Skip Navigation

Initial Teacher Certification:
Graduate

Professional Development or
Second Certificate

Apply Online Now1

Initial Teacher Certification Graduate Program
Secondary Education: World Languages [Grades K-12] (Ed.M.)

World Languages Education

The World Languages Education program 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. The World Languages Education program emphasizes that learning a foreign language also means learning about another way of life and avoiding a narrow cultural perspective by developing intercultural understanding. Through the experiences in this program, students gain a deeper understanding of the nature of language and culture.

The World Languages program offers certification in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Latin, Portuguese, and Hebrew.

Although most graduates work in secondary school settings, there is an increasing need for foreign language teachers in elementary schools, especially for teachers of Spanish. In response to this need, the curriculum is designed to equip students with knowledge and skills they can apply in K-12 settings.

 

If you have additional questions about the World Languages Education program, please contact:

Elvis Wagner, Associate Professor
email: elvis.wagner@temple.edu
phone: (215) 204-5821

Program Requirements

The graduate Secondary Education Program with a concentration in World Languages may be completed for certification only or certification plus a master's degree. All applicants are initially admitted to the Master's Program.  After successfully completing the minimum requirements for Certification, students may choose to leave the program with certification-only or may elect to continue in the program and complete the additional credit hours and requirements to receive certification and a Master’s degre. The program requires a minimum of 25 semester hours for certification-only and 31 semester hours for certification plus a master's degree.

Introductory Courses (6 S.H.)

Pedagogy and Core Courses (18 S.H.)

Additional Courses for M.Ed. (6 S.H.)

Credit for Graduate Study Prior to Admission

Students may take up to, but not more than, nine semester hours of graduate study in the program before being admitted to the program. The credits will transfer into the program, if the student is admitted. Students completing certification courses before being admitted to the program are NOT guaranteed admission.

Admission Requirements

Candidates must meet the general admission standards of the College of Education and the Graduate School. A personal interview is not required.

Minimum Testing Requirements:

Undergraduate Major Coursework Requirement

All applicants must fulfill required prerequisites before admission. Before being admitted to the Secondary Education Program with a specialization in World Languages, applicants must have completed a major or the equivalent in their subject area (e.g. French, Spanish, etc.) with approximately 36 semester hours1 of undergraduate coursework in the subject area.

1Non-native speakers must have ten three-credit courses beyond the first two elementary courses with a minimum of 30 s.h. in the foreign language at the college level for certification in one foreign language.  Work should include courses in conversation, composition, culture and civilization, linguistics, and contemporary literature.  Native speakers must have eight courses at a university taken in the department of the language of certification (e.g., the Spanish Department) at their level of knowledge of the language, literature, and culture and linguistics.  There are no foreign language examinations which award credit by examination at Temple.

Interested students who are not sure if coursework prerequisites have been fulfilled should meet with an advisor before completing an application.

Minimum Undergraduate GPA Requirement:

Applications of students that do not meet the 3.0 UGPA (requirement) may be considered for admission by the Graduate School if they meet one of the following exceptions:

  1. Standard exceptions: 3.5 UGPA during the last two years AND a minimum of 3.25 Graduate GPA for nine semester hours (typically taken as a non-matriculated student in the program prior to application for admission)
  2. Special exceptions: Applicants who do not meet regular admission criteria may be considered for a special exception if a compelling case can be made for admitting them.  These special exceptions will only be rarely granted.

Clearances and Background Checks

In addition, state and federal criminal background checks, a TB test, and a child abuse clearance are required to be eligible to complete the program. Applicants must complete and upload documentation of clearances prior to the start of their program. Visit Required Clearances for Working in Pennsyvlania Schools for details.

How to Apply:

A completed application will include:

Submitting Your Materials

See the Application Checklist for complete details on how to submit your application materials. Required supplemental materials should be sent attention to:

Graduate Programs Office
Attn. Application Processing
Temple University - College of Education
150 Ritter Annex
1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6091

Please allow delivery and processing time before your application will be reviewed. For faster service, the College of Education at Temple University also receives supporting application materials for graduate admissions electronically via the Interfolio service.

It is the student's responsibility to see that everything is completed by the deadline date.

Application deadlines:

To be considered for admission, your complete application, including all required supplemental materials must be post-marked no later than:

Completed applications received by the deadline are guaranteed a decision for the upcoming term. Applications received after the stated deadlines will be reviewed on a space available basis. Once an application is complete and all required materials have been received, students can expect to receive a decision within 30 days (excluding summer).

We strongly encourage applicants to apply early and to periodically check TUPortal (http://tuportal.temple.edu) as to the status of their materials.

Contact Information

If you have additional questions about Temple’s initial teacher certification programs at the graduate level (degree and non-degree), please contact:

Graduate Teacher Certification Advisor
email:edcert@temple.edu
phone: (215) 204-6026
office: 150 Ritter Annex