Secondary Education - Teacher Residency (MAT)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2024–Spring 2025 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Master of Arts in Teaching in Middle School Education, Teacher Residency
Unit: College of Education and Human Development (GE)
Program Website 
Academic Plan Code(s): By subject area, see below.

Program Information

The MAT in Secondary Education leads to certification in:

• Biology (SE_ _MATBIO)
• Chemistry (SE_ _MATCHE)
• Earth & Space Science (SE_ _MATESS)
• English (SE_ _MATENG)
• Mathematics (SE_ _MATMAT)
• Physics (SE_ _MATPHY)
• Social Studies Education (SE_ _MATSST)
• World Language Education - French (grades P-12) (SE_ _MATFRE)
• World Language Education – Spanish (grades P-12) SE_ _MATSPA)

The MAT enables graduate students to earn their initial teaching certification for Kentucky in the subject areas above for grades 8-12, or P-12 in French and Spanish.

Teacher candidates learn to teach through instruction in pedagogy, child development, special education, gifted education, technology and diversity. They develop their skills in field experiences through student teaching in area schools. The CEHD prepares future teachers who are committed to helping every student learn. The MAT program emphasizes meeting the needs of the individual learner through understanding and using the best instructional practices in a standards-based environment. Through coursework and clinical field experiences, UofL teacher education students become critical thinkers who are prepared to meet the demands of 21st century secondary schools.

The Teacher Residency program is designed to assist local school districts in meeting the demand for a diverse cadre of qualified teachers. Residents are enrolled in a one-year MAT program at the University of Louisville while employed with JCPS as a resident. Candidates receive personalized instruction throughout the process to help them succeed in the classroom. Candidates selected for the Louisville Teacher Residency (LTR) program commit to teach in accelerated improvement schools (AIS) for five years.

Admission Requirements

Candidates who meet the following criteria may be eligible to apply to the Master of Arts in Teaching, Teacher Residency program. Candidates considering an application to the MAT program should contact the MAT admissions counselor (teacher@louisville.edu) prior to applying for admission. Admission is competitive.

Applicants must complete/satisfy the following:

1. Application to Graduate School. This should be completed three to four weeks prior to the application deadline.
2. Prerequisite Course Requirements
3. Praxis II Content Exam registration and/or scores
4. Bachelor's degree from Accredited College or University with major in content area or appropriate prerequisite courses and a minimum 2.75 Grade Point Average (official transcripts required)
5. Grade of C or higher in ENGL 102 (or equivalent)
6. C or higher in oral communication course
7. TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo
8. Professional Statement
9. Three Letters of Recommendation
10. Signed Professional Code of Ethics/Technology User Agreement/Statement of Understanding of Admissions Guidelines
11. Acceptable interview with school district

Program Requirements

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EDAP 604 is taken three times during the program and is a course taught by district and school level personnel.

Mid-Point Assessment: Satisfactory dispositions assessment; no lower than a “C” in content methods class(es); all pre-requisites met; successful completion of EDTP 651, EDTP 652, and EDTP 654; electronic documentation of 200 hours of diverse and approved field experiences; satisfactory performance on all Hallmark Assessment Tasks; Target performance or better on all rubrics.

Certification Assessment:  Satisfactory dispositions assessment; passing scores on PRAXIS content and PLT exams; completion of degree requirements.

Degree Assessment:  All program course work with 3.0 cumulative GPA (and no more than two grades of “C” in degree courses); 2.5 cumulative GPA in content course requirements; satisfactory performance on all Hallmark Assessment Tasks; Target performance or better on all rubrics.

Praxis Disclaimer: Teacher certification requirements are subject to change. Before registering for certification test(s), please refer to the Education Profession Standards Board (EPSB) website at www.epsb.ky.gov or www.ets.org/praxis for current requirements.

Degree Candidacy: Students not enrolled during the semester in which they intend to graduate must register for degree candidacy as outlined in the Graduate Catalog. 

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Secondary Education prepares students to meet the requirements for certification and/or licensure.  If you plan to pursue professional licensure or certification you should first determine your state’s criteria for examination and licensure to see how/if our program meets those requirements prior to enrollment. We recommend that you also contact your state’s licensing board directly to verify that the requirements have not changed recently and to answer any questions especially those regarding additional requirements beyond the degree. 

More information about certification or licensure is available at the following website:  https://louisville.edu/oapa/licensure-information (you may search by school or by the name of the program then click on 'View Details' to display the information).

For programs with an online option, more information about certification or licensure is available here: https://louisville.edu/online/About-Us?tab=disclosures.