Bilingual/Bicultural Education
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Designed For
This program is well suited for students interested in bilingual education, language policy, biliteracy and advocacy for bilingual educators, administrators, children and families in K–12 settings.
Career Objective
The program prepares graduates for research-intensive careers in higher education, government and the non-profit sector. Alumni obtain roles as college and university faculty members, researchers in federal and state agencies and research consultants or directors within private foundations and non-profit organizations.
At a Glance
Program Starts: Fall, Summer
Deadline to Apply:
December 15
Length of Program: 48-60 months
Schedule: Flexible
Program Location: On campus
GRE Required? No
Advancing Research in Bilingual and Bicultural Education
The Bilingual/Bicultural Education (BBE) doctoral program focuses on developing scholars who contribute original research to the field. Our faculty emphasize the systematic study of bilingual education theories, concepts and practices, preparing students to engage in rigorous inquiry that informs educational policy and practice.
Working closely with faculty, graduate students receive advanced training in research design, methodology and interpretation. Core areas of study include language policy and education, bilingual and bicultural education program development, second language acquisition, biliteracy, and bilingual and ESL instructional practices.
Through sustained research and scholarly collaboration, students produce work that contributes to the knowledge base of bilingual education and related fields. Graduates leave the program prepared to shape research agendas, inform policy discussions and support bilingual education initiatives across academic, governmental and organizational contexts.
Program Area Coordinator, Advisor
Sylvia Celedón-Pattichis
Graduate Admissions Coordinator
Stephen Flynn
Program Details
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit a supplemental writing sample in Spanish, uploaded as a “Miscellaneous Admissions Document.” The writing sample should describe the applicant’s cross‑cultural and/or cross‑linguistic experiences and demonstrate proficiency in written Spanish, including appropriate academic language and content development.
Applicants are encouraged to reflect on experiences that required engagement across cultural, linguistic or national contexts, such as working, traveling or living in multilingual or multicultural settings, and to articulate how these experiences have shaped their academic or professional perspectives.
Applicants with a teaching certificate are encouraged to apply.
Program Requirements
Foundation Requirements (9 credit hours required)
- EDC 380F Sociocultural Foundations
- EDC 381F Introduction to Teaching and Teacher Education
- EDC 383F Curriculum Theory
Research Methodology Requirements (Minimum 12 credit hours)
To be taken in sequence:
- EDC 381R Intro to Systems of Human Inquiry
- The following two courses (6 credit hours):
- EDC 385R Introduction To Quantitative Research (may be taken concurrently with EDC 381R)
- EDC 386R Introduction To Qualitative Research (requires EDC 381R as a prerequisite)
- One course (3 hours, one course topic from either category or an adviser approved advanced research course) from the following:
- EDC 387R Advanced Quantitative Research
- EDC 388R Advanced Qualitative Research
Directed Research (Minimum 12 credit hours)
EDC 396T* Directed Research in Curriculum and Instruction (6 credit hours)
Note: EDC 396T can be taken more than once for credit. 6 additional hours of coursework involving a substantial directed research component, This may include additional EDC 396Ts.
Specialization Requirements (Minimum 18 credit hours)
Students studying Bilingual/Bicultural Education will complete additional related coursework, selected in consultation with and approved by the area program adviser. To support their individual goals, students are encouraged to choose courses from other clusters within the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
Required Classes (12 credit hours)
- EDC 385G Immigration Theory in Education
- EDC 385G Second Language Acquisition
- EDC 385G Biliteracy and New Literacy Studies
- EDC 385G Language Policy and Education: Global Perspectives and Local Implications
Electives (6 credit hours)
Students may select electives from the following courses according to their interests and needs in consultation with their advisor:
- EDC 390T Foundations of Bilingual Education
- EDC 382E Critical Pedagogy in Bilingual Bicultural Education
- EDC 385G Evaluation of Language Education
- EDC 385G Biliteracy and Computer-Mediated Learning
- EDC 385G Dual Language Education: Current Trends and Issues
- EDC 385G Language Acquisition and Assessment for Multicultural Special Education
- EDC 385G Teaching Culture
- EDC 385G Language and Politics in Language Planning
- EDC 385G Literacy and Culture
- EDC 385G Social/Cultural/Political Context Language Learning
- EDC 384P Equity/Pol/in Math/Sci/Tech Education
- EDC 385G Multicultural Curriculum and Teaching
- EDC 385G Cultural Knowledge of Teachers and Teaching
- EDC 385G Identity and Agency in Education
- EDC 385G Anthropology of Education
Courses Outside the Department (Minimum 6 credit hours)
Coursework from sections, General Requirements, Directed Research, and Special Requirements, may fulfill this requirement.
Students are encouraged to seek out courses that relate to Bilingual/Bicultural Education and their own research interests in such areas as:
- Mexican American Studies
- African American Studies
- Asian Studies
- Middle Eastern Studies
- Communication
- Comparative Literature
- Cultural Studies
- Early Childhood Education
- Educational Administration
- Educational Psychology
- English Literature
- Health Education
- Latin American Studies
- Law
- IT/Technology
- Linguistics
- Language and Literacy
- Spanish Literature
- Science/Math Education
- Social Work
- Special Education
- Women’s / Gender Studies
Dissertation (Minimum 6 credit hours)
Students are required to continuously register for at least three credits of dissertation once they have advanced to candidacy.
You must register in X99W (399, 699 or 999W) in each semester of candidacy until you graduate.
Please Note: Students receiving fellowships, assistantships, or other financial aid during doctoral candidacy may be required to take 9 credit hours of dissertation credit each semester.
Faculty
Studies long-term relationships with Latinx bilingual students and teachers using arts-based biliteracy approaches to affirm and amplify silenced perspectives, build connections, and develop bilingualism and biculturalism.
Develops and evaluates interventions and assessments using technology to support the academic success of Latinx students and other students whose home language is not English.
Focuses on language and cultural influences on teaching and learning mathematics, particularly equity issues involving Latinx students mathematical thinking, the simultaneous learning of English as a second language and math and preparing teachers ...
Examines ethnographic language and literacy practices in K-12 classrooms, specifically focusing on how Latinx critical race theory explains the relationship between heritage language and culture and the evolving identities of future teachers.
Explores the language and literacy practices of young African American children in dual language bilingual program spaces from critical perspectives.
Accepting new students
Biliteracy practices in classroom and curriculum, translanguaging pedagogy, bilingual programs, and dual language programming. Family advocacy and partnerships.
Examines the contributions of strengths-based approaches in literacy instruction with Spanish-speaking bilingual teacher candidates and in-service teachers in the U.S. and in Latin America.
Additional Information
