Billiken Teacher Corps
The Saint Louis University Billiken Teacher Corps offers two pathways for current and aspiring Catholic school educators to earn their Master of Arts in Teaching and certification.
Our Mission
The mission of SLU's Billiken Teacher Corps is to form the next generation of Catholic school educators through an academically excellent, spiritually guided, service-learning community. The Billiken Teacher Corps at Saint Louis University has been forming teachers in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition since 2015.
Pathway 1: Cura Community
The Billiken Teacher Corps: Cura Community is a program for recent college graduates that focuses on holistic support for participants as they begin their careers teaching in Jesuit or underserved Catholic schools. The name Cura Community speaks to the program's approach, which balances cura personalis (care for the whole person) with cura apostolica (care for the mission work). The program offers a unique opportunity for participants to live out the Jesuit mission as men and women for and with others, making a transformative impact in their communities.
- Cura Community members gain two years of full-time teaching experience while earning their Master of Arts in Teaching with full tuition remission. Monthly stipends and low-cost housing are provided as part of this fellowship.
- The hallmark of this program is the cohort model. Participants live in a supportive, faith-based community with other program members and participate in regular, intentional opportunities for spiritual nourishment, such as retreats and community events.
- Members who are not already certified also earn a Missouri teaching certificate via the alternative route.
- Alternative certification is available for secondary, middle and elementary teachers upon meeting Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requirements.
- Applicants work with the Billiken Teacher Corps program director to secure a school placement that fits their content background and teaching desires.
- Cura Community members collaborate with mentors and a University supervisor to receive real-time feedback and support around instructional strategies and classroom management.
Cura Community Pillars
Serve
Be the difference. Teach full time and impact students' lives while gaining leadership skills as coaches, club moderators or campus ministers in Catholic schools.
Learn
Be supported as a new teacher. Earn a Master of Arts in Teaching with full tuition remission and receive mentoring from experts with a passion for education.
Grow
Be your authentic self. Live in an intentional faith community with your peers, cultivate your faith, and grow as a person.
Cura Community Timeline
The priority application deadline is Jan. 25. Applications will be accepted after that date on a rolling basis until the cohort is filled.
This two-year, 37-38-credit-hour program begins each year in early June. Classes are taken throughout two summers and one evening each week during the school year.
Pathway 2: MAT Magis
Inspired by magis, the Latin word for “more,” Billiken Teacher Corps: MAT Magis candidates do more for their students as they grow and strengthen their knowledge and support for their students by earning their Master of Arts in Teaching with alternative certification.
This two-year, 37- to 38-credit-hour program is a flexible option for individuals who are already secondary, middle or elementary teachers in Catholic schools or who are seeking those positions. MAT Magis is also open to half-time teachers and elementary classroom aides with bachelor’s degrees who want additional credentials.
- Unlike Cura Community, MAT Magis is not a residential program. Optional opportunities for spiritual development and community building are available to students in this pathway.
- Alternative certification is available upon meeting Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requirements.
- Members of this program collaborate with a school mentor and a University supervisor to receive real-time feedback and support around instructional strategies and classroom management.
- If not already employed by a Catholic school, MAT Magis applicants work with the Billiken Teacher Corps program director to secure a school placement that fits their content background and teaching desires.
- Applicants to the MAT Magis program earn an automatic tuition discount (approximately 1/3) from when employed by a Catholic school at the start of coursework and throughout the program.
MAT Magis Timeline
For this two-year program, classes are taken throughout two summers and one evening each week during the school year.
MAT Magis students can begin coursework in the summer, fall or spring semesters. The BTC director must approve a fall or spring start.
- June Start – Priority Deadline: Jan. 25. Final Deadline: April 15
- August Start - Priority Deadline: April 1. Final Deadline: July 15
- January Start - Priority Deadline: Aug. 1. Final Deadline: Nov. 15
Applying to the Billiken Teacher Corps
The BTC seeks qualified applicants who embody the words of the Jesuit leader Pedro Arrupe, S.J.:
“Join us if you possess broad shoulders, a free spirit, an open and prudent mind, and a heart bigger than the world. Join us if you have a sense of humor and you know how to share a joke ... and if, on certain occasions, you are also able to laugh at yourself.”
Next Steps
Submit your Billiken Teacher Corps application, including:
- for your chosen pathway
- Official transcripts
- Current résumé
- Professional goal statement
- Two letters of recommendation for MAT Magis (work supervisor and professor)
- Four letters of recommendation for Cura Community (work supervisor, professor, friend/roommate and spiritual mentor)
Please email billikenteachercorps@slu.edu for more information or if you have any questions. We look forward to getting to know you!