Program Overview
Learn More about NKU’s Online Master of Arts in Teaching – Secondary Education
Develop your classroom teaching skills while elevating your leadership abilities by earning your Master of Arts in Teaching – Secondary Education online from NKU. This 100% online program is designed for both in-service teachers and students who have bachelor's degrees in non-education fields pursuing the professional development needed to teach an academic content area at the secondary level.
Graduate ready to teach science, math, social studies, or English in grades 8-12 by building on your foundation of practical, hands-on teaching skills. Core coursework surveys contemporary educational theory, behavior management, curriculum design and assessment, current trends in education, as well as the role cultural identity plays in today's schools.
In this online Teaching Master’s program, you will:
- Examine the profession of teaching and schooling as it currently functions in the U.S.
- Explore how to use technology to enhance teaching and learning
- Learn about critical assessment tools that enable schools to measure student learning and make improvements
- Study theories, methods, techniques, and technologies in designing, delivering, and evaluating instruction in middle school and high school core subjects
The educator preparation programs at Northern Kentucky University are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
Have questions or need more information about our online programs?
Online Education Programs Also Available:
Northern Kentucky University offers a variety of graduate education programs online. Check out our other quality online education programs.
Some programs may be TEACH Grant eligible. Please contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance for more information.*
Tuition
Discover the Value of Our Low-Cost Tuition
Our affordable MAT – Secondary Education online program features the same pay-by-the-course tuition for all students, no matter where you live.
Tuition breakdown:
| Program | Per Credit Hour | Required Fees | Total With Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master of Arts in Teaching – Secondary Education | $412 | $576 | $15,408 |
Tuition and fees are subject to change at any time.
Ranked among the “Top Public Colleges” by Forbes, 2022
Calendar
Milestones to Guide Your Student Journey
The MAT – Secondary Education online program offers an accelerated course schedule with six start dates so you can balance your studies with work and life. View the calendar to find the best start date for you.
Now Enrolling:
| Session | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Tuition Deadline | Last Class Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 1 | 05/08/2023 | 04/26/2023 | 05/01/2023 | 05/04/2023 | 05/08/2023 | 06/23/2023 |
| Fall 1 | 08/21/2023 | 08/09/2023 | 08/14/2023 | 08/18/2023 | 08/21/2023 | 10/06/2023 |
Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from Northern Kentucky University?
Admissions
Are You Ready to Apply? Check Our Admission Requirements First
The admission process is the first step to earning your MAT – Secondary Education from NKU online. Requirements for admission to this program include:
View full admission requirements
MAT – Secondary Education Online Admission Requirements
Students interested in applying to the MAT program are strongly recommended to schedule a pre-advising appointment with the program director to ensure prerequisite courses for content-area certification have been taken prior to admission.
- Complete online application for admission
- Pay $40 non-refundable application fee
- If you are an NKU alumni or active/veteran military member, your application fee will be waived
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) coursework from an accredited institutions, with a minimum 2.75 GPA or a GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 30 semester hours of coursework
- Submit official notification of appropriate Praxis 2 content exam(s) in the area in which you are seeking certification with the minimum score required by the state of Kentucky
- Current resume that includes work experience and prior education; include experience working with children outside of a family setting, whether through work or volunteerism, if applicable
- A Statement of Professional Purpose which states your reasons for pursuing teacher certification at this point in your life, as well as in the chosen content area
- Submit a criminal and federal background check
- Successfully complete an interview* with the MAT Admissions Committee to ensure that your qualifications, disposition, and character uphold the ethical standards of the profession and are a good match for working with P-12 students
*After a thorough review of application materials, the MAT Admissions Committee will select candidates to be interviewed. The committee will review all available data to assess the fit and overall potential of the candidate for success in the program before making a final offer of admission.
Official documents may be mailed or emailed to:
NKU Office of Graduate Education302 Lucas Administrative Center
Highland Heights, KY 41099
Have a question? Call us at 800-985-7215.
Courses
The Topics You’ll Study in Our Online Secondary Education Classes
In order to earn the MAT – Secondary Education online, students must complete 13 courses for a total of 36 credit hours, which include 19 core hours, 3 methods courses hours, and 14 field and clinical experiences hours. Clinical experience will vary depending on if the student is teaching or not.
Students must take the following courses:
EDMT 610: Foundations of American Schooling
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 2
Examination of teaching as a profession and of schooling as it currently functions in the U.S.; inquiry into contemporary educational theory and practice.
EDMT 611: Studies of the Learners
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 2
Life-span development: physical, cognitive, social and personal development, especially as these relate to children in school and to adults who influence them; individual study focusing on student development at specific levels of instruction.
EDMT 612: Classroom Management
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 2
Recent research and theory related to planning, organizing and managing student learning and behavior in the classroom.
EDMT 621: Students with Exceptionalities in Middle/Secondary Classrooms
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Characteristics of students with exceptional learning needs and legal issues; adaptations to the general curriculum, adaptive teaching strategies, behavior management and collaboration skills.
EDMT 622: Cultural Identity in Schooling
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 2
Role cultural identity plays in students’ experiences in schools; how theories of prejudice assimilation, feminism and cultural reproduction explain pat-terns of behavior in schools; curricular changes to address the inclusion of all students in today’s schools.
EDMT 632: Curriculum Design and Assessment
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Principles and strategies for effective middle/secondary teaching; teaming for faculty and students, curriculum planning, general teaching methods, assessment strategies, and classroom management.
EDMT 641: Technology in Middle/Secondary Classrooms
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 2
Introduce students to the utilization of computers in the educational process; focus on technological solutions necessary for a professional career as a teacher.
EDU 530: Reading in Middle and Secondary Schools
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 1.5 - 3
Principles and procedures related to reading and literacy in grades 5-12; reading theory, reading skills and strategies, and study skills across content fields.
Candidates seeking certification in any certification area must take one 3-credit-hour methods course, chosen from the following.
Secondary English candidates are required to take two methods courses (ENG 535 and ENG 537).
Students pursuing two content areas are required to take a methods course in each content area and may require additional semesters in the program.
EDMT 543: Method and Pedagogy in Middle School/Secondary Science
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 1.5 - 3
Theories, methods, techniques and technologies in designing, delivering and evaluating instruction in middle school and high school science.
EDMT 544: Method and Pedagogy in Middle School/Secondary Math
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 1.5 - 3
Theories, methods/techniques and technologies in designing, delivering and evaluating instruction in middle school and high school mathematics.
EDMT 545: Method and Pegagogy in Middle School/Secondary Social Studies
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 1.5 - 3
Theories, methods/techniques and technologies in designing, delivering and evaluating instruction in middle school and high school social studies.
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
This online course for current and future leaders introduces themes and practices in Mindfulness. Self-paced modules help learners explore and incorporate mindfulness characteristics in oneself, others, and in leadership. Prerequisite: Junior standing or higher
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 1
Application of instructional theory to middle/secondary grade classroom settings
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 1-2
Practice in planning and implementing instructional strategies with middle/secondary grade school students. Students will complete this course three times for a total of 5 credit hours.
EDMT 694: Field Experience III
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 2
Practice in planning and implementing instructional strategies with middle/secondary grade students.
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 1-9
Classroom experiences through observation, planning, teaching, and assessing under supervision of an experienced teacher.
All MAT students enroll in a total of 5 credit hours of field experience in their program prior to their culminating clinical or professional lab experience. For each credit hour of field experience in a given term (which may be 1 or 2 credit hours), you will need to spend 40 hours in a field placement. Each placement will include assignments, observations, and additional requirements that help you make the connection between what you are learning in your content courses and application in the classroom.
Students employed through Kentucky's Option 6 certification will complete these field placement hours in their own classroom. Students not employed through Kentucky's Option 6 certification will be assigned a cooperating teacher and school placement by the MAT program facilitator. You are not allowed to find your own field placement sites.
*The maximum grant amount can vary by year. TEACH Grants are available to qualified applicants and require approved recipients to sign a service agreement for certain teaching service obligations for four academic years. If obligations are not met within eight years after graduation, the grant will turn into a Direct Unsubsidized Loan that must be repaid with all accrued interest from the date of disbursement. For more information, please visit: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/teach or contact the NKU Financial Aid Office.
