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.
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
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:
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
Secondary Literacy
Latinos and Latin America in Transnational Context
Topics in Latin American and Latino Studies
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.
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
Policy Issues in the History of American Education
Advanced Educational Psychology
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.