Northern Arizona University
College of Education
PO Box 5774
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5774
(928) 523-5342
Bilingual/Multicultural (BME)
Admission Requirements
To apply, you must submit your graduate application online and send official transcripts to NAU's Graduate College.
In addition, you must meet the following program requirements:
- Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or take either the general or subject area test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT).
- Complete a program of studies form with one of our graduate advisors and submit it to our department office.
- Demonstrate at least intermediate proficiency in a second language (bilingual emphasis only)
You may demonstrate language proficiency in a variety of ways. Achieving a passing score on the Spanish proficiency examination or Navajo oral proficiency examination is one alternative. If you are a member of a Native American tribe other than Navajo, you may have tribal officials provide a letter documenting your proficiency in your particular language. You may also use academic records as evidence; for example, you might have an undergraduate major in Spanish and experience teaching Spanish in the secondary schools.
If you are an international student whose second language is English, you must earn a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
For more detailed information about admission requirements, contact our Graduate Studies Office.
Financial Assistance
Our faculty have been successful in securing financial assistance for students through grants from the US Deparment of Education. This assistance is available for limited periods of time and is constantly changing. Contact a faculty advisor or the department chair of Educational Specialties for current information.
If you meet all of our program requirements, you may be eligible for an assistantship. Graduate assistantships are offered through our Graduate Studies Office as well as some other departments. The number of these positions is limited, and you must apply early in the semester before the one in which you need the assistantship. If you receive an assistantship, we expect you to carry 9-12 credit hours per semester, and we assign you responsibilities to which you must devote a specified number of hours each week.
Placement Assistance
Our faculty members provide you with informal placement assistance. We have established contacts with school administrators throughout the region and frequently receive requests for names of prospective teachers from employers in Arizona schools.
Formal assistance is also available through NAU's Career Services office.
Degree and Endorsements Offered
You may pursue an M.Ed. in bilingual/multicultural education with an emphasis in either bilingual or multicultural education, or you may pursue nondegree programs leading to either the Arizona bilingual endorsement or the English as a second language endorsement.
Please be aware that our degree program does not automatically lead to endorsement. If you are interested in both a degree and an endorsement, you must work closely with your advisor to achieve both goals. Our degree and nondegree programs are available on both the Flagstaff and Yuma campuses.
