Extension in Bilingual Education

Overview:
This fully online program provides school teachers already certified in Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 2), Childhood Education (Grades 1-6), or Special Education with a 15 credit program leading to the New York State Extension in Bilingual Education. The Extension in Bilingual Education qualifies the candidate to work as a teacher in bilingual classrooms and programs in New York State schools, including dual language and transitional bilingual education programs. This program can be completed in one year.

Who This Program Is For:
The program is for persons who are looking to obtain the required NYS authorization to teach in bilingual education programs. To apply you must have either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education and hold a New York State initial or professional certification in Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 2), Childhood Education (Grades 1-6), or Special Education. You must speak a language other than English to be eligible for this program.

Program Requirements:
The Extension in Bilingual Education consists of five courses (15 credits). To continue in the program, students must maintain a B average and receive no grade lower than B- in any course.
Required Courses
EECE 761 Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (3 cr.)
EECE 763 Developing Language and Literacy in the Home Language (3 cr.)
EECE 764 Instruction and Assessment Across the Content Areas for Bilingual Learners (3 cr.)
EECE 766 Educational Linguistics and Psycholinguistics (3 cr.)
EECE 767 Pedagogical Practices in the Multilingual Classroom (3 cr.)

Program Timeline:
To complete the program in one year, courses must be taken on the following schedule:
Fall: EECE 761 and EECE 763 (Spanish) or its equivalent EECE 791.3 for languages other than Spanish
Summer: EECE 766
Spring: EECE 764 and EECE 767

Certification:
Completion of this program and all New York State requirements for certification leads to recommendation by the Division of Education for a NYS Extension in Bilingual Education, which authorizes the holder to teach in bilingual education programs. This extension must be attached to a valid NYS initial or professional certificate in Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 2), Childhood Education (Grades 1-6), or Special Education. Students should contact the Certification Office for up-to-date information on NYS certification requirements.  For a list of Existing Valid Base Certificates click here.

Other Information:
The Extension in Bilingual Education is offered in the following languages:
Bangla
Chinese
French
Haitian Creole
Korean
Russian
Spanish
Students who speak other languages are also encouraged to apply.

To Apply:
Applicants must meet the following admissions requirements:

• Have an earned bachelor’s or master’s degree in education
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Have NYS initial or professional certification in Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 2), Childhood Education (Grades 1-6), or Special Education
• Be proficient and pass a language assessment in a language other than English (this proficiency must be in the language in which you are seeking the Extension in Bilingual Education)
• Submit a 500 word essay stating your interest in and/or the importance of your becoming a bilingual teacher

Fall priority deadline: May 20

Spring priority deadline: December 1

Queens College is pleased to be a Partner University of the FIT (Future Immersion Teacher) Fellowship.

The FIT Fellowship is an initiative of the French Dual Language Fund, launched by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States and the FACE Foundation to support French dual language and immersion programs across the U.S.

The FIT Fellowship provides scholarships for aspiring French dual language and immersion teachers in the United States to pursue specialized graduate degrees and certificate programs. The aim of the FIT Fellowship is to build momentum for the next generation of French dual language educators and address a critical teacher shortage in French dual language programs across the country.

Students admitted to the Queens College’s Extension in Bilingual Education may be eligible to be nominated for a FIT Fellowship which offers a scholarship of  $5,000 to support graduate work leading to professional positions as French dual language and immersion educators.

Interested students should contact the EECE Department for more information.
Contact
Name: Dr. Marcela Ossa Parra
Title: Assistant Professor, Coordinator of the Bilingual Extension Program
Email Address: marcela.ossaparra@qc.cuny.edu