Your Guide to Lake Forest College's Master's in Education Degrees

Illinois schools continue to face a shortage of qualified teachers: 2,943 positions remained unfilled for the 2025, 2026 school year, even as vacancies fell nearly 25 percent from the prior year. Lake Forest College’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) prepares candidates for initial licensure in secondary education, elementary education, and other subject areas, combining a year-long clinical residency with sequenced coursework. In a job market where school districts often hire directly from their student-teacher pools, a program that builds classroom experience from day one can be a decisive advantage.

Exploring Lake Forest College's Master of Arts in Teaching

Some master’s programs build on years of classroom experience, while others, like an M.Ed. without teaching experience, launch you into the profession from day one. Lake Forest College’s Master of Arts in Teaching falls squarely into the second category, designed for aspiring educators who want to earn their initial teaching license while building a student-centered, socially conscious instructional approach.

A Program Built on Reflection and Action

The MAT at Lake Forest College is housed within the Department of Education, where the philosophy centers on reflective practice and social justice.¹ Coursework emphasizes intellectual rigor and anti-racist pedagogy, preparing you to address real-world classroom challenges through a lens of equity and inclusion. From the start, you engage in fieldwork that integrates theory with practice, spending significant time in local schools under the guidance of experienced mentor teachers.² Small cohort sizes mean you receive personalized attention and form lasting professional connections.

Licensure and Accreditation: State-Approved for Illinois

The program holds full approval from the Illinois State Board of Education, confirming that its curriculum meets the standards for the Illinois Professional Educator License, a crucial step in teaching licensure.¹ While Lake Forest College does not currently hold CAEP accreditation, the state approval ensures your degree is recognized for licensure in Illinois and may facilitate reciprocity in other states. Always verify reciprocity rules if you plan to teach outside Illinois.

Specializations to Find Your Fit

• Elementary Education: Prepare to teach in self-contained classrooms from grades 1, 6, with a focus on developmental learning and cross-curricular instruction.
• Secondary Education: Earn licensure for grades 9, 12 in specific content areas such as English, mathematics, science, or social studies, paired with adolescent development coursework.
• K, 12 Education: Pursue licensure in fields like art, music, physical education, or world languages, allowing you to teach across grade levels.

Each track includes a full-time student teaching semester, ensuring you graduate with hands-on experience and a portfolio of lesson plans and assessments.²

The Five-Year BA/MAT Pathway

Lake Forest College also offers an accelerated pathway for its undergraduates. Through careful advising, you can complete your bachelor’s degree and the MAT in five years, saving time and tuition compared to traditional post-baccalaureate routes. This seamless option lets you begin education coursework as an undergraduate and transition directly into the graduate licensure year, maintaining momentum toward your teaching career.²

On-Campus, Online, or Hybrid: How Can You Earn Your MAT?

Choosing a graduate teaching program often means weighing the flexibility of online study against the immersive, hands-on experience of an on-campus cohort. Lake Forest College designs its Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) entirely around the latter: a fully in-person program that thrives on close faculty mentorship and peer collaboration. There is no online or hybrid delivery option. Every class, advising session, and field placement component takes place on the college’s Lake Forest, Illinois campus or in partner schools throughout the region.

An On-Campus Program with a Close-Knit Community

Lake Forest College’s MAT is rooted in the belief that the best teacher preparation happens face-to-face. All coursework and student teaching experiences are conducted synchronously and in person. This means you pack a bag, show up, and engage directly with professors and fellow candidates who are just as dedicated to becoming reflective, equity-minded educators. The program does not use a virtual classroom platform or recorded lectures: its strength is the real-time dialogue that unfolds in seminar rooms and during school-based clinical practice.

Designed for Full-Time and Part-Time Learners

The MAT welcomes both current Lake Forest undergraduates pursuing the combined BA/MAT pathway and bachelor’s degree holders entering the post‑BA track. Courses are scheduled during daytime hours, and while many candidates follow a full-time sequence, the program’s small size allows for individual pacing. Start terms in fall and spring give you flexibility in timing your entry.¹ If you are balancing a job or other commitments, you can discuss a plan with your advisor to spread requirements over additional semesters, but evening or weekend classes are not a standard feature.

• Combined BA/MAT: Streamlined for Lake Forest undergraduates who begin graduate coursework before finishing their bachelor’s degree.
• Post‑BA MAT: Open to anyone holding a bachelor’s degree, regardless of major, who wants to earn a master’s and Illinois teaching licensure.

Feasibility for Students Outside the Chicago Area

Because the MAT is fully on-campus, you must be able to attend classes in Lake Forest, a suburb about 30 miles north of downtown Chicago. The college is accessible via Metra commuter rail, which opens the program to candidates living in the city or along the North Shore. However, if you live far enough away that a daily commute is impractical, or you need a program you can log into from anywhere, Lake Forest’s MAT is not the right fit. Relocation is typically necessary for those coming from out of state or distant parts of Illinois. The college does not offer university housing specifically for graduate students, so you would need to secure local accommodation.

For education professionals who require a fully online master’s with licensure, other Illinois institutions like Aurora University master's in education or University of Illinois Chicago master's in education provide that path. Lake Forest College stands apart for those who want the intensive, place-based training that a small liberal arts college can deliver. The trade-off is clear: you give up digital convenience in exchange for a program built on personal connection and sustained, in‑person mentorship.

Understanding the Cost: Lake Forest College MAT Tuition and Financial Aid

What does the Master of Arts in Teaching program cost, and what financial aid options can make it affordable?

Tuition and Fees: Where to Find the Numbers

Graduate tuition at Lake Forest College is typically charged per credit hour, and the MAT program generally requires between 30 and 36 credits for completion. Because rates and mandatory fee schedules are updated each academic year, the most accurate figure will always be posted on the college’s Graduate Admissions website. Checking these official pages before applying will give you a clear picture of the total program investment.

Financial Aid Opportunities for MAT Students

Many graduate students rely on a mix of financial aid to manage costs. The Financial Aid Office can walk you through options that may not be visible on general tuition pages, including graduate-specific scholarships, grants, and assistantships. You may also qualify for federal student loans by completing the FAFSA, and some candidates explore employer tuition reimbursement as an additional resource.

Comparing Costs and Returns

To put the investment in context, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) College Navigator tool lets you compare average graduate tuition rates at other private institutions in Illinois. Pair that with teaching salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov), and you can begin to evaluate the return on investment. While teacher pay varies by district and subject area, this comparison can help you weigh Lake Forest College’s MAT against similar programs like the Concordia University Chicago MAT and Chicago State University MAT.

Breaking Down Your Investment: Lake Forest MAT Cost

Admission Requirements: What You Need to Apply to the MAT Program

The Master of Arts in Teaching at Lake Forest College has a straightforward application process. These are the key requirements you'll need to prepare.

• Bachelor's Degree

  You must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum GPA

  A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher is required.
• GRE Scores

  Submission of GRE scores is mandatory; there is no specified minimum, but scores are reviewed holistically.
• Letters of Recommendation

  One letter of recommendation from a professor or employer who can speak to your potential as a teacher.
• Personal Statement

  A 1-2 page essay answering the prompt: “Why do you want to enroll in the MAT Program at Lake Forest College? What are your academic and professional goals, and how will this program enable you to achieve these goals?”
• Application Deadlines

  Fall term: July 1. Spring term: November 1. Early application is encouraged.
• Additional Materials

  Official transcripts, a content area portfolio, and a pre-application consultation are also required. Prerequisite courses are determined individually after transcript evaluation.

Our small cohort model and year-long clinical experience ensure that graduates are not just prepared, but truly ready to lead their own classrooms from day one.

Inside the MAT Curriculum: Coursework and Student Teaching

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) at Lake Forest College is a carefully sequenced program that blends academic coursework with extensive classroom practice. Rather than simply learning about teaching, you will actively apply every concept in real school environments, building confidence before you step into your own classroom. The curriculum integrates a strong social justice perspective,² ensuring you are equipped to teach in diverse, equitable ways.

Core Courses and Specializations

All MAT candidates complete a set of foundational courses that cover essential knowledge for every educator. These classes explore how schools function, how students learn, and how to design instruction that meets a range of needs. Key core courses include:

• Foundations of Education: A broad exploration of the historical, philosophical, and sociological forces shaping American education, with particular attention to equity and access.
• Instructional Methods: Practical strategies for planning, delivering, and refining instruction across different subject areas and grade levels.
• Assessment of Student Learning: Techniques for creating and using formative and summative assessments to guide instructional decisions and support student growth.
• Teaching Exceptional Learners: Methods for differentiating instruction and collaborating with specialists to serve students with disabilities and other learning differences.
• Literacy Development: An evidence-based look at how children and adolescents acquire reading and writing skills, and how to teach them effectively.

From this shared foundation, you branch into either the elementary or secondary pathway. Elementary candidates study child development, integrated curriculum design, and methods for teaching all subject areas in a self-contained classroom. Secondary candidates focus on their chosen content discipline, such as English, mathematics, science, or social studies, and learn to teach that subject to middle and high school students. Both pathways maintain the program's commitment to social justice, with coursework that directly addresses culturally sustaining pedagogy and anti-bias practices.

Early Field Experiences

Clinical practice begins long before student teaching.¹ Early field experiences are woven into multiple courses, starting with observation and moving quickly to small-group instruction. Over the program, you will accumulate at least 100 hours in local schools, often working in diverse settings across Lake Forest, Waukegan, and neighboring communities. A dedicated fieldwork course structures these experiences, asks you to reflect on your growing practice, and makes explicit connections between classroom theory and immediate application. These scaffolded placements ensure you are comfortable in schools and ready for the full-time student teaching semester.

Student Teaching

The MAT culminates in a full-semester student teaching placement, a minimum of 16 weeks in a classroom under the mentorship of an experienced teacher.¹ The department coordinates placements with partner schools in the area,³ carefully matching you to a setting that aligns with your licensure area and professional goals. During this semester, you gradually assume full teaching responsibilities, while a seminar course provides a space for shared reflection and problem-solving with peers. Your performance is evaluated through regular observations, lesson plan review, and a professional disposition assessment² that ensures you model the ethical and collaborative habits of an effective educator.

Capstone Project and Portfolio

Two major projects demonstrate your readiness to enter the profession. The first is a Teacher Action Research Project,¹ typically completed alongside student teaching. You identify a question about your own teaching practice, collect data from your classroom, analyze the results, and present your findings. This project builds skills in reflective, data-informed decision making. The second is a comprehensive teaching portfolio,² compiled throughout the program. It includes sample lesson plans, student work, video recordings of your teaching, and written reflections that align with state teaching standards. Together, these artifacts serve as a powerful showcase for job interviews and your ongoing professional growth.

Career Outcomes: Where MAT Graduates Teach and What They Earn

Some graduate programs treat career outcomes as a final add-on, while Lake Forest College weaves placement support into every stage of the Master of Arts in Teaching. The MAT is designed not just to prepare you academically, but to launch a sustainable, rewarding teaching career. Understanding what happens after graduation, where alumni work and what they earn, can help you weigh the value of this degree against your professional goals.

Strong Placement Rates Across the College

Lake Forest College boasts an impressive 97% placement rate for the Class of 2025¹, meaning nearly all graduates are employed, in graduate school, or pursuing a fellowship within six months of commencement. While the MAT program does not publish its own separate job-placement data, this institution-wide figure reflects a deep institutional commitment to career readiness. You can expect the same level of support and intentional preparation that drives these outcomes. The Career Advancement Center works closely with teacher candidates to secure student-teaching placements and first-year teaching positions.

Teaching Roles and Settings

Although the college doesn’t release a list of specific employers for MAT alumni, graduates consistently find roles in a variety of educational settings. Typical placements include elementary classroom teacher, middle school or high school subject specialist, and special education instructor. Illinois’s teacher shortage means qualified candidates are in demand across public, charter, and private schools. Many alumni start their careers in suburban districts around Lake County, such as those in Highland Park, Deerfield, or Waukegan, where Lake Forest College has strong local partnerships. Others bring their skills to Chicago Public Schools or relocate to neighboring states, thanks to Illinois’s teaching-license reciprocity agreements.

Earnings Outlook for Illinois Teachers

Program-level earnings data for the MAT are not yet published, but broader alumni figures offer a useful benchmark. Lake Forest College alumni report a median starting salary of $45,700 across all majors². For context, first-year teacher salaries in Illinois typically range from the low to mid-$40,000s, according to the Illinois State Board of Education; so this figure suggests MAT graduates enter the workforce at competitive rates. As careers advance, the college’s mid-career alumni earn a median of $62,400², but experienced teachers with master’s degrees can surpass that, particularly in higher-paying Chicago-area districts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that elementary and secondary school teachers in Illinois earn well above the national median, a trend that advanced credentials like the MAT can amplify over time.

Navigating Your Career with Support from Lake Forest

Your job search doesn’t start after graduation. The Career Advancement Center helps MAT students polish résumés, practice interview skills, and connect with hiring districts through job fairs and alumni networks. From your first semester to your final student-teaching placement, you’ll have access to resources like the student teaching survival guide to turn a degree into a classroom of your own. To learn more about career services and recent successes, explore the career outcomes page on the Lake Forest College website.

Accreditation and Licensure: Ensuring Your MAT Holds Value

The MAT from Lake Forest College meets rigorous state standards for teacher preparation, opening a clear path to becoming a licensed educator in Illinois and beyond.¹

Institutional and Program Accreditation

Lake Forest College holds institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a federally recognized accreditor. While the MAT program is not CAEP-accredited, it is fully approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), meaning graduates meet all state requirements for teacher licensure. This state approval signals that the curriculum, clinical experiences, and assessments align with Illinois’s educator standards.¹

Illinois Licensure Requirements

To earn the Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL), MAT graduates must complete several state-mandated steps beyond their degree:

• Content-area tests: Pass the appropriate Illinois content-area test for the licensure endorsement you seek, Elementary (grades 1, 6), Secondary (grades 9, 12), or PK, 12.
• edTPA: Complete and submit the edTPA performance-based assessment, which evaluates teaching readiness through lesson plans, video recordings, and analysis of student learning.
• Background check: Clear a criminal background check, including fingerprinting, before student teaching and licensure.²

The MAT program embeds preparation for both the edTPA and content tests into coursework and field experiences, helping you build the necessary evidence and knowledge.¹

Reciprocity and Teaching in Other States

Holding an Illinois PEL gives you portability. Illinois participates in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, which streamlines license transfer to many states.¹ Graduates often pursue teaching positions in neighboring states like Wisconsin, Indiana, and Iowa. However, teacher license reciprocity is not automatic; most states require additional steps such as passing a new content test, completing a state-specific workshop, or verifying years of experience. Always check the destination state’s department of education website for current requirements. The ISBE website provides detailed guidance and links to reciprocity resources that can help you navigate the process.¹

Frequently Asked Questions About Lake Forest College's MAT

Below are answers to some of the most common questions about Lake Forest College's Master of Arts in Teaching. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, always refer to the college's official website or speak with a program representative.

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As Illinois schools still face thousands of unfilled teaching positions, Lake Forest College’s Master of Arts in Teaching offers a direct, well-supported path into the profession.

The program’s small cohort model, personalized mentorship, and year-long clinical experience build the confidence to lead your own classroom from day one. With strong placement outcomes and the ongoing need for qualified educators, the MAT is a strong return on your educational investment.

Visit the admissions page to learn more and take the next step.