Online Master of Education
English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education

All-in price:
$9,500
View Tuition Details
Application due date for August 23, 2021 term:
August 20
Estimated time to completion:
18 Months
All-in price:
$9,500
View Tuition Details
Application due date for August 23, 2021 term:
August 20
Estimated time to completion:
18 Months

Speak the language of an effective educator.

For those who work with linguistically and culturally diverse non-native English speakers, this program teaches you theories of language acquisition, strategies to promote cultural understanding, and teaching practices to meet the needs of English learners. Developed to align to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards: English as a New Language, the online M.Ed. in English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education will help you establish a culturally relevant learning environment across diverse settings.

#1

in the nation for most Master's of Education degrees conferred in ESL and Bilingual Education*.

How you'll get there.

  1. You will take a total of twelve courses, exploring topics including cross-cultural studies for teaching English language learners, assessment of ESL and bilingual students, and methods and materials for teaching ESL. Each course is five weeks long. While most students take one course at a time, you may choose to take more in order to complete your degree faster.
  2. At the end of the program, you will complete a capstone course to demonstrate and document the knowledge you’ve gained throughout the program.

What you can expect along the way.

  • Quality instruction ACE is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and we’re the #1 nationwide conferrer of Master’s of Education degrees in ESL and Bilingual Education.*
  • Flexible class format Our asynchronous online classes enable you to plan your coursework around your life. Each course is 5 weeks long with outlined expectations each week.
  • Well-rounded coursework This program examines the diverse components of education that impact the English language learner. You will learn about curriculum design, assessment instruments, environments conducive to learning English, and partnership opportunities to assist non-native English speakers.
  • State-approved The program is approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education as leading to the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) K-12 endorsement. Some courses in the English as a Second Language and Bilingual Certificate are recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education as meeting the coursework requirements for an English as a Second Language endorsement and Bilingual Education endorsement. Graduates seeking professional licensure/certificate additions or endorsement or related employment benefit in states other than where ACE is approved may be able to as a graduate of an HLC or state approved program. State professional licensing requirements and licensing agency information may be found here.
  • Accelerated completion available If you have completed our Certificate in English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education program, Certificate in Teaching English Learners, or M.Ed. in Teaching English Learners, you can apply those credits toward this degree and complete it faster.

Start Smart and Save

Apply by August 11 and we’ll credit $50-$100 back to you for the August 23 term.

Learn More

What it costs

Our tuition and fees have nothing to hide. The total cost you see is your all-in price, without hidden fees, add-ons, and even textbooks. See if you can say the same about other institutions. Go ahead — we’ll wait.

Total Tuition

34 semester credits
x $235 per credit

$7,990

Fees

$50 Application Fee

$1,360 Technology & Library Fee
($40 per credit)

$100 Program Conferral Fee

$1,510

Total Program Cost1

$9,500

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Learn how we cut costs.

Partnerships save you more.

ACE has more than 1,750 education partners that provide a discounted rate and other partner benefits.

Learn about ACE partnerships.

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Meet your department chair.

Tiffany Hamlett, Ph.D.

Tiffany Hamlett, Ph.D.

Administrative Faculty and Chair,
Department of Teaching and Learning

Read Bio

Keep exploring.

A degree you can count on.

We are, and have always been, accredited by The Higher Learning Commission— a federally-recognized accrediting agency. Accreditation ensures that an institution’s academic program meets or exceeds acceptable levels of quality and is the most recognized accreditation status for higher education entities. To receive and maintain HLC accreditation and affiliation approval, we must continuously undergo routine peer review cycles and provide proof that our programs meet or exceed HLC accreditation criteria and expectations of quality.

Courses

M.Ed. in English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education

Explore the classes you'll take to fulfill this program's 34 semester credit requirement. For more information, a complete list of requirements, and course options, see the College Catalog.

Research Courses  (3 semester credits)

3 semester credits
This course enables students to become informed consumers of research and to develop skills to prepare them to carry out action research in their professional organizations. An emphasis is placed on providing students with knowledge they can apply in determining whether particular research findings are relevant to their leadership and instructional practices and to distinguish between trustworthy and non-trustworthy research. The course places action research within the context of various types of research and examines research in terms of basic concepts and various purposes, methods, data, and paradigms. Emphasis is placed on how research can become a vital and relevant tool for professional practice.

Education and Teaching Core Courses  (3 semester credits)

3 semester credits
This course reviews data related to the effectiveness of educational initiatives emphasizing evidence-based instructional design models used to assess and instruct students with diverse learning needs. Special attention is given to inclusion of traditionally underrepresented learner populations, i.e.; special education, LEP, economically disadvantaged, and ethnic minorities.

Curriculum and Instruction Courses  (9 semester credits)

3 semester credits
This course focuses on the major theories, strategies, and applications utilized in P-12 standards-driven learning environments. Participants review and apply current literature and educational research studies concerning standards-based curriculum, implementation strategies and tools.
3 semester credits
This course prepares students to implement strategies for building a learning community. An emphasis is placed on the application of the learner-centered principles; cooperative and problem-based learning strategies; and the promotion of integrated curriculum and critical thinking.
3 semester credits
This course assists in the development of rigorous, appropriate curriculum and instruction. Multiculturalism, culturally relevant pedagogy, differentiated instruction, and thematic, interdisciplinary unit planning are emphasized. Using a curricular framework, students plan, evaluate, reflect on, and adapt curricula experiences to build successful learning environments for all learners.

ESL/BL/TESOL Courses  (19 semester credits)

3 semester credits
An essential course for all educators, this course provides students with an understanding of the historical, political, social, cultural, and educational concepts and issues that affect linguistically and culturally diverse students in the educational system. A review of local, state, and federal policies regarding entitlement and appropriate school services for English language learners, and important program models are analyzed. Current theories of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), bilingualism, and socio-cultural theories are explored for their pedagogical implications and specific program models within and outside the U.S. are examined for their contributions to student academic achievement.
3 semester credits
With the increase of limited-English-proficient students in urban environments, this course examines the impact of culture on society and the educational system, and the importance of culture in addressing the needs of immigrant students. It explores the dynamic processes of acculturation and cultural conflict. Students examine the role of culture in the American educational system and how ethno-linguistic groups contribute to the dynamics of the classroom. Students examine behavioral expectations and learning styles of students from different backgrounds, how that changes the classroom dynamics, and how teacher expectations can affect perceptual judgments of students. Students learn how to design culturally relevant instruction to further the academic success of diverse groups, and learn ways to foster collaborative and dynamic learning environments.
3 semester credits
This course provides teachers methods for providing language and content instruction to second language learners. Students consider historical and current English as a second language (ESL) program models and second language acquisition theories, pedagogy, and methodology. Relevant federal, state, and local learning and assessment standards are reviewed and applied to their teaching. Students are guided in creating and presenting teaching units and lessons based on various methods, approaches, and techniques. Students discuss the selection, use, and evaluation of books, multimedia, technology, and other materials. Students examine the application of relevant learning and assessment standards to their teaching of second language learners.
3 semester credits
Designed for Bilingual Education, this course prepares teachers in methodology for teaching language and content to English Language Learners in bilingual education programs. Participants critically examine bilingual education program models and theories of bilingual education and literacy, first and second language acquisition, and transfer of skills and content knowledge between first and second language. Participants are guided in creating a teaching unit and adapting and presenting lessons using various methods, approaches, and techniques. Participants discuss the selection, use, and evaluation of books, multimedia, and other materials in the first and subsequent languages. Participants examine the application of relevant learning and assessment standards to their teaching.
3 semester credits
Students in this course explore issues of assessment of second language learners within the larger framework of historical, social, cultural, and political contexts. Utilizing a variety of theoretical models related to second language acquisition and academic achievement, students 1) analyze the ways that second language students are diverse, 2) discuss equitable assessment of diverse learners, and 3) evaluate existing instruments for second language learners. Students examine and review relevant state standards for content matter learning and language proficiency, and examine how those are assessed in mandated, large-scale assessment and in classroom assessment (traditional and alternative).
3 semester credits
Students in this course cover the following essential dimensions of linguistics and the acquisition of language: language and the brain, first and second language acquisition, major components of linguistics (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistics), cognition and learning, and communicative competence. Emphasis is placed on implications for ESL and bilingual education teachers.
1 semester credit
The Capstone Experience is designed for candidates to demonstrate and document the impact of their knowledge and competencies gained throughout and as a result of the ESL/BL program.

Internship 

The completion of an internship is not a graduation requirement for M.Ed. in ESL/BL, however American College of Education offers optional internship courses for students whose state of residence requires the same for endorsement or certification.

  • A separate internship course (EBL5101 - Internship Experience for ESL and Bilingual Education) will be offered following completion of all coursework for students in states requiring an internship for endorsement or certification.
  • Upon completion of the M.Ed. in ESL/BL degree, students will apply and enroll for the internship course as Students-at-Large.
  • Students will be charged the current tuition rates.

Endorsements 

Illinois Endorsements

Courses recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education as meeting the coursework requirements for an endorsement in English as a Second Language can be found in English as a Second Language Endorsement. 

Courses recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education as meeting the coursework requirements for an endorsement in Bilingual Education can be found in Bilingual Education Endorsement. 

Ohio Endorsement

The M.Ed. in English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education program is approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education as leading to the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) K-12 endorsement. The completion of an internship is a OH (TESOL) K-12 endorsement requirement. A separate internship course (EBL 5101) will be offered following completion of all coursework for students requiring an internship for OH TESOL endorsement.

Admission Requirements

M.Ed. in English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education

ACE General Admission Requirements

  • Complete and submit all application components including the admission application, the enrollment agreement, and the payment agreement.
  • Submit the nonrefundable application fee.*
  • Provide official transcripts from a regionally accredited institution indicating successful completion of the level of education required for entry to the program.**

*The application fee is valid for one year from date of submission.
**Additional evidence may be required to fulfill state requirements, including but not limited to verification of professional experience, test scores, or an interview.

Program Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's or Highest Post-Baccalaureate degree earned
  • Minimum Grade Point Average 2.75 on a 4.0 Scale for full admission
  • Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.50 on a 4.0 Scale for Provisional Admission*
  • Documentation of at least an initial teaching license (in the state the applicant resides), school service personnel license, or a school services certificate 
  • If applicants do not have a teaching certificate, they may document their teaching status by providing evidence of full-time teaching assignment from an individual in a supervisory capacity or from a human resources official of the school at their current employment

     

*Applicants whose overall GPA, or GPA in the last 60 hours is below 2.50 will not be admitted to the degree program

A Note About Licensure:

While this program provides a comprehensive understanding of the intended program outcomes, it does not lead to licensure, certification, or endorsement. ACE offers several programs that do provide a pathway to licensure, certification, or endorsement and they can be found here.

1This is an estimated value of the cost for tuition and fees. Amounts may vary depending on number of transfer credits applied to the selected program hours or program pathway credit hours, the pace and satisfactory completion of the selected program or program pathway credit hours, receipt of, or eligibility for, institutional or non-institutional scholarship and/or grant amounts, and adjustments to tuition or fees as described in the Catalog Right to Modify Tuition section.

State of California Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF)

It is a state of California requirement that a student who pays his or her tuition is required to pay a state-imposed assessment fifty cents ($0.50) per one thousand dollars ($1,000) of institutional charges, rounded to the nearest thousand dollars, for the California Student Tuition Recovery Fund. For more information and to see if you must pay the state-imposed assessment for Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) click here.

For information on international transcript requirements, see the Admissions Information section of the College Catalog.

For English as a second language applicant information, see the Admissions Information section of the College Catalog.

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