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Elementary Multilingual Education, BAE

Step into real classrooms through internships and student teaching, guided by a collaborative, team-based support model. You build hands-on experience alongside peers and mentors who share the work, so your skills grow with every lesson you help lead.

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A young woman smiles at a boy in a classroom surrounded by attentive students, demonstrating the multicultural expertise gained in the BAE in Elementary Multilingual Education

Quick facts

Courses

120 credit hours
Math intensity: General program math intensity general
First required math course: MAT 114 - College Mathematics
View more details

Additional facts

STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

International students (F1), this program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.

Accreditation and professional licensure

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Degree description

Elementary Multilingual Education, BAE degree description

The Bachelor of Arts in Education program in elementary multilingual education prepares you to become an educator for linguistically and culturally diverse learners in grades K-8. You can specialize in several areas, including transborder and cultural studies, Indigenous education and Spanish.

Course topics include language diversity, dialectal variation, funds of knowledge (i.e., collections of knowledge-based cultural practices), and practices that value cultural and community engagement. You learn processes for identifying English language learners as well as how to develop and support the needs of students with individual language learning plans. You also receive preparation in teaching elementary content areas, including math, language arts, social studies and science, with a specific focus on meeting the academic and linguistic needs of English language learners.

Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation has developed a team-based approach to teacher preparation, allowing you to participate in professional experiences (internships and student teaching) with a team of peers while receiving guidance and support from ASU faculty members and highly qualified certified teachers. Team-based professional experiences are designed to prepare you to work with mutually supportive colleagues to address the academic and social-emotional needs of learners. Clinically embedded courses and professional experiences provide you with multiple opportunities to apply to practice in the classroom the knowledge gained in coursework.

You complete a series of internships before a semester-long, full-time student teaching experience with the support of a certified mentor teacher and ASU faculty.

Upon graduation, you are eligible to earn an institutional recommendation from ASU for Arizona teacher certification in Elementary Education, K-8, as well as an endorsement in either bilingual education or English as a second language from the Arizona Department of Education. To teach in an Arizona public school, you must pass the appropriate Arizona educator exams: National Evaluation Series or Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments. In addition, you must complete six credit hours of a foreign language or equivalent and pass an appropriate language proficiency test outlined by the Arizona Department of Education to be eligible for the bilingual education or English as a second language endorsement.

Format option
Upper-division courses in this program are also offered via ASU Sync. ASU Sync enables you to attend live classes remotely via Zoom. Classes are designed to foster active collaboration and discussion in real time with faculty and peers. As a ASU Sync student, you must reside in Arizona throughout the duration of the program. If you have F-1 or J-1 immigration status, you should speak with an advisor about other options to complete this program. Students with F-1 or J-1 immigration status are not permitted to complete courses via Sync.

If you are seeking to use GI Bill® benefits for ASU Sync programs, you should contact the Pat Tillman Veterans Center regarding certain limitations.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Why study elementary multilingual education at ASU?

At the MLFC, you can choose from undergraduate and graduate options built to guide you toward teacher certification and a career leading a classroom of your own.

Courses

Explore a sample list of courses you may take in this program.

Sample courses
TEL 310 Instructional Design and Planning: Instructional Thought and Action
TEL 317 Instructional Thought and Action: Learning Environment and Management
TEL 318 Instructional Thought and Action: Assessment for Learning
TEL 331 Foundations of Literacy: The Science of Reading
TEL 340 Families, Communities and Cultures: Cultivating Networks of Culturally Responsive Relationships
TEL 370 Professional Educator Series: Building a Professional Network

Course checksheet and curriculum archive

The curriculum checksheet displays this program's required courses and other requirements you must complete for graduation.

What If

Current ASU students, see how your courses can apply to another major and find out how to change your major (opens in new window).

Already completed some college courses? Build on your success.

If you earned college credit outside ASU, our transfer tools map out your progress towards a degree and help you plan next steps.

See how your credits may apply (opens in new window)

What you'll learn

The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.

  • Execute an instructional cycle using research-based pedagogical practices and theories appropriate for a range of learners
  • Create learning experiences that address the content disciplines to engage learners in accessible, relevant, and meaningful content to ensure critical thinking and mastery of the content.
  • Create and maintain inclusive, equitable learning environments that support individual and collaborative learning experiences, utilize high leverage practices, and foster critical thinking, active engagement,and well-being for all learners
  • Use multiple methods of assessment and sources of data to evaluate various aspects of learners
  • Apply strategies for teaming to meet students’ needs
  • Evaluate and recommend appropriate strategies to promote habits of mind
  • Build and implement a professional growth plan using evidence and reflective practices
  • Advocate for students, families, and communities with an understanding of the historical, social, local, or global context
  • Self-reflect and assess personal contributions for shaping and supporting the mission of a school/organization's culture
  • Apply expectations of the profession
  • Analyze key ethical issues present in a prominent social or cultural problem in education, including the ways different ethical perspectives influence decision making related to the issue
  • Analyze and acknowledge the local/cultural context, personal histories, and experiences relevant to problem(s) of practice
  • Engage in cycles of inquiry in collaborative educational systems to imagine new concepts, catalyze ideas, and form new solutions, guided by principles and research that create positive change for learners
  • Evaluate competing perspectives on a problem of practice within an educational context and present a reasoned analysis of the issue informed by major theories and evidence-based practices
  • Implement an applied project, synthesize the findings and defend the significance and implications of the study as relevant to local, social and/or global contexts

Admission requirements

Here are the admission and application details

All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.

First year (opens in new window) | Transfer (opens in new window) | International (opens in new window) | Readmission (opens in new window)

A current ASU student has no additional requirements for changing majors.

Students should visit the Change of Major form (opens in new window) for information about how to change a major to this program.


Explore expanded study opportunities

When you pursue concurrent degrees (also known as a “double major”), you earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. Working with your academic advisor, you can create your own concurrent degree combination. Some combinations are not possible due to high levels of overlap in curriculum.

Global experience

Because of climate change, geopolitical instability or economic factors, the United Nations and other institutions predict that migration will increase globally for the foreseeable future. Learners will migrate to new communities. Increasingly, educators will be asked to meet the needs of students who speak languages other than English and who bring a variety of cultures into classrooms and learning environments. Education students participating in study abroad programs can prepare for this reality. By engaging in Global Education programs, students can expand their notion of normal schooling and deepen their understanding of how to foster inclusive and inspiring learning environments.

Paying for college

Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.

Get an estimate

Build the career and future you want

Our graduates are prepared for a variety of career paths, including:

Career opportunities showing job titles, projected growth rates, median salaries, and links to detailed information
Career Growth Median Salary More Information
College Program Director 1.8% $104,590
Elementary Teacher -0.4% $63,970
Instructional Specialist 1.6% $77,440
Kindergarten Teacher -0.3% $62,680
Middle School Teacher -0.4% $64,370
School Principal -0.3% $105,870

Example job titles and salaries listed are not necessarily entry level, and students should take into consideration how years of experience and geographical location may affect pay scales. Some jobs also may require advanced degrees, certifications or state-specific licensure.

Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).


More about careers

Careers this elementary multilingual education degree prepares you for

Graduates are highly sought-after teachers in public, charter and private education institutions, including an increasing number of dual-language programs.

Possible careers include:

  • bilingual-dual language K-8 classroom teacher
  • K-8 classroom teacher
  • language coach
  • structured English immersion classroom teacher

Contact information

Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.

Division for Advancing Educator Preparation | ED 102
ASUeducation@asu.edu
480-965-9995

Frequently asked questions about degree programs

Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

Accelerated master's

These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).

Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.

Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.

Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.

ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.

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