Bilingual, ESL, & Multicultural Education MEd Course of Study

All Educator Licensure programs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to meet licensure requirements in the state of Massachusetts ONLY.  

Many US states are signatories to the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement which facilitates the mobility of educators among the states that are members of NASDTEC. This agreement makes it possible for an educator who completed an approved program and/or who holds a certificate or license in one jurisdiction to earn a certificate or license in another state or jurisdiction, with possible additional requirements.  

If you are seeking licensure in another state, here is a Teacher Licensure Agency Directory for you to contact other states. 

Course of Study

Students ground their programs of study in bodies of knowledge that cross cultural and disciplinary boundaries. These include:

• diversity, pluralism and the ecology of power in institutions and society
• the history, policy, theory, and practice of multilingual/multicultural education
• language and communication in pluralistic societies
• first and second language and language and literacy development
• teaching, learning, and assessment
• curriculum development, implementation, evaluation, and reform
• using materials and technology in curriculum development
• current practices in instruction, and assessment practices
• student's personal and cultural perspectives and beliefs

Our courses blend theory and practice, providing opportunities to plan, teach, reflect, evaluate, advocate, research, and lead in the schools, community, and at the university. They are rich and complex enough to support learners from diverse backgrounds, with diverse goals and at varying stages of development. Students from the diverse cultures and perspectives are important resources in the program, helping us to better understand learning and teaching in a pluralistic world.

Together, our students and faculty engage in research and critical reflection on the form and substance of learning and teaching in order to understand the factors that impede change, to imagine the possibilities for change, and to take leadership roles in implementing and evaluating change. We critique our personal perspectives and practices, the structures and practices in schools and communities, and the practices and structures of the program of study itself. 

All students are required to upload assessments to their master’s- and/or licensure-related online portfolios (i.e. TK20).

33-34 credits total (depending on the licensure or the non-licensure pathway)

Courses required by both Bilingual, ESL, & Multicultural Education MEd and Reading and Writing MEd

*Seminar in Crosscultural Communication (EDUC 615L) OR Foundations in Multicultural Education (EDUC 677)

ESL License Courses

*Theories and Methods for Sheltered Instruction (EDUC 533) OR Critical Innovations in World & Second Language Curriculum Development (EDUC 687W)

ESL Non-license Courses

*Theories and Methods for Sheltered Instruction (EDUC 533) OR Critical Innovations in World & Second Language Curriculum Development (EDUC 687W)

** Students determine program courses and electives in consultation with their advisor.

ESL License requirements upon completion:  

• Linguistics (3 credits)
• Psychology (3 credits)
• Foreign Language (6 credits)
• Communication & Literacy MTEL
• ESL Subject Matter MTEL

EDUC 615S Language, Literacy Policy, and Planning

This is an introductory course in the field of language planning and policy which is situated in the broader field of sociology of language.  Selected case studies will provide a basis for critically examining issues such as:  ideology and language planning efface, language education policies, literacy movements, and language shift and death.

EDUC 692L Workshop on Leadership Project Development

Designed to provide support for developing an original curricular or research leadership project integrating principles derived from theoretical premises central to the BEM, Reading and Writing, and LLC concentrations.

EDUC 533 Theories and Methods for Sheltered Instruction

This course aims to prepare ELL and mainstream teachers to address the challenge of helping bilingual and emergent bilingual learners succeed in regular academic content classes.  We will consider research supporting the view that second language acquisition is enhanced by rigorous academic content instruction.  We will also explore instructional practices aligning English Language Proficiency Benchmarks and Outcomes for English Language Learners with those of science and other content areas.

EDUC 611 Testing, Assessment, and Evaluation in Bilingual and ESL Education

This course is designed as an introduction to the field of testing, assessment and evaluation in second language education (bilingual, foreign language, and ESL settings).

EDUC 616 Principles of Second Language Learning and Teaching

Introduction to the theories of second language acquisition.  Critical examination of language learning to develop the ability to analyze classroom discourse and to work collaboratively as an expert and leader in classroom second-language learning.