College of Education & Human Services
Licensures & Endorsements
The Bilingual endorsement suits a variety of teaching backgrounds which range from Pre-kindergarten to High School. The endorsement can be obtained by pre-service as well as in-service teachers. Persons seeking this endorsement must have successful completion of a language examination in the non-English language to be taught.
The ESL endorsement suits a variety of teaching backgrounds which range from Pre-kindergarten to High School. The endorsement can be obtained by pre-service as well as in-service teachers. It is not a requirement to be bilingual to complete the ESL endorsement.
The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)/Alternative Licensure is a two year residency program wherein candidates are hired by a school district on a provisional teaching license, are paid a beginning teacher salary, and take courses over that two year period. Assuming a candidate is successful, she or he will earn a full Professional Educator License and a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree at the end of that two year residency period. Currently, WIU’s School of Education offers this program for those interested in K-21 Special Education, Secondary Math, and Secondary Science.
The K-12 Reading Specialist emphasis prepares candidates to serve as reading specialists and literacy coaches and to lead school-wide efforts in improving literacy instruction. The reading specialist must be qualified and prepared to help teachers in grades K-12 improve reading instruction and assist struggling readers at all grade levels in developing literacy skills.
The Reading Teacher emphasis is designed to enhance teachers' knowledge of and skills in teaching literacy in their classrooms or teaching small groups of struggling readers. In some districts, individuals with an appropriate reading teacher endorsement are eligible for employment as Title I reading teachers.
Persons seeking a principal endorsement through Western Illinois University must have a master’s degree or complete the master’s degree in Educational Leadership. The principal preparation program includes the following: 36 semester hours of course work and EDL 555 and EDL 556 (Internship). Students who complete the Master of Science in Educational Leadership degree and the requirements for principal endorsement at Western Illinois University will complete a total of 43 semester hours of coursework.
This program, aligned to Illinois and Iowa certification requirements, prepares graduates to impact their students' learning, their classrooms, and their schools.
Educational Leadership has long been recognized for strong programs leading to school principal and superintendent certification. The department has certified more than 2,000 principals and 600 superintendents since 1967 when Illinois began approval of administrator preparation programs. These programs have received National Recognition by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) and the Specialized Professional Association for school leadership preparation programs.
The graduate certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is designed to meet the needs of students desiring to teach English in a variety of settings throughout the world. Specialized coursework in the certificate program focuses on theories and methodologies of TESOL while providing practical classroom experience. The coursework may also be used to satisfy some of the requirements for the Master of Science in Education (M.S. Ed.) in Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies for those students admitted into the M.S. Ed. program.
Connect with us: