Bilingual and English
as a Second Language

Teacher Certification programs

Opportunities abound

Texas' growing number of English language learners in public schools brings a need for qualified teachers in bilingual and English as a second language programs. These programs serve more than 800,000 English language learners.

The University of North Texas' bilingual and ESL teacher certification programs address the affective, academic, linguistic and cognitive needs of English language learners from more than 100 countries and language groups.

Bilingual education uses a child's native language and English in all or part of the curriculum. Spanish and English proficiency are required.

ESL education enables children who aren't proficient in English to acquire academic proficiency in the language. This program doesn't require Spanish proficiency.

You'll gain the necessary knowledge and skills through specialized instruction and assessment. These programs are aligned with state and national standards and the College of Education's general requirements.

The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (1140 19th St., Suite 400; Washington, D.C. 20036; telephone 202-223- 0077). This accreditation means we meet or exceed strict academic standards for excellence in education.

The college is also one of the state's top producers of teachers, administrators, counselors and other school professionals.

Certification and degree options

Initial Certification Programs

The undergraduate program is for students seeking a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with initial teacher certification in:

• Generalist education with bilingual supplemental to teach in grades EC-6
• Generalist education with ESL supplemental to teach in grades EC-6
• Math, science, social studies or English language arts and reading with ESL supplemental to teach in grades 4-8

The graduate program, which requires completing 24 credit hours, is for non-education majors and is a route to initial teacher certification. The courses are offered online except for student teaching and clinical experiences in classrooms. The graduate program includes:

• Post-baccalaureate program in generalist education with bilingual supplemental to teach in grades EC-6
• Post-baccalaureate program in generalist education with ESL supplemental to teach in grades EC-6

Advanced Degree Programs for Certified Teachers

The Master of Education degree in Teaching can be added to the post-baccalaureate program by completing 12 additional credit hours of course work.

An M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on ESL or bilingual education is available to certified teachers with at least two years of experience. The degree requires 30 credit hours of course work and combines theoretical perspectives and research-based practice.

Teachers will have opportunities for field-based projects and action research to enhance a practicing teacher's knowledge and expertise. The courses are offered online, making the course work accessible if you work full time, live in a rural area or prefer web-based instruction.

Attending UNT

Admission requirements for initial certification programs

Undergraduate students

• Meet the UNT's admission requirements
• Minimum 2.75 overall GPA
• 60 earned credit hours (junior standing)
• Passing scores on the THEA exam (240-reading, 230-math and 220-writing) or SAT/ACT/TAKS test exemption
• Complete an online interview questionnaire in the Tk20 Campus Tools system
• Degree plan in process or completed
• 133 credit hours of course work
• Pass the TExES EC-6 Generalist, ESL Supplemental and Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities exams for the ESL track or TExES EC-6 Generalist, Bilingual Supplemental, Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test and Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities exams for the Bilingual track

Post-baccalaureate students

• Meet the admission requirements for the Toulouse Graduate School®
• Completed 3 credit hours each of math, science, social studies and English with a grade of C or better
• Undergraduate degree with a minimum 2.8 overall GPA or 3.0 GPA in the last 60 credit hours of course work
• Passing scores on the THEA, ACT, SAT, GRE or appropriate substitute exam
• Pass the TExES EC-6 Generalist, ESL Supplemental and Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities exams for the ESL track or TExES EC-6 Generalist, Bilingual Supplemental, Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test and Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities exams for the Bilingual track

Course requirements

EDCI 5010 Everyone Can Learn: Applying Theory to Teaching Practice
EDBE 5560 Fundamentals of Bilingual and ESL Education in EC-12 Settings
EDBE 5570 Assessing Language and Content Learning in EC-12 Bilingual and ESL Education
EDBE 5580 Bilingual Content Instruction (Bilingual Education track)
EDBE 5582 ESL Content Instruction (ESL Education track)
EDBE 5590 Pedagogy of ESL for EC-12 Classrooms
EDRE 5070 Literacy Development for English Learners
EDEE 5105 Practicum I and EDEE 5115 Practicum II or EDEE 5101 and EDEE 5102 Student Teaching in EC-6

Completing four additional graduate courses will lead to earning a Master of Education degree in Teaching. For more information about the post-baccalaureate and the M.Ed. in Teaching options, email Dr. Rossana Boyd or graduate advisor Azzama Alia.

Admission requirements for M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction

• Meet the admission requirements for the Toulouse Graduate School®
• Minimum GPA of 2.88 or 3.0 on the last 60 credit hours at the bachelor's level
• Valid Texas teacher certification or the equivalent
• Three- to four-page essay on your personal philosophy of teaching with concrete examples of that philosophy applied to your own teaching practices
• Letter of intent for pursuing the M.Ed. degree in Curriculum and Instruction
• Current curriculum vitae

Course requirements

Bilingual

EDBE 5560 Fundamentals of Bilingual and ESL Education in EC-12 Settings
LING 5060 Second Language Acquisition
EDBE 5620 Leadership in Bilingual and ESL Education
EDBE 5650 Academic Spanish in the Bilingual Classroom
EDBE 5580 Bilingual Content Instruction
EDBE 5585 Effective Practices in Biliteracy Education

ESL

EDBE 5560 Fundamentals of Bilingual and ESL Education in EC-12 Settings
LING 5060 Second Language Acquisition
EDBE 5620 Leadership in Bilingual and ESL Education
EDRE 5070 Literacy Development for English Learners
EDBE 5680 Diversity in the ESL Classroom
EDBE 5582 ESL Content Instruction

For more information about this option, email Dr. Ricardo Gonzalez.

Financial assistance

For undergraduate students, the TEACH Grant Program provides $3,900 a year to students who agree to teach four years in high need schools within eight years of graduation and certification. Students with a minimum 3.25 GPA or in the 75th percentile or higher in one section of the SAT or ACT qualify to apply.

The Roberto Alonzo Scholarship Program is available to undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students seeking the bilingual certification. For more information about these opportunities, email Rossana Boyd.

General financial aid and scholarship information is available at the financial aid website.