Multilingual and Elementary Education, Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAE)
The Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAE) in Multilingual and Elementary Education at Eastern Washington University is a dual endorsement program that prepares elementary teachers to support multilingual learners, leading to either a Bilingual Education Endorsement to teach in dual language schools or an English Language Learners Endorsement to teach in mainstream or English Language Development classrooms. These are not standalone endorsements and require completion of the Elementary Education Prerequisites and Elementary Education Core Requirements.
As multilingual learners now comprise more than 15 percent of the K–12 student population—representing over 250 languages—and dual language programs continue to expand rapidly (154 programs as of 2026), the state faces a significant shortage of qualified bilingual and ESL teachers, creating strong opportunities for employment and career advancement. In line with state goals to expand dual-language access for all students by 2040, this program prepares candidates with the knowledge, skills, and cultural competence to teach in bilingual, dual-language, and ESL settings. Graduates are prepared to support diverse learners through effective, inclusive, and linguistically responsive instruction.
The program emphasizes recruitment of diverse candidates, including multilingual individuals and transfer students, to strengthen the educator workforce and better reflect the communities served. Through integrated coursework and field experiences, candidates develop expertise to support multilingual learners in elementary classrooms across Washington State.
Scholarships and stipends are available to teacher candidates enrolled in the program.
Students need to meet with an adviser of their track, Bilingual Education or English Language Learner, to create a comprehensive Program Plan as soon as the major has been declared.
Admission: This Program requires admission into the School of Education. Admission to the Education Program
Grade Requirements: A grade ≥B- is required for each required course in the Multilingual Education major. Education Grade Requirements
| FOUNDATIONS OF ASSESSMENT | 3 |
| INTRODUCTION TO ELEMENTARY READING | 3 |
| FOUNDATIONS OF ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| LITERACY METHODS, MANAGEMENT AND ASSESSMENT IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 4 |
| LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS 1: INTEGRATED LANGUAGE ARTS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 4 |
| LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS 2: INTEGRATED SOCIAL STUDIES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 4 |
| INTEGRATED STEM METHODS 1 | 4 |
| INTEGRATED STEM METHODS 2 | 4 |
| FIELD EXPERIENCE 1 | 2 |
| FIELD EXPERIENCE 2 | 2 |
| FIELD EXPERIENCE 3 | 5 |
| FULL-TIME STUDENT TEACHING | 15 |
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| LANGUAGE STRUCTURE AND USE | 5 |
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| INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE | 5 |
| CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM | 4 |
| SECOND LANGUAGE LITERACY PLACEMENT AND ASSESSMENT | 3 |
| SECOND LANGUAGE PRINT LITERACY THEORIES | 3 |
| PRINCIPLES OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION | |
| PRACTICES AND ASSESSMENT FOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION | |
| PRACTICUM: BILINGUAL EDUCATION (must be taken twice for a total of 6 credits) | |
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| SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION | |
| METHODS AND MATERIALS IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND OR FOREIGN LANGUAGE | |
| ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE PRACTICUM | |
| ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CAPSTONE | |
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| Total Credits | 89 |
General Education Requirements (GER)
- Minimum Quarter Credits—180 cumulative credit hours
- 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
- 45 credits in residence (attendance) at EWU, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at EWU
- Minimum Semester Credits—120 cumulative credit hours
- 40 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
- 30 credits in residence (attendance) at EWU, with at least 10 upper-division credits in major in residence at EWU
- Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0
University Competencies and Proficiencies
Writing
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB
Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)
Humanities and Arts
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
University Graduation Requirements (UGR)
Diversity Course List
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term expected to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).
Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.
- The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Core Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
- The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.
Students who earn a BAE in Multilingual and Elementary Education from EWU should be able to:
- analyze and explain the interrelationships among language, culture, identity, and learning, and demonstrate cultural humility by identifying how assumptions and cultural differences affect learning environments;
- apply research and theories from second language acquisition, applied linguistics, literacy development, and discourse analysis to create effective and inclusive language learning environments for multilingual learners;
- design developmentally appropriate, standards-aligned multilingual lesson plans and assessments that are responsive to students’ cultural backgrounds, home languages, first and second language literacies, prior educational experiences, ages, and community contexts;
- implement and evaluate bilingual instructional strategies and assessment tools that support the linguistic and academic development of multilingual learners;
- demonstrate ongoing engagement in their own additional language development and reflective professional practice to continuously improve their effectiveness as multilingual educators.
