The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Elementary Education 1-5 program is for individuals who do not hold a teaching certificate. This program is designed for those with French language proficiency who are interested in the pedagogical expertise required to teach in elementary French immersion programs. To be certified to teach French, you must have an advanced French language proficiency (DELF C1) before graduation.
Program Description
The program begins in the the university’s summer session and typically ends 14 months later, at the end of the following year’s summer session. It offers in-person and hybrid courses. All students must complete 39 graduate credit hours, including core courses (27 credit hours), residency courses (6 credit hours) and research capstone courses (6 credit hours).
Students are eligible to apply for the Future Immersion Teacher Fellowship from the Albertine Foundation. FIT Fellows receive scholarships of up to $10,000 to pursue graduate degrees and certification programs to prepare them for roles as French immersion teachers.
Upon successful completion of UL Lafayette’s program, the individual will be considered an Escadrille Louisiane graduate/teacher. They will then be eligible for a $14,000 stipend, paid over a period of 3 years, as long as they teach French immersion full time at a public or public charter elementary school in Louisiana.
Requirements
Candidates must:
- Have a bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) from a regionally accredited university
- Have a 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale) in the last 60 hours of undergraduate study
- Have 3 letters of reference
- Have a passing score for the GRE (The GRE requirement is waived for applicants who possess an undergraduate GPA, adjusted or cumulative, of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale.)
- Demonstrate an Intermediate High level of French proficiency with either (1) a four-year, undergraduate bachelor’s degree in French and/or Francophone Studies, or (2) a score of B1 level on the European Framework exam (DELF), or Intermediate High on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)
- Passing score for all required PRAXIS exams, including the exam in the appropriate content area for your degree
Required Application Materials
When submitting an application to participate in Escadrille Louisiane, a complete submission contains each of the following items:
- Application form
- Curriculum vitae
- In addition to submitting a CODOFIL application for Escadrille Louisiane, you also must:
- Apply for the UL-Lafayette MAT in Elementary Education 1-5 French Immersion Concentration program. For questions about this program, contact Dr. Natalie Keefer at natalie.keefer@louisiana.edu.