Advising

Application for Candidacy*
Within two weeks of starting their program, students must officially declare candidacy through UIC’s Council on Teacher Education.

Application for ED 432*
Fall Semester: March 15
Spring Semester: October 15

Application For Student Teaching*
Fall Semester: February 15
Spring Semester: June 15

Content Exam
The Content Exam (#114) must be taken and passed prior to placement for student teaching. It is recommended the content exam be taken at the beginning of the semester prior to student teaching. Students should apply for exams the first week of the semester they plan to take the exams.

Keep in mind that it can take up to 3-4 weeks for your scores to transfer from the state to CTE.

Graduation
For fall or spring graduation dates, students must apply for graduation through the my.uic.edu portal no later than the end of the third week of each term.

For the summer graduation date, students must apply through the my.uic.edu portal by the end of the second week of the term.

*Applications can be completed online through UIC’s Council on Teacher Education

Application for Candidacy*
Within two weeks of starting their program, graduate students must officially declare candidacy through UIC’s Council on Teacher Education.

Application for ED 432*
Fall Semester: March 15
Spring Semester: October 15

Application For Student Teaching*
Fall Semester: February 15
Spring Semester: June 15

Content Exam
The Content Exam (#114) must be taken and passed prior to placement for student teaching.

Spring student teaching: complete your exams by late August
Fall student teaching: contact CTE office

Keep in mind that it can take up to 3-4 weeks for your scores to transfer from the state to CTE.

Students should apply for exams the first week of the semester they plan to take the exams.

Comprehensive Exams:

Applying to take exams:

The standard time to take Comprehensive Exams is usually in the first weeks of the semester in which you student teach.

Spring student teaching: January or March
Fall student teaching: August or October

The call for exams for the upcoming academic year usually goes out in May with a Google Form. You must answer the call in May or you will not be eligible to sit for comprehensive exams in the following year.

There will be a general meeting for MAT students regarding Comprehensive exams at the end of the first year (in May or June), we highly recommend attendance.

Reading Lists for Exams:

*note that these are not the final lists for any students, but rather a foundation from which to build your own list. Please read instructions on the document carefully and consult with your advisor and exam committee.

Graduation
For fall or spring graduation dates, students must apply for graduation through the my.uic.edu portal no later than the end of the third week of each term.

For the summer graduation date, students must apply through the my.uic.edu portal by the end of the second week of the term.

*Applications can be completed online through UIC’s Council on Teacher Education

We think that it is important to demystify the process of applying to the MAT program as much as possible. Here are our suggestions for a successful application:

First of all, the most important parts of the application are your statement of purpose and your letters of recommendation.

To be sure, other components of the application are all significant. We look for an excellent writing sample, and we expect good grades–and very good grades in history courses. Still, these are generally not quite as critical as the statement of purpose and the letters.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. What we are looking for here is, above all, a deep and genuine commitment to history and to teaching. Tell us about your GPA if you want, but much more important is for us to get a sense that history really calls to your very being. That you have a “passion for the past,” in the words of the brilliant Virginia high school teacher James Percoco. Tell us about your childhood connections to history, or about the inspiration and intellectual challenges you’ve received in your college history classes. Tell us about historical books and issues that you deeply care about.

At the same time, lots of history geeks shouldn’t be teachers. Provide us with a sense of what your talents might be in the classroom. In turn, don’t be afraid to tell us what frightens you about the prospect of teaching, and what you need to learn. After all: a two-year program should teach you something! Please be open and honest; communicating about your weaknesses is, to us, a great strength. Most of all, tell us about your dreams and visions, as well as your practical commitments, experiences, and ideas. We don’t mind if the statement of purpose runs a bit long. Also: be sure to have plenty of friends and mentors read drafts. Finally, while we genuinely do appreciate creative and unconventional writing, we caution you against too much informality.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. Obviously, these are confidential, and you can’t control them after you’ve requested them. But be thinking about who can speak most powerfully, and in the most detail, to why you would be not just a good–but potentially a great–middle or high school history teacher. We highly recommend that you get at least two letters from college history professors with whom you have worked. These faculty will be the best gauge of your ability to do genuine graduate-level historical work. Three letters from such professors is great. But it also can’t hurt to have a letter from someone who can speak more directly to your personal background and your potential teaching abilities. These people might include employers, supervisors of internships, coordinators of tutoring programs, professors from other disciplines, or sometimes even your old high school history teacher. And we don’t mind receiving more than the standard three letters.

WRITING SAMPLE. Here we are looking, above all, for excellent analytical skills, talent in historical research and writing, and careful craftsmanship. We strongly prefer primary source-based papers that are also sophisticated in their interpretation. If you do not have such a paper, consider writing one specifically for this application: even if the writing sample is generally only third in our level of importance, a truly fine writing sample can definitely make the difference between admission and non-admission. Other forms of writing can, however, suffice. Analytical book reviews, historiographical surveys, short biographies of historical figures, or—if necessary–papers from other disciplines can count. Be sure that your writing is crisp in style and clean in terms of grammar, punctuation, and—above all—citations. (We strongly recommend that you follow the advice of a good writing manual, such as Christopher Lasch’s Plain Style or Kate Turabian’s A Manual for Writers.) Also, once more: have friends read and help you revise your writing sample. Just because you received an “A” on the paper doesn’t mean it can’t stand some improvement.

TRANSCRIPTS/COURSES/GPA. As stated above, an excellent GPA, especially in history courses, is valuable. But what we’re most interested in is your sophistication in historical thinking and writing, and the writing sample often speaks much more powerfully to those qualities than your GPA. When we do examine the transcript, we look to see that you’ve taken a good strong dose of history classes. That definitely does not mean that you have to have been a history major. But you do have to have shown considerable commitment to the discipline by taking (and doing well in) at least a handful of upper-division history courses. As for the grades, a string of As in upper-division courses can effectively cancel out a few Bs in lower-division classes taken while you were younger. We formally require you to take 16 hours of history courses prior to admission (along with 9 hours in the other social sciences), but we can be flexible about that admissions requirement if you otherwise show great promise. (Everyone, however, still needs to finish our program with at least 32 total history hours.)

Those are the general foundations of a successful application. That said, we do strongly encourage applications from career changers and other folks who have not taken the standard route to the program. You do not need to be a 22-year-old recently graduated history major to be a successful applicant; indeed, we often discourage applications from undergrads straight out of school, preferring that they get at least a bit of further experience in the “real world” or in graduate classes before joining us. Give us your best, recognizing that we’re flexible but also that our most immediate purpose is to determine whether you can do well in intensive, rigorous, and extremely challenging graduate-level readings courses populated not just by MAT students, but also by other MA and (mainly) Ph.D. students. Then, of course, our more long-term purpose is to determine whether you will be a successful teacher.

Finally, if possible, we encourage you to come in and meet us. A personal visit allows us to chat about a wide variety of issues. Such a visit, however, is not required. For out-of-towners, a phone chat can serve just as well.

Any questions? Please do not hesitate to let us know if we can help in any way. We very much look forward to receiving your application and, if all goes well, working with you in our very exciting program

Robert Johnston
Director, Teaching of History Program
johnsto1@uic.edu
312-413-9164

Julie Peters
Associate Director, Teaching of History Program
jlpeters@uic.edu
312-413-9163

Dear Prospective Applicants,

I’m so happy that you’re here! My name is Lucy Wilson and I am currently a first-year MAT student working as the program assistant. Whether you’re considering applying, or have just submitted your application, I’m here to tell you a little more about the MAT program.

When I began looking for avenues to becoming a licensed history teacher in Illinois, the MAT program stood out from other secondary education master’s programs in the Chicagoland area because of its focus on history. Before I applied, I emailed Robert Johnston, the program’s director of over twenty years, and set up a Zoom meeting with him one afternoon. Over the course of our conversation, Robert’s kindness and experience shone through, as did the MAT program’s commitment to preparing educators knowledgeable in both history and pedagogy.

Courses

Our program is within the History Department at UIC, and it provides students with a rigorous education in history and historiography as well as pedagogy. Students in the MAT program will need to complete two 500-level history colloquia classes in their field of interest (American, World, or European), and one 500-level history colloquium in each of the minor fields (for a total of four). These classes introduce you to major historiographical trends, provide you with in-depth knowledge about historical events, themes, and issues, and provide a space for roundtable discussion with other history graduate students, including Ph.D. and MA students. Because they are reading, writing, and research heavy, I recommend taking no more than two of these classes per semester.

Beyond these colloquia, MATs take two additional history classes taught by the program’s directors Robert Johnston and Julie Peters. These courses are methods courses: they teach you how to teach history and the social sciences. As a first-year MAT student, your first class at the university will likely be Robert Johnston’s HIST 500, the program’s capstone course required for all first-year MATs. Likely one of the most challenging and rewarding classes you’ll take in the program, HIST 500 introduces you to the teaching of history: you’ll cover current debates and controversies within the field; develop syllabi, curriculum units, and lesson plans; and also undertake some historical research of your own at Chicago’s incredible archives! The summer before the class begins, Robert will provide you with a summer reading list. I strongly suggest reading all these books before the fall semester begins—and any more he lists that will be assigned later on, even if they aren’t technically required summer reading—as your first semester in the program will be reading heavy, and it’s very nice to knock off some of those titles before it begins.

Julie Peters, the associate director of the program for twenty years, teaches HIST 420, a class that you will likely take in your second year of the program. You will walk out of this class with a better understanding of how to teach the social sciences (your licensure will allow you to teach all of the social studies), a firm grasp on how to connect learning objectives to teaching strategies and assessments in the classroom, and the resources to accomplish these goals—one of Julie’s specialties.

You will also be required to take five education classes as part of the program. These classes are a great opportunity to meet other students interested in education who may not be in the MAT program or history department. You will be joined by undergraduates, students looking to teach in disciplines other than history, and educators and professionals currently working in schools or learning spaces in the city. The breadth and depth of your classmates’ knowledge is a real asset in these classes, and I urge you to listen to and learn from their disciplinary knowledge and insights!

Finally, you will end your program with a semester of student teaching. By this point, your history, methods, and education classes will have well prepared to step into the classroom, though it’s natural to be nervous about this moment too! Julie Peters will work with you on your placement, and you will have a say in where you are placed. Everyone’s student teaching experience is different, as the school, coordinating teacher, and the students you are working with vary from person to person. Accompanying student teaching is a weekly class for you, with Julie Peters, to process and learn from your experiences with other MATs who are also currently student teaching.

This program is designed to give you the tools you’ll need to be as prepared as a new teacher can be. The rigor of your history classes will give you a substantial base of content and historiographical knowledge so that you can plan engaging lessons. Your education classes will help you understand and appreciate the complexity and art of curriculum design, and your methods classes in the history department will acquaint you with the leading edge of thinking about teaching history and the social sciences—including the best ways to buck accepted convention, if you chose to do so.  The program believes strongly in a pluralism of pedagogical and intellectual approaches.

Pace of the Program

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of this information and work, don’t worry! The MAT program is certainly rigorous, but there are many ways to go through the program and you’ll have a choice as to how to navigate it in a way that works best for you. While it’s possible to take four classes a semester and complete all of the coursework in two years, this is not required. Some of us are currently working in the classroom or in other jobs and choose to move through the program as part-time students, some of us are on the two-year track, and some of us stay on a little longer to complete endorsements. I only took two courses my first semester and was very glad that I began the program at a gentler pace. Many classes are offered over the summer—especially education courses— and summer school can be a nice way to knock requirements off your list without overloading fall and spring semesters.  The program’s pace is extremely flexible.

Prerequisites

In order to become certified, you will need 16 hours in history and 9 hours in social science education beyond the coursework listed above. These extra hours can be taken at any time in your time in higher education—as an undergrad, or as extramural student, or as a graduate student in another program. It is not required that you complete these “prerequisites” before you apply to the program, but you must complete them during the course of the program to qualify for licensure. Like many MATs, I was not a history major in college, and I needed to complete some of these hours in order to qualify for licensure. While you are not required to take these courses at UIC—and community colleges in the area are a great, lower-cost option to consider—I took a year of undergraduate history and social science classes at UIC before applying to the program and feel that this introduction to the University and the History Department made my transition into full-time graduate work at UIC much easier. If you are able to, I recommend taking a history course at UIC before the program begins to better acquaint yourself with faculty, UIC campus, and fellow students.

Employment

One of the biggest benefits of the MAT program, in my eyes, is the employment opportunities on campus. There is an array of jobs at UIC you can apply for: some of us work as teaching assistants in the History or Gender and Women’s Studies departments, some of us work at the archives in the Daley Library, and some of us work in administrative capacities for the University’s many departments. Most, if not all, of these positions come with tuition waivers and stipends, and they can make the choice to step away from the working world to begin school less of a financial burden. Jobs are not guaranteed, but Robert will happily work with you to help you find a position if you want one. What’s more, these positions add a line to your resume, and can better prepare you for your work in the classroom—especially the teaching assistantships. If you do decide to pursue employment during your time at UIC—whether it is through the university or outside of it— I recommend taking on a lighter class load (two or three classes) in the first semester you begin the job so that you don’t get overwhelmed with work and class.

What You Can Do in The Meantime

Getting into classrooms as a substitute teacher, or to observe, before the program begins is a great way to start your journey. Robert can help you choose schools that you might observe in, and he would also be happy to provide you with book lists so that you can begin your learning early. On a personal level, I recommend getting organized at home, figuring out your mode of transportation to campus (UIC provides low-cost CTA cards to students who want them), and finding your vaccination records (you will need to provide proof of common vaccinations to UIC, which can sometimes take a minute to find for those of us who have been out of school for a while).

Finally, I’d like to add how happy I am in the MAT program. While it is certainly full of hard work, the opportunity to labor toward something I believe in, among others who feel the same way, while being supported by our incredibly kind and experienced faculty, is truly a joy. The MAT community is strong, empathetic, and endlessly creative, and it is sustaining to be among peers who are both smart and humane. I hope you’ll reach out to me with any questions you might have at lwilso35@uic.edu, or just to say hi.

Warm regards,

Lucy