Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Bilingual/English as a Second Language Education

Educators holding a Professional Educator License (PEL) or License with Stipulations endorsed in a teaching field, can add The Bilingual (BIL) and/or English as a Second Language (ESL) as an endorsement.  The Bilingual/ESL can be added within the grade range of the license currently held by the educator by meeting the following requirements:

• 18 semester hours of credit for ESL
• 21 semester hours of credit for BIL which includes the 18 hours required for the ESL and:
  • 100 clock hours (or 3 months teaching experience) in a bilingual setting
  • Appropriate Target Language Proficiency (see ILTS website for test number) or English Language Proficiency test (ILTS 055)

This set of six-seven courses (18-21 credit hours) offered through the College of Education meets the ISBE requirements for endorsement in Bilingual or English Second Language through ISBE transcript evaluation processes. This is not an ISBE teaching licensure program, and students must hold an Illinois (or comparable out-of-state) Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, or Special Teaching License.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting university admission criteria, applicants must:

• Hold an Illinois (or comparable out-of-state) Early Childhood Certificate, Elementary, Secondary, or Special Teaching License.
• Formally apply to this certificate program.

After meeting the university admission requirements, submit to the College of Education a supplemental application packet containing:

• The certificate in Bilingual/ESL Education application;
• An additional set of transcripts showing a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher in all undergraduate work attempted and all grades in graduate course work at a “B” or better;
• Syllabi and/or detailed narrative descriptions of previous graduate course work to be evaluated for transfer credit, if applicable;
• A copy of valid Illinois or comparable out-of-state initial, standard, or master teaching license;
• Evidence of having passed the Test of Academic Proficiency of the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS), or evidence of possessing an Illinois teaching license that required passing this test