Timeline and other Requirements in the Bilingual M. Ed. Program
Note: acceptance into the UTPA Graduate School does not guarantee acceptance into Bilingual M.Ed. program.
Apply and clear admission to the UTPA Graduate School. You must be accepted by the Graduate School before enrolling for any graduate courses at UTPA.
Contact graduate program coordinator (lgomez@utpa.edu) and apply to the program. Acceptance into the program is not guaranteed, even if you have already begun taking classes.
Once you've been accepted into the program, sometime during your first semester, complete an official degree plan and have it signed by your advisor and department chair. A copy of the degree plan will be kept in your file. You should keep a copy for your own records. You can download the degree plan at: COMING SOON!
Two semesters before your anticipated graduation date apply for graduation at the UTPA Office of Graduate Studies (If you intend to graduate in May, apply for graduation the summer before). If your date of graduation changes, you will need to pay a fee and inform the Graduate School of your new graduation date.
The semester before your anticipated graduation date, check, revise and update your degree plan (if necessary). These changes must be signed by you, your advisor, the department chair and the Dean of the College of Education. Keep a copy of this for your own records.
During your last semester of coursework you must take the Oral and Written Bilingual Education Comprehensive Examinations. Both the oral and written comprehensive exams must be passed in order to graduate from the program.
After you have passed the oral and written comprehensive exams, if you are not a certified bilingual teacher and are seeking bilingual certification through this masters program, you are eligible to take the respective TExES for bilingual certification (must meet with advisor for applicable TExES exam). If you are already bilingual certified, this does not apply. The TExES is not a requirement for graduation from this program.
Contact Information:
Dr. Leo Gómez, Graduate Program Coordinator
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
College of Education- UTPA
1201 W. University Dr.
Edinburg, TX 78541
