In Illinois, Relay offers Master of Arts in Teaching programs with the option to pursue teacher licensure. Relay students teaching in Illinois enroll in Relay Chicago. 

Join our community of practitioners focused on achievement, and well-being of students and teachers.

The Relay Chicago Approach

Relay Chicago started with just 61 graduate students in 2015-16, and now counts over 830 graduates. Additionally, over 80% of Relay Chicago students are focusing on high needs subject areas, including math and science.
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Faculty

Relay faculty are experienced classroom teachers who blend theory with real-world application and build supportive communities of adult learners.

State Requirements

Each state has its own admissions requirements for students applying to Relay Graduate School of Education. This section will help you understand what's needed for the program you're interested in, so you can feel prepared and confident as you begin your application.

Understanding your GPA admissions requirements

All students must be admitted to Relay Graduate School of Education in order to enroll in coursework.

If you plan to pursue teacher certification, you will also need to meet the admissions criteria for Relay's Educator Preparation Program (EPP) — requirements that are separate from Graduate School admissions and based on state-specific certification guidelines.

In short:

• If you are pursuing a degree only, you must meet Graduate School admissions requirements.
• If you are pursuing a degree with certification, you must meet both Graduate School and Educator Preparation Program requirements.

The sections below explain what this means for each program option.

Illinois Criminal History Acknowledgement

Before beginning qualifying experience, applicants are required to authorize and pay for a fingerprint-based criminal history records check with the school district.  The background check will be completed by the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Applicants to Relay will receive more information about criminal history background check requirements in the Relay application and will be required to sign the Illinois Criminal History Acknowledgement to be eligible for admission to Relay.

Requirements for admission to our Master of Arts in Teaching Program

To be eligible for our Master of Arts in Teaching Program with or without certification, you will need to:

• Complete your application
• Complete your admissions checklist
• Submit your official, degree-conferred transcript with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
  
  • Relay offers limited exceptions for applicants with a GPA below a 2.5 who meet other criteria. Email support@relay.edu for details.
• Obtain a program-aligned instructional role prior to beginning clinical practice coursework

If you are planning on pursuing certification, you will also need to:

• Complete Transition Point 1 requirements for the program, which will be added to your admissions checklist
• Have a GPA of 2.5 or higher
  
  • Relay offers limited exceptions for applicants with a GPA below 2.5 who meet other criteria. Email support@relay.edu for details."

In Illinois, the Educator Preparation Program for Master of Arts in Teaching candidates is the Illinois Graduate Alternative Licensure Program.
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GPA Requirements

Check out our Program Offerings in Illinois.

Make sure to review Program-Specific Deadlines.

School and District Partners

Relay partners with over 18 public school systems and schools across the state. Here is just a sample:

• Chicago Public Schools
• Learn Charter School Network
• Chicago International Charter Schools 
• Noble Schools 
• The Menta Group

Teacher Recruitment Partners

Teach For America

Relay partnered with Teach for America Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana in 2016 and since has supported hundreds of elementary and secondary teachers. Teach for America Corps Members enroll in Relay’s Master of Arts in Teaching program, and the staff at both organizations work closely together to support Corps Members.