COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

About the Certificate

The Secondary Education graduate certificate program in World Languages Education is designed to ensure that our students graduate highly knowledgeable about learning and teaching as well as committed to pre-adolescent learners from diverse ethnic, economic and geographic backgrounds. Our program focuses on building deep content-specific pedagogical knowledge aligned to the breadth of academic standards and the wide-ranging developmental needs of secondary students.

The Secondary Education graduate program's World/Foreign Languages Education specialization is devoted to providing students with a combination of fluency in the target language and the ability to implement best practices in foreign language pedagogy. This specialization emphasizes that learning a foreign language also means learning about another way of life and developing intercultural understanding in order to escape a narrow cultural perspective. Through the experiences in this program, students gain a deeper understanding of the nature of language and culture. Certification is offered in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Latin and Spanish.Time Limit for Certificate Completion: 4 years

Students can also choose to pursue the Master of Education (MEd) in Secondary Education at the College of Education and Human Development. Students who complete the graduate certificate and wish to pursue the master’s degree must apply to and matriculate into the MEd within one year of completion of the certificate. Changes of array to either the MEd or the graduate certificate may result in the need to take additional courses in the MEd.

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The graduate certificate can be completed on a part-time basis. NOTE: International students may not be eligible to apply for a student visa based on admission to the certificate program. Please contact the Office of Enrollment Management for more information.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadlines:

Fall: March 1
Spring: November 1
Summer II: March 1

Applicants should submit all required admissions documents by the application deadline to receive priority consideration for admission and financial support.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Recommendation: 
Number Required: 2
From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained to provide insight regarding the applicant's academic competence. Letters from college/university faculty are recommended.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: The equivalent of an undergraduate major or 18 credits in the language and a passing score on the world languages Praxis® exams. The 18 credits must include:

• 6 credits of composition/conversation
• 6 credits of literature (including 3 credits of 20th century/contemporary lit)
• 3 credits of culture and civilization
• 3 credits of advanced grammar, syntax, or linguistics

The Praxis® exams are the Content Knowledge (5511) test and the appropriate language test:

• Praxis® Chinese (Mandarin): World Language (5665) test
• Praxis® French: World Language (5174) test
• Praxis® German: World Language (5183) test
• Praxis® Latin (5601) test
• Praxis® Spanish: World Language (5195) test

Alternately, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) test in the appropriate language may substitute for the Praxis® language test. For the ACTFL, both the written and oral exams must be taken, if available. The minimum proficiency to qualify is Intermediate High: Code 120. Candidates may contact the ACTFL testing office at 914-963-7110.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A bachelor's degree is required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is expected.

Transcripts: Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all accredited institutions attended and/or from which credit was earned must be submitted.

International applicants must also submit an official document, including a course-by-course evaluation conducted by a NACES-accredited organization, that validates completion and conferral of a degree, diploma and/or certificate. While not required, international applicants are encouraged to submit transcript(s) to World Education Services (WES) for evaluation.

Statement of Goals: In 500 to 1,000 words, outline your interest in seeking a master’s degree with a specific focus on the career to which you aspire, your interests, and your academic and job-related experiences that are relevant to the program.

Standardized Test Scores:
The official score report must demonstrate a passing score on the Praxis® Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge (5511) test and the appropriate language test:

• Praxis® Chinese (Mandarin): World Language (5665) test
• Praxis® French: World Language (5174) test
• Praxis® German: World Language (5183) test
• Praxis® Latin (5601) test
• Praxis® Spanish: World Language (5195) test

Alternately, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) test in the appropriate language may substitute for the Praxis® language test. For the ACTFL, both the written and oral exams must be taken, if available. The minimum proficiency to qualify is Intermediate High: Code 120. Candidates may contact the ACTFL testing office at 914-963-7110.

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

• TOEFL iBT: 4.5
• IELTS Academic: 6.5
• PTE Academic: 53
• Duolingo: 110

Resume: Current resume required.

Transfer Credit: Courses may be transferred from an accredited institution provided they were completed less than five years ago, are considered current and are relevant to the certificate. The academic program makes the decision about the relevancy of the courses. Aligned with Graduate School policy, no more than 20% of the credits required for the certificate may be transferred.  (See also, Graduate School policies 02.24.21 and 02.25.)

Clearances: All admitted students must submit copies of the required Pennsylvania Criminal Record Check, Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Certification and FBI Criminal History Background Check, and TB test to the College of Education and Human Development's Office of Field Placement prior to enrolling in their first term. These clearances are required by law prior to entering pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade classrooms to complete field experience requirements, starting with the first term and continuing throughout the program.

Pennsylvania clearances are not required for application completion. All new students who possess required Pennsylvania clearances more than one year old must submit updated clearances to the Office of Field Placement. Please note that obtaining these clearances may take up to six weeks. For instructions, please visit the Office of Field Placement's website at https://education.temple.edu/ofp/clearances.

Certificate Requirements

Number of Credits Required to Complete the Certificate: 19

Required Courses:

Contacts

Department Contacts: