Graduate Program

M.S.Ed. in Second Language Education & Bilingual Extension
Concentrations in Spanish, French or English as a Second Language (ESL)

Graduate Advisement Manual - PDF format

M.S.Ed. in Second Language Education

This program leads to the New York State professional certification in French or Spanish, or initial certification in English as a Second Language. The program consists of five core courses (15 hours) required of all students, plus five additional courses (15 hours) for each of the three areas of specialization. The ESL concentration also requires 50 hours of field observation and a semester-long (or equivalent) student teaching experience. Students selecting the ESL concentration must also satisfy a 12 semester-credit hour foreign language requirement.

General coursework

Core Courses
- An advanced course in the philosophical or social foundations of education
- Seminar in the Teaching of Secondary Foreign Languages
- Second Language Acquisition
- Linguistics for Foreign Language Educators
- Integrating Technology in the Foreign Language Classroom

Specialized Courses ESL Concentration
- Theory and Practice of Bilingual/Multicultural Education
- Materials and Techniques for Teachers of ESL for Mathematics, Science, and Social Science
- Methods of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
- Advanced English Grammar and Usage
- Program-related Elective
- Student teaching at both elementary and secondary levels

French Concentration
- Teaching French and Francophone Literature
- Two graduate-level courses in French literature
- Teaching French and Francophone Civilization
- Program-related Elective

Spanish Concentration
- Teaching Spanish Peninsular and Latin American Literature
- One graduate-level course in Spanish Peninsular literature
- One graduate-level course in Latin American literature
- Teaching Spanish Peninsular and Latin American Civilization
- Program-related Elective

REQUIREMENTS for ICC graduate program at SUNY Cortland

1. Total Credit Hours: A minimum of 30-42 credit hours must be earned for graduation in the M.S.Ed. – Second Language Education program. (NOTE: The credit hours above 30 are required only for those pursuing the degree in English as a Second Language who are required to student teach in an ESL classroom). Up to six of these hours may be earned at other accredited institutions and may be transferred with approval. At least 9 of the hours must be at the 600-level. In addition to the credit hours, New York SED also requires an additional 50 hours of classroom observation in local schools for those in the ESL concentration. These hours are included in the required coursework for the concentration. The SED also requires 12 credit hours or 4 semesters of study of a second language for certification in English as a Second Language. The Bilingual Extension requires five specific 3 credit courses for a total of 15 credit hours of coursework. You do not “graduate” from this program but rather are recommended to SED for this certification area by the College once you have completed all requirements of the program.

2. Cumulative Average: A cumulative average of 3.0 for all coursework completed at Cortland is required for graduation. No grade below a C- will be counted toward a Master’s degree.

3. Time to Complete: According to New York SED regulations, effective February 2, 2004, all graduate degree requirements leading to the professional teaching certificate must be completed within three years of receipt of the initial teaching certificate. Any non-matriculated student that has taken courses prior to the Fall 2001 semester and has not officially been admitted to a graduate degree program will be required to satisfy the new re-registered programs.

4. State Exams: Students holding provisional certification and enrolled in the M.S.Ed. with concentrations in French or Spanish must receive a passing score on the Content Specialty (CST) for the language of study. Students enrolled in the ESL concentration must receive a passing score on the CST for ESL and the English Language Proficiency Assessment for Classroom Personnel (ELPA-C). Students pursuing the Bilingual Extension must pass the Bilingual Education Assessment (BEA) in the target language of instruction. A person who has achieved a passing score on the CST of the target language is not required to take the BEA in the same language.

5. Comprehensive Examinations: In addition to the requirements listed above, all students must successfully complete a departmental comprehensive examination covering the material from the required core in the area of study. The comprehensive examination may not be taken until all coursework has been completed. Students enrolled in the ESL concentration may take the examination after completion of coursework but prior to student teaching, if desired. These examinations are given every summer and also during the semester, as needed. Please check with the ICC Graduate Coordinator regarding specific dates for examinations. Students must notify the ICC Graduate Coordinator at least one semester prior to that during which they wish to take the examinations. There is no comprehensive examination requirement for the Bilingual Extension.

6. Foreign language requirement: Candidates for the M.S.Ed. in Second Language Education with a concentration in English as a Second Language must demonstrate proficiency in a second language at the 4th college semester level. This may be accomplished through CLEP testing, 12 college credits of one foreign language, or private evaluation of language proficiency (at the candidate’s own expense). Please consult with your advisor and/or the ICC Graduate Coordinator about fulfilling this SED requirement.

7. Observation hours: Candidates for the M.S.Ed. in Second Language Education with a concentration in English as a Second Language and for the Bilingual Extension must complete 50 hours of classroom observation tailored to their particular program (ESL or bilingual classrooms). These hours are subsumed in required coursework (ICC 620 and ICC 624) and are mandated by SED.