Bilingual/Bicultural Education

Master’s Program

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

The Bilingual/Bicultural Education (BBE) program provides expertise for students to become leaders in a field of growing importance. BBE students develop a critical perspective that allows them to advocate for bilingual educators, administrators, children, and families both in and outside the K-12 education system. Working alongside faculty, BBE graduate students develop a knowledge base in research and practice in the areas of: language policy and bilinguals’ educational program development; second language acquisition; biliteracy; effective bilingual and ESL instructional practices; bilingual and ESL teacher preparation; and theories of immigration. In addition, our thriving undergraduate Bilingual Teacher Certification program offers students extensive opportunities to experience research and theory in practice in the classroom.

Program Details

Semester Start: Fall

Deadline to Apply: December 1

GRE Required? No

Location: On Campus

Schedule: Flexible

Length of Program:

  • M.A. with Thesis: 24 months, 36 hours
  • M.A. with Report: 24 months, 36 hours
  • M.Ed.: 24 months, 30 hours
Photo of faculty member Paty  Abril-Gonzalez
Assistant Professor

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.

Photo of faculty member Doris L Baker
Associate Professor

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.

Photo of faculty member Sylvia  Celedón-Pattichis
Professor

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 ...

Photo of faculty member Stella M Flores
Associate Professor

Examines the effects of state and federal policies on college access and completion outcomes for low-income and underrepresented populations including immigrant and English Learner students.

Photo of faculty member Maria E Franquiz
Professor

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.

Photo of faculty member Nora A Luna
Assistant Professor of Practice

Interests also include critical race theory specifically Latinx critical race theory and multigenerational subtractive schooling experienced by a marginalized majority.

Photo of faculty member Desiree  Pallais-Downing
Assistant Professor of Instruction-CURR

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. 

Photo of faculty member Haydee M Rodriguez
Clinical Assistant Professor

Prepares students to become educators in bilingual and ESL education and mentors novice bilingual educators.

Photo of faculty member Cinthia S Salinas
Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusive Excellence, College of Education

Dr. Salinas is a member of the Social Studies Education program area and is an affiliate faculty member in the Bilingual/Bicultural and the Cultural Studies in Education program areas. Her focus in the social studies includes critical historical inqu...

Photo of faculty member Sandra M Springer
Assistant Professor of Practice

Applicants must provide a supplemental writing sample written in Spanish to be uploaded as a “Miscellaneous Admissions Document.” The writing sample should describe your cross-cultural and/or cross-linguistic experiences.  You also should demonstrate competency with the language and content of the essay, and show that you have made efforts to cross borders by working, traveling, or otherwise have lived in situations that required a multiplicity of cultural competencies.

30 Hour Specialization (24 hrs + 6 hrs of Thesis)
M.A. or M.Ed. Student Teaching is a prerequisite for the M.Ed. degree.

Prerequisites

  1. Admission to Graduate School.
  2. 12 hours of upper-division education courses.
  3. Evidence of spoken and written proficiency in Spanish (See Bilingual Education Adviser for details.) 

C&I Departmental Requirement—6 hours

EDC 380R Educational Research and Design

ONE additional research methods class, preferably chosen to support thesis project 

Specialization

Major Area. Bilingual Education—Total of 12 Hours.

  1. Required Courses. Students will select 12 hours with the approval of their advisor from the following list:
    • EDC 390T Foundations of Bilingual & Dual Language Education
    • EDC 385G Teacher Leadership in Bilingual/ESL
    • EDC 382E Teaching Elementary School Subjects:  Bilingual Education
    • A course in teaching English as a Second Language:  [EDC 382E, 382S]
    • EDC 385G: Sociolinguistics OR Assessment & Evaluation in Language Education OR Second Language Acquisition
    • EDC 385G: Language Policy in Education OR Biliteracy OR Biliteracy and New Literacy Studies
  2. Choose ONE of the following:
    • EDC 385G Seminar: Language Acquisition, or Psycholinguistics
    • EDC 385G Second Language Acquisition, or ALD 325 Second Language Acquisition with consent of adviser
    • EDC 371 Applied Linguistics 

Supporting Work. 6 hours

Two courses outside C&I such as:

  • ANT 388K Anthropology of Education
  • ANT 393 Topics in Anthropology, as appropriate
  • EDP 362T Tests and Measurement
  • EDP 380P Educational Assessment of Minority Students
  • HIS 377L Mexico and Spanish North America since 1810
  • LIN 3805 Sociolinguistics
  • LIN 373 Child Language
  • LIN 350 Bilingualism
  • LIN 350 Linguistics and Education
  • MAS 374 Selected Topics in Mexican American Studies
  • SED 380 Language Acquisition and Assessment for Multicultural Special Education
  • SPN 367K Rhetoric and Composition for Native Speakers
  • SPN 367K Spanish Grammar
  • SPN 383N Topics in Spanish Linguistics, as appropriate
  • OR other courses with the approval of your advisor.  

NOTE: 6 hrs. of coursework must be outside C&I. 

Thesis. Total of 6 hours.

EDC 698A & B Thesis

Master of Arts or Master of Education. Student Teaching is a prerequisite for the M.Ed. degree.

33-Hour Specialization (30 hrs + 3 hrs of Master Report)

Prerequisites

  1. Admission to Graduate School.
  2. Twelve (12) hours of upper-division education courses.
  3. Evidence of spoken and written proficiency in Spanish (See Bilingual Education Adviser for details.)

C&I Departmental Requirement—3 hours

EDC 380R Educational Research and Design

Specialization

Major Area. Bilingual Education—Total of 24 Hours

  1. Required Courses—18 hours to include:
    • EDC 390T Foundations of Bilingual Education
    • EDC 385G Seminar on Program Development and Research:  Bilingual Education OR Teacher Leadership in Bilingual/ESL
    • EDC 382E Teaching Elementary School Subjects: Bilingual Education
    • A course in teaching English as a Second Language: EDC 382E, 382S, 384P
    • A course in Biliteracy
    • Choose ONE of the following:
      EDC 385G Seminar: Language Acquisition, OR Psycholinguistics
      EDC 385G Second Language Acquisition, OR ALD 325 Second Language Acquisition with consent of adviser
      EDC 371 Applied Linguistics
  2. Elective Courses—6 hours from the following or their equivalent:
    • EDC 385G Seminar: Language Acquisition, or Psycholinguistics
    • EDC 385G Language and Politics
    • EDC 385G Language Acquisition and Assessment for Multicultural Special Education (cross-listed with Special Education)
    • EDC 385G Critical Pedagogy and Bilingual Education
    • OR other courses can be chosen with the approval of your advisor.

Supporting Work—6 hours

Two courses outside C&I such as:

  • ANT 388K Anthropology of Education
  • EDP 380P Educational Assessment of Minority Students
  • HIS 377L Mexico and Spanish North America since 1810
  • LIN 350 Bilingualism
  • LIN 373 Child Language
  • LIN 3805 Sociolinguistics
  • SED 380 Language Acquisition and Assessment for Multicultural Special Education
  • SPN 367K Rhetoric and Composition for Native Speakers
  • SPN 367K Spanish Grammar
  • SPN 383N Topics in Spanish Linguistics, as appropriate
  • OR other courses with the approval of your advisor.  

NOTE: Six hours of coursework must be outside C&I.

Report—Total of 3 hours

EDC 398R Report

Master of Education only. Student Teaching is a prerequisite for the M.Ed. degree.

Thirty-six (36) Hour Specialization (No Thesis, No Report)

Prerequisites

  1. Admission to Graduate School.
  2. Twelve (12) hours of upper-division education courses.
  3. Evidence of spoken and written proficiency in Spanish (See Bilingual Education Adviser for details.)
  4. Student Teaching (M.Ed. only)

C&I Departmental Requirement—3 hours

EDC 380R Educational Research and Design

Specialization

Major Area. Bilingual Education—Total of 27 Hours

  1. Required Courses—18 hours to include:
    • EDC 390T Foundations of Bilingual Education
    • EDC 385G Seminar on Program Development and Research: Bilingual Education OR Teacher Leadership in Bilingual/ESL
    • EDC 382E Teaching Elementary School Subjects:  Bilingual Education
    • A course in teaching English as a Second Language:  EDC 382E, 382S, 384P
    • A course in Biliteracy
    • Choose ONE of the following:
      EDC 385G Seminar: Language Acquisition, or Psycholinguistics
      EDC 385G Second Language Acquisition, or ALD 325 Second Language Acquisition with consent of adviser
      EDC 371 Applied Linguistics
  2. Elective Courses—9 hours from the following or their equivalent:
    • EDC 385G Seminar: Language Acquisition, or Psycholinguistics
    • EDC 385G Language and Politics
    • EDC 385G Language Acquisition and Assessment for Multicultural Special Education (cross-listed with Special Education)
    • EDC 385G Critical Pedagogy and Bilingual Education
    • OR other courses can be chosen with the approval of your advisor.

Supporting Work—6 hours

Two courses outside C&I such as:

  • ANT 388K Anthropology of Education
  • ANT 393 Topics in Anthropology, as appropriate
  • EDP 362T Tests and Measurement
  • EDP 380P Educational Assessment of Minority Students
  • HIS 377L Mexico and Spanish North America since 1810
  • LIN 373 Child Language
  • LIN 350 Bilingualism
  • LIN 350 Linguistics and Education
  • LIN 3805 Sociolinguistics
  • MAS 374 Selected Topics in Mexican American Studies
  • SED 380 Language Acquisition and Assessment for Multicultural Special Education
  • SPN 367K Rhetoric and Composition for Native Speakers
  • SPN 367K Spanish Grammar
  • SPN 383N Topics in Spanish Linguistics, as appropriate
  • OR other courses with the approval of your advisor.

Photo of Maria Franquiz

Program Area Coordinator, Advisor
Maria Franquiz


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