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ESL Licensure Requirements and Courses 2022-2023

The K-12 English as a Second Language (ESL) undergraduate major is available as an initial license as well as an endorsement to an existing license. This license qualifies teachers to work with K-12 students for whom English is a second language across a range of subject areas. A prerequisite to program admission is two years of high school level or one year of college level language instruction.

The K-12 ESL program is offered in a hybrid format with a mix of face-to-face and online instruction throughout the semester. Program courses are offered in a weekday evening framework during the academic year and summer semester to make them accessible to working adults.

Major and Licensure Requirements

Required Non-major Courses:

  • AIS 105 – Chemical Dependency Education
  • ENL 111 – Effective Writing II
  • Modern language prerequisites (2 years high school or 1 year college language)

Required Education Courses for ESL:

  • EDC 200 – Critical Histories and Philosophies of Education
  • EDC 220 – Educational Technology
  • EDC 310 – Learning and Development in an Educational Setting
  • EDC 375 – Learners with Dis/abilities
  • EED 425 – K-6 Language and Literacy Methods: Critical Applications for the Elementary Classroom
  • ESE 325 – Creating Learning Environments

ESL Major Courses

  • ESL 310 – Second Language Acquisition
  • ESL 320 – Introduction to Linguistics
  • ESL 330 – History and Structure of the English Language
  • ESL 340 – ESL Literacy
  • ESL 410 – ESL Testing and Evaluation
  • ESL 420 – ESL Methods
  • ESL 490 – Language, Culture, and Schools (Keystone requirement)
  • EDC 481 – Student Teaching: Initial License for Undergraduate Students (or EDC 482 – Student Teaching: Additional License or Endorsement, for students completing an additional license)
  • ESL 489 – Teacher Performance Assessment and Student Teaching Seminar

A minimum GPA of 2.50 overall, 2.50 in the major, and grades of P in student teaching courses are required for licensure as well as C- or better in all required core and education major courses.

Graduation Skills

Graduation Skills in Critical Thinking (CT), Speaking (S), and Writing (W) are embedded throughout the offered courses and are met by completing the major.

Transfer students must consult an advisor about potential adjustments to their course requirements to fulfill each of these skills.


For a complete list of courses and descriptions, see the Course Description Search.