Endorsement, Bilingual Education Specialist
School of Education & Human Development
Overview
Degree: Endorsement
Classroom Type: Online and on campus classes
Designed for currently licensed teachers seeking career advancement and the knowledge and tools needed to work in dual language and bilingual education programs. The 10-credit-hour program requires that teachers already have the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (CLDE) endorsement or are working toward that endorsement in conjunction with the Bilingual Education Endorsement.
Program Details
Interest Categories: Education & Counseling
Campus: CU Denver
CU Denver’s School of Education & Human Development’s Bilingual Education Specialist (BES) endorsement is a 10-credit-hour program that can be added to the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education endorsement. The BES endorsement is designed for currently licensed teachers who are seeking career advancement and the knowledge and tools needed to work more effectively with multilingual learners.
This is a bilingual certification that is experienced primarily in Spanish. A majority of the graduate-level classroom discussions, reading assignments and papers will be in Spanish. Only ¼ of the curriculum will be presented in English.
Teachers with a BES certification are in high need, as the proportion of bilingual students and English learners in Denver Public Schools (DPS) and across the region grows. The majority of DPS teachers in bilingual placements lack certification as bilingual specialists.
CU Denver is the only university in the Denver metro area to offer a BES certification.
Students in the new BES program will study various areas of pedagogy and linguistics, including second language acquisition theories, social perspectives on education and bilingual student assessment. All 10 of the required credit hours are taught primarily in Spanish. The BES program operates in partnership with CU Denver’s Department of Modern Languages.
Instead of promoting a single “pure” Spanish, CU Denver’s BES program recognizes Spanish as it is currently spoken in the United States and in Colorado, incorporating dynamic local contexts of the language as it occurs in students’ lives.
Those who complete the program may apply to the Colorado Department of Education for the added endorsement.
Sample Courses
- CLDE 5824 - Theories and Methods of Bilingual Education 3 credits
- SPAN 5060 - Dialects of the Spanish-Speaking World 3 credits
- SPAN 5020 - Spanish Sociolinguistics 3 credits
- SPAN 5030 - The Learning and Teaching of Heritage Speakers 3 credits
Recommended Completion Time:1 year
Required Credits for Completion:10
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
We practice "rolling admission" and after your application is complete, we strive to notify you of your admission status in no more than two to three weeks.
The following deadlines are firm, early submissions are encouraged.
Fall Semester: June 1
Spring Semester: November 1
Summer Semester: April 1
Application Requirements
- 2 recommendation letters
- Official Transcripts from all institutions attended
- If applying for an endorsement, proof of teaching license or special services license is required
- Resume/CV
- Written Statement: Describe your interest in the program, your special strengths, and the goals you hope to achieve through your work in the program
- $50.00 application fee
- International Applicants only: Proof of English Language Proficiency (International applicants should review the following information regarding English language proficiency)
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Admissions Interview: An interview may be required as part of the admissions process. If so, applicants will be contacted with more details.
For more information, email education@ucdenver.edu or call 303-315-6300.