BA in the Teaching of Spanish

Degree Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Arts in the Teaching of Spanish degree from UIC, students must complete university, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.

Summary of Requirements
Major Requirements31
Additional Requirements for Teacher Licensure25
General Education and Electives to reach minimum Total Hours64
Total Hours120

General Education

See General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for information on meeting these requirements.

Major Requirements

Required Courses
SPAN 202Spanish Grammar in Practice3
SPAN 203Extensive Reading and Writing for Non-Native Speakers of Spanish3
or SPAN 204 Extensive Reading and Writing for Heritage Speakers of Spanish
SPAN 206Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics a3
SPAN 210Introduction to the Formal Analysis of Hispanic Texts a,b3
SPAN 302Exploring Spanish Grammar3
SPAN 380Professional Development1
SPAN 448Foundations of Second Language Teaching3
SPAN 449Teaching Second Language Literacy and Cultural Awareness3
Three electives chosen from SPAN 212 or SPAN courses at the 300 level or above c9
Total Hours31
a

SPAN 206 and SPAN 210 fulfill the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.

b

This course is approved for the Understanding the Creative Arts General Education category.

c

SPAN courses taught in English may not count toward this requirement.

Additional Requirements for Teacher Licensure

Required Courses
ED 200Education Policy Foundations3
ED 210Principles of Learning and Instruction Across the Lifespan3
ED 425Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in the Urban Secondary Classroom4
SPED 410Exceptional Learners3
SPAN 451Educational Practice with Seminar I6
SPAN 452Educational Practice with Seminar II6
Total Hours25

In addition to specified course work in the major field, the teacher education student must fulfill certain other requirements as well as maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50/4.00 in all LAS and General Education requirements and a GPA of 3.00/4.00 or greater in courses for the Teacher Education in Spanish major including education courses. For detailed information, see the Program Guide for Teacher Education in Spanish, available from the secondary education coordinator in the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies.

The teaching license is not automatically awarded upon successful completion of licensure and degree requirements. Before the license is issued, the candidate must file an application for the Illinois teaching license with the Council on Teacher Education. The candidate must also pass a series of examinations required by the Illinois State Board of Education. The Content Area Test must be passed before the candidate is allowed to student teach. The Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) must be passed prior to licensure. For information on application procedures, contact the Council on Teacher Education located at 412 S. Peoria, Suite 634. See the Council on Teacher Education section of the catalog.

Recommended Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterHours
Declare Secondary Education Curriculum
Take General Education/Curriculum courses 16-18
 Hours16-18
Spring Semester
Take General Education/Curriculum Courses 16-18
(Meet with Program Advisor) b
 Hours16-18
Second Year
Fall Semester
Take General Education/Curriculum courses 16-18
 Hours16-18
Spring Semester
ED 200 Education Policy Foundations 3
ED 210 Principles of Learning and Instruction Across the Lifespan 3
Complete Application to Candidacy c
Take General Education/Curriculum courses 10-12
 Hours16-18
Third Year
Fall Semester
SPED 410 Exceptional Learners 3
CI 414 Middle and High School Literacy (after admission to candidacy) d 3
Complete Application to Candidacy c
Take General Education/Curriculum courses 10-12
 Hours16-18
Spring Semester
Request Enrollment Approval for:
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in the Urban Secondary Classroom (March 15) d
Complete Application to Student Teach c
Take Content Area Test by deadline a,c
Complete General Education/Curriculum courses 16-18
 Hours16-18
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
ED 425 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in the Urban Secondary Classroom 4
Complete General Education/Curriculum courses 8
 Hours12
Spring Semester
File Intent to Graduate Form (No later than the 3rd week of the semester in which you plan to graduate)
Complete Student Teaching 12
Take edTPA a
Complete Entitlement Application
Complete and pass edTPA assessment
 Hours12
 Total Hours120
a

http://www.il.nesinc.com

b

https://las.uic.edu/advising/major-minor-advising

c

Consult program advisor or CTE website for deadline

d

Only for Teaching of History and Mathematics

Secondary and Foreign Language Education Information

Declaration of Teaching Curriculum

When: As soon as a student decides to pursue licensure as a secondary or foreign language teacher, the student should declare the appropriate curriculum in the host department.

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites to declare a “Teaching of…” curriculum in LAS (except “Teaching of Mathematics” which requires registration in MATH 180 or equivalent standing). However, there are specific GPA requirements to remain in good standing and remain eligible for candidacy in each of the programs. These GPA requirements can be found in the undergraduate catalog: http://catalog.uic.edu/ucat/colleges-depts/liberal-arts-sciences/.

Timeline: Most “Teaching of…” curriculum students enrolled full-time should be able to complete their undergraduate course work and licensure requirements in four years, if they declare within their first four semesters. If a student does not make this decision until their junior year (5th semester or later), pursuit of the curriculum and teaching licensure will result in an extended undergraduate career. Model plans are available for transfer students and those beginning at UIC and declaring early; these are only to serve as an example for students considering the curriculum. Students should meet with the advisor in their department for personalized recommendations and timelines.

Education Courses: All Secondary Education curriculum students must take the following Education courses:

ED 200Education Policy Foundations3
ED 210Principles of Learning and Instruction Across the Lifespan3
SPED 410Exceptional Learners3
ED 425Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in the Urban Secondary Classroom4

Teaching of History and Math must also take CI 414. Students should meet with their department advisors to determine appropriate course sequence. Non-Education students may only take limited 100-level Education courses.

Curriculum vs. Licensure: Simply completing the requirements for a “Teaching of…” curriculum, does not guarantee licensure. Students should be completing licensure requirements in conjunction with meeting curriculum and college graduation requirements. There are several steps in the licensure process, so it is imperative that a student meet with their program advisor to remain on track.

Council on Teacher Education (CTE)
http://cte.uic.edu
Contact: (312) 355-0714
uic_cte@uic.edu
412 S. Peoria St., MC 134

“The Council on Teacher Education oversees and supports all professional education programs. The Council is responsible for the coordination of professional education curricula and serves as a liaison between the University of Illinois Chicago and the Illinois State Board of Education. In addition, the Council serves as a liaison between the university and school service personnel. The Council on Teacher Education was established by the University of Illinois' Board of Trustees in 1943-44 to formulate policies and programs of student selection, retention, guidance, preparation, and placement in elementary and secondary schools. The Council was created in conformity with educational policies established by the campus Senate (Mission and History, CTE website).” Students will be in close contact with the Council on Teacher Education for all levels of the licensure process. Prospective students can also find additional information on their website (listed above) and in the Teacher Education Handbook for Secondary and Foreign Language.