Bilingual Education with a Specialization in ESL (MED) - Online Program
Overview
A central goal of educators is to provide equitable educational opportunities to all children, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, language, culture, or socioeconomic status. One of the most controversial school programs, bilingual education, is committed to this goal. UTRGV’s innovative and unique Master of Education in Bilingual Education is designed to develop master teachers and advocates with a thorough understanding of effective enrichment bilingual education and practices that not only meet the educational needs of Spanish speakers, but also provide bilingual/biliterate/bicultural enrichment opportunities for all children. Students in this degree program take coursework in language development, second language acquisition, and models of effective practice, linguistics, and assessment. Unique among master’s degrees in bilingual education, our degree program prepares "dual experts" in various areas to promote and support enrichment bilingual education. Students completing the degree will be able to provide expert instruction, advise administrators, participate in program development, and lead professional development for schools and districts. Above all, students will become agents of change by advocating for bilingual learners and equitably implementing education policy for bilingual and their communities. In the ESL Specialization, coursework is in English and prepares English as a Second Language teachers who have a strong understanding of bilingualism across PreK-12 settings.
This program is 100% online.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the graduate program in bilingual education, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below.
- Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester credit hours. If applicant does not meet the minimum undergraduate GPA criterion of 3.0, the applicant will be evaluated holistically using a Likert scale reflecting professional goals, GPA, professional success from resume, and success on related prior course work.
- Personal statement essays (complete both a and b). Essay A: Write 250 words in English explaining your interest in graduate studies. Essay B: Write 250 words for your chosen specialization: ESL Specialization: In English, explain your interest in students who speak languages other than English.
- Resume which includes educational and background and work experience
- Documentation of one of the following: (a)Teacher certification in the U.S., or (b) Licenciatura or equivalent from another country, in a field related to education or language, or (c) Employment in a charter school, private school, or a community college, or (d) For applicants without teaching certification or experience, conditional admission may be considered.
Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.
Program Requirements
Required Courses - 27 Hours
| EDFR 6300 | Research Methods in Education | 3 |
| Or | |
| EDFR 6301 | Educational Research in Teaching | 3 |
| EDFR 6388 | Introduction to Historical and Sociocultural Foundations of Education | 3 |
| EDBE 6322 | Bilingual/Multilingual Critical Issues | 3 |
| EDBE 6324 | Dual Language Enrichment Education | 3 |
| EDBE 6335 | Bilingual Content Area Across the Curriculum | 3 |
| EDBE 6350 | The Bilingual Reading Process | 3 |
| EDBE 6351 | Research on Language Development in Bilingual Environments | 3 |
| EDBE 6365 | Action Research in Dual Language and ESL Education | 3 |
| EDBE 6367 | Assessing Emergent Bilinguals | 3 |
Non-thesis Option
Specialization Courses – 9 Hours
| EDSL 6323 | Approaches and Current Practices in Second Language Instruction | 3 |
| EDSL 6325 | ESL for Bilingual and Multicultural Settings | 3 |
| EDSL 6351 | Linguistics for ESL | 3 |
Written Comprehensive Exam
Students must pass the departmental written comprehensive exam.
Thesis Option
Specialization Courses – 3 Hours
Choose one from the following:
| EDSL 6323 | Approaches and Current Practices in Second Language Instruction | 3 |
| EDSL 6325 | ESL for Bilingual and Multicultural Settings | 3 |
| EDSL 6351 | Linguistics for ESL | 3 |
Thesis – 6 Hours
Total Credit Hours: 36