The Graduate Certificate in English Language Learner Education is designed for students in doctoral programs who wish to gain a comprehensive understanding of the multiple complexities in educating English Language Learners (ELL) including the influence of the socio-historical, local, and policy contexts and the challenges of teaching learners with diverse levels of English proficiency and prior formal schooling experiences in both English as a second language and content-area classrooms. The graduate certificate provides an overview of the different sociocultural, socio-historical, and sociopolitical factors that influence ELL education; demonstrates different theories, methods, and program models in English as a second language teaching, bilingual education, and content-area teaching; stresses the importance of affirming the linguistic and cultural diversity of ELL’s; and offers the knowledge-base and skills in ELL education that students can apply in their own research and teaching in the field of education.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the Graduate Certificate in English Language Learner Education students must be pursuing a doctoral degree program within the College of Education and must complete the Intent to Enroll form on the program Web site.

Requirements for the Graduate Certificate in English Language Learner Education

Students must complete 12 credits from the following:

1.			Four of the following courses (12 credits):
			EAD	907	Educational Policy for Immigrant and English Language Learner Students						3
			LLT	808	Assessment for Language Teaching and Research						3
			LLT	860	Second Language Acquisition						3
			SOC	852	Migration and Social Change						3
			TE	904	ELL/ESL Research and Practice: K-12						3
			TE	908	Sociohistorical Perspectives on English Language Learners and Second Language Education in the U.S.						3
			TE	909	English Language Learners in Content Areas: Constructing Research Communities and Resources						3
			Students who wish to take an alternative course (3 or 4 credits) on English Language Learners in substitution of a course above must request formal permission from the graduate certificate program faculty. Only one substitution request will be accepted.
2.			An English Language Learners Education research project focusing on issues related to teaching and learning, curriculum, policy, counseling, or leadership as they pertain to understanding problems, issues, and potential solutions in ELL education. This requirement can be met through a student’s doctoral research practicum requirement or through an independent study project arrangement with a faculty member. The project’s topic must be preapproved by the certificate program faculty. The project must result in a paper with a minimum length of 25 pages with references.