2022-2023 Academic Catalog

Offered in: Chicago

This certificate program is intended for licensed teachers or candidates for teacher licensure who wish to receive state approval to teach bilingual and English as a second language students at their approved grade level. The certificate prepares teachers and teacher candidates to instruct linguistically diverse learners and leads to the addition of a bilingual or ESL endorsement on an Illinois Professional Educator License.

ADMISSION

Graduate candidates for teacher licensure can enroll in this certificate program at any time provided that they have met the Illinois requirements for admission into a teacher licensure program. Please see a professional advisor in the College of Education for more information.

Licensed teachers can enroll in this certificate program at any time by providing evidence of a teaching license. If desired, the certificate courses can be applied toward the requirements for a graduate degree Teaching and Learning or Second Language Special Education. Please see a professional advisor in the College of Education for more information.

All five of the courses below are required to earn the certificate and a state endorsement. To earn a state endorsement, students also must complete 100 clinical hours in bilingual or ESL classroom settings. In addition, students seeking the bilingual endorsement must pass a state language examination. The ESL endorsement does not require a language test.