This program prepares future educators to teach Spanish language and stylistics, heightened by an exposure to Spanish/Latino civilization and literature. Students also become versed in the theories of language acquisition and best practices for teaching language.
This program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) This program is nationally recognized by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
This degree prepares students for the joys and challenges of teaching Spanish in secondary-school settings. To pursue this degree, you must also be admitted to NAU Professional Education Programs and demonstrate proficiency in Spanish, one of the top three most widely spoken languages spoken in the world.
To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
Candidates in this program are required to demonstrate content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and skills, professional knowledge, and professional dispositions to be eligible to enter student teaching or internship placements.
Content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge or skills, and professional dispositions are demonstrated through candidate performance on key assessments embedded in the following course(s):
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 120 |
| Major GPA | 3.0 |
| Highest Mathematics Required | MAT 114 |
| Additional Admission Requirements | Required |
| Foreign Language | Required |
| Fieldwork Experience/Internship | Required |
| Student Teaching/Supervised Teaching | Required |
| University Honors Program | Optional |
| AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A | Recommended |
| Progression Plan Link | View Progression Plan |
| Licensure | This program may lead to licensure. |
Purpose Statement
The Bachelor of Science in Education, Spanish program prepares future educators to teach Spanish language and stylistics, heightened by an exposure to civilization and culture and literature by becoming versed in the theories of second language acquisition and best practices for language teaching. The programs emphasize the development of a teacher’s ability to develop research-based teaching strategies that are developed from second language acquisition research that informs our field and makes language learning accessible to learners. Specific attention is directed at the interaction of second language acquisition theories, foreign language pedagogy, individual differences that learners bring to the language learning process (e.g., motivation, aptitude), curriculum, classroom management theories as well as competence in the language candidates will teach, the target language. Attaining a high level of communicative competence in the target language is an emphasis of the program such that candidates who enter future classrooms enjoy a relatively high level of proficiency; most candidates spend at least a semester studying abroad to do so and also to build competency and knowledge of the cultural products, practices, and perspectives related to the languages they will teach. The program is unique in that it focuses solely on foreign language education. This allows candidates to be in a supportive cohort of high-achieving peers taught by faculty who specialize and conduct research in second language acquisition. We strive to provide a cutting-edge, high-quality program that will utilize and build upon candidates’ knowledge, proficiency, and experiences living in the target culture to become an innovative middle or high school teacher that bases classroom practices on second language acquisition research. The program is designed for students with an interest in Spanish education who are seeking teacher certification.
Student Learning Outcomes
Outcomes align with Standards from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, and the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium.
Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
This major requires 69 units distributed as follows:
A minimum NAU cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required and a minimum GPA of 2.5 is required for all SPA and LAN coursework. For all major requirements, a passing grade is required and a Grade of "C" or better is required for courses evaluated on an A-F scale.
Take the following 69 units:
Spanish (SPA) and Language (LAN) courses (42 units)
*A student may substitute SPA 460C for SPA 301 with advisor approval.
Please be aware of the following:
Foundation Teaching Requirements (27 units)
Teacher education programs require a student teaching or internship experience. A minimum number of practicum units are also required, which involves supervised field experience with a practicing teacher. These required experiences are embedded in the major requirements courses.
Before being accepted to student teaching, the following criteria must be met:
Arizona Teacher Certification
You must pass the National Evaluation Series Secondary Assessment Professional Knowledge Exam to obtain an Arizona teaching certificate.
Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.
We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.
All candidates for the BSEd Secondary Education, Spanish degree must take the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Advanced-Low Level Check. See your advisor for details.
Be aware that Arizona state teacher certification requirements leading to an Institutional Recommendation may change at any time, and may impact program of study requirements.
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also take. For prerequisite information, see course information contained in the catalog or your advisor.