COE Department of Educational Specialties
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Contact the Department of Educational Specialties

Email:
EdSpecialties​@nau.edu
Call:
928-523-5342
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Visit the College of Education's Future Students page to get helpful links for graduate students.

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Out of state students get in state tuition through the Western Regional Graduate Program.

Programs of Study

The Programs of Study outline graduate degree and certificate requirements, including the course number and the names of required coursework for each program.


ESL and Bilingual Education - ESL, Master of Education

Our degree program prepares candidates for a career as an English as a second language (ESL) classroom teacher, ESL resource teacher, or a teacher responsible for providing ESL instruction and support in the regular classroom or special settings. Candidates gain the knowledge, skills and dispositions for developing ESL skills across reading, writing, and listening, and for involving community and families as partners. They will also leave the program with a historical perspective of English learners in the U.S. Candidates will develop specific skills for assessing English learner proficiency and content area knowledge, and knowledge of various program models. They will become familiar with current research in ESL instruction, and understand how theory can be structured in classroom practice to develop the oral language and literacy skills of all students.

This program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)


This program is nationally recognized by the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

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Requirements Accordion Open

  • To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. (Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.)

    You must additionally complete:

    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s). This may include a thesis.
    • All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
    • All work toward the master’s degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years begins with the semester and year of admission to the program.
    Read the full policy.

     

Overview Accordion Closed

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.

Candidates in this program of study are required to demonstrate content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and skills, and professional knowledge to enroll in the fieldwork and capstone courses. Content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge or skills are demonstrated through candidate performance on key assessments embedded in the following courses:

  • BME 530, BME 608, BME 631, BME 634, BME 637, and BME 698
  • A portfolio of sample work that demonstrates proficiency on TESOL professional standards, and through a passing score on a comprehensive examination
Minimum Units for Completion30
Additional Admission RequirementsAdmission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
Fieldwork Experience/InternshipRequired
Arizona Endorsement

May prepare student for Arizona Endorsement.

Progression Plan LinkView Program of Study
Licensing or Certification

This program may lead to licensure or certification. 

Purpose Statement

Our degree program prepares candidates for a career as an English as a second language (ESL) classroom teacher, ESL resource teacher, or a teacher responsible for providing ESL instruction and support in the regular classroom or special settings. Candidates gain the knowledge, skills and dispositions for developing ESL skills across reading, writing, and listening, and for involving community and families as partners. They will also leave the program with a historical perspective of English learners in the U.S. Candidates will develop specific skills for assessing English learner proficiency and content area knowledge, and knowledge of various program models. They will become familiar with current research in ESL instruction, and understand how theory can be structured in classroom practice to develop the oral language and literacy skills of all students.

Student Learning Outcomes

Candidates will:

  • Know, understand and use the major theories and research related to the structure and acquisition of language
  • Apply major theories and research to help English language learners develop language and literacy and achieve in the content area.
  • Know, understand and use major concepts, principles, theories, and research related to the nature and role of culture and cultural groups to construct supportive learning environments for ELLs.
  • Know, understand and apply concepts, research and best practices to plan classroom instruction for ELLs.
  • Demonstrate understanding of issues and concepts of assessment.
  • Use a variety of standards-based language proficiency instruments to show language growth and to inform their instruction. 

Details Accordion Closed

Additional Admission Requirements
  • Admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
    • NAU Graduate Online application is required for all programs. Details on admission requirements are included in the online application.
    • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution
    • Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A"), or the equivalent. 
    • Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
    • Transcripts
    • For details on graduate admission policies, please visit the Graduate Admissions Policy
    • International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy 


    Individual program admission requirements include:

    • IVP Fingerprint clearance card
    • Teaching certificate (if the applicant has one)
Master's Requirements
  • This Master’s degree requires 30 units distributed as follows:

    • Required Courses: 21 units
    • Foundations: 6 units
    • Electives: 3 units


    Take the following 30 units:

    Required Courses (21 units)

    • BME 530, BME 538, BME 608*, BME 631, BME 634, BME 637, BME 698*
    • *Both the BME 608 fieldwork course and the BME 698 capstone course should be taken near the completion of this 30-unit program. Candidates must complete a comprehensive examination during their fieldwork course.
  • Foundations (6 units)

    • Select one course from: ANT 569, BME 545, EDR 610, EDR 611, EPS 525
    • Select one course from: EPS 596, EPS 605, EPS 610, EPS 611

    Electives (3 units)
    • Select at least one course from**:
      • ANT 582
      • BME 520, BME 531
      • EDF 500, EDF 670, EDF 671, EDF 672, EDF 673, EDF 677
      • ENG 504, ENG 518, ENG 558
      • ESE 520
    • **If you have not completed a Foundations course prior to admission to this program, then you must complete one of EDF 500, EDF 670, EDF 671, EDF 672, EDF 673, or EDF 677. Other suitable electives may be substituted with the advisor's written approval.

      You may not pursue the English as a Second Language Certificate or the Bilingual Education Certificate in conjunction with this degree. However, if you have previously earned one of these certificates, the coursework may be applied to this degree.

      You may not pursue the ESL and Bilingual Education - Bilingual MEd in conjunction with this degree.

Additional Information
  • At least 50% of your courses must be at the 600-level or above. A maximum of two 400-level courses may be taken for graduate credit in the program of study. In addition, you must be admitted to this degree program before finishing your first 12 units of graduate work.

    This program includes all the coursework requirements for the Arizona ESL Endorsement. Students interested in pursuing this endorsement should choose BME 420 as an elective.

    For this plan, you need not demonstrate proficiency in a second language, but you must have had some second-language learning experience. However, if you decide to apply for either the Bilingual Endorsement - Arizona Department of Education or the English as a Second Language Endorsement - Arizona Department of Education, you do need to fulfill the language proficiency and teacher certification requirements established by the Arizona Department of Education. This requirement may be met in several ways, including six (6) semester hours of study in a foreign language, passing the Spanish Proficiency exam, or Tribal documentation of proficiency in a Native Language. All endorsements are granted through the Arizona Department of Education.

    All endorsements are granted through the Arizona Department of Education.

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also take. For prerequisite information click on the course or see your advisor.
     

Availability Accordion Closed

  • Flagstaff
  • Online

This program was intentionally designed to lead to licensure or certification in the state of Arizona. For information regarding how the curricular requirements for this degree program align to licensure or certification requirements in other states, see https://nau.edu/compliance-and-authorization/professional-licensure-by-state/.

The Bilingual and Multicultural Education, Master of Education has 2 emphasis:

  1. Bilingual emphasis
  2. English as a Second Language emphasis
Prepare for a career as a Bilingual or English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher with this master’s degree. There is a growing demand for individuals with this preparation. With this degree, you can become a:
  • Bilingual or ESL classroom teacher
  • Bilingual or ESL resource teacher
  • Teacher responsible for providing bilingual or ESL support in classroom or special settings

Endorsements

Bilingual Emphasis
If you wish to meet the Arizona Bilingual Endorsement requirements, you may, through careful planning with your advisor, earn this endorsement within your master's degree program. You need to demonstrate language proficiency in a second language.
ESL Emphasis
You do not need to demonstrate language proficiency in a second language. However, if you decide to earn either the bilingual endorsement or the ESL endorsement, you will need to fulfill and verify the second language learning experience  and teacher certification requirements of these endorsements. Visit the AZ Department of Education for more information.
Department of Educational Specialties
Location
Building
801 S Knoles Dr
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Email
EdSpecialties@nau.edu
Phone
928-523-5342
Fax
928-523-9284