes' Don Quijote | ||
| Topics in 18th and 19th Century Spanish Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in 20th and 21st Century Spanish Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Colonial History, Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Latin American Letters from the Revolutionary Era to Independence | ||
| Topics in Latin American Letters from Modernismo to the Early 1970's | ||
| Topics in Contemporary Urban Latin American and Latino Culture, Literature and the Arts | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Linguistics, Language Policy, and Teaching | ||
| History of the Spanish Language | ||
| Spanish Sociolinguistics | ||
| Hispanic Dialectology | ||
| Semantics and Pragmatics in Spanish | ||
| Studies in Language Policy and Cultural Identity | ||
| Computer Assisted Language Learning | ||
| Seminar in Spanish Theoretical and Descriptive Linguistics | ||
| Seminar in Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism | ||
| Seminar on Language in Context | ||
| Second Language Learning | ||
| Theories in Second Language Acquisition | ||
| Latin American and Latino Studies | ||
| Latinos and Latin America in Transnational Context | ||
| Topics in Latin American and Latino Studies | ||
- Comprehensive Examination Required.
- Thesis, Project, or Coursework-Only Options Coursework only. No other options are available.
- The teaching license is not automatically awarded upon successful completion of licensure and degree requirements. Before the license is issued, the candidate must file an application for the Illinois teaching license with the Council on Teacher Education. The candidate must also pass a series of examinations required by the Illinois State Board of Education. The Content Area Test must be passed before the candidate is allowed to student teach. For information on application procedures, contact the Council on Teacher Education located at 1253 S Halsted, 3rd floor. See Council on Teacher Education section of the catalog.