The Capstone Certificate in Spanish-English Bilingual-Bicultural Education will offer coursework focused on teaching, learning, and curriculum that supports the development of bilingualism, biculturalism, and biliteracy. Coursework in Curriculum and Instruction will focus K-12 pupils who speak Spanish as a home language and participate in bilingual programs (or “English Learners”) in Wisconsin public schools. Please note that coursework will be offered in Spanish.

Program completion will result in a capstone certificate. Educators interested in obtaining a Spanish-English bilingual-bicultural certification from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will need to apply through the School of Education Student Services office.

Admission into the capstone certificate program will require (1) current WI teaching license, (2) demonstration of “advanced-low” Spanish language proficiency on the ACTFL oral and written exams.

admission requirements

Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree. Adult Career and Special Student Services (ACSSS) is the admitting office for all University Special students. The department offering the capstone certificate program makes the final admission decision upon review of all applicant materials. Applications are accepted for Summer with a priority deadline of April 1. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until May 1. 

Students working on the Capstone may not be enrolled in other UW-Madison degree programs. 

1. Complete an online application for admission as a University Special student. On your application, select UNCS Capstone Certificate and the program: Spanish-English Bilingual-Bicultural Education. This application is received and processed by ACSSS. The final admission decision is made by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

2. Submit the following materials to the Capstone Certificate program coordinator. 

• Proof of current Wisconsin teaching license
• Transcripts from undergraduate institution demonstrating minimum 2.75 GPA
• Advanced-low Spanish language proficiency on the ACTFL Proficiency Placement Test by taking the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI or OPIc) and the Writing Proficiency Test (WPT).

Students in the Capstone certificate must complete the following coursework with a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA and pass all practicum requirements.

Minimum Requirements for Capstone Certificate Completion

• Students must earn a minimum grade of C in each course used to meet Capstone Certificate requirements.
• Courses in which a student elects the pass/fail or audit option will not count toward completion of Capstone Certificate requirements.
• All of the Capstone Certificate credits must be earned "in residence" (which includes on campus and distance-delivered courses) at UW-Madison.
• All of the Capstone Certificate credits must be earned while enrolled in the Capstone Certificate program.

Individual Capstone Certificate programs may have additional requirements for completion, which will be listed above as/if applicable.

1. Articulate, critique, and elaborate major theoretical perspectives on first and second/additional language acquisition and the relationship between first and second/additional languages
2. Articulate, critique, and elaborate dominant methodologies for bilingual-bicultural students
3. Analyze how social, cultural, and political contexts affect students’ lives and educational experiences, and how this relationship affects students’ learning opportunities
4. Design, implement, and justify effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices that facilitate learning and the development of bilingualism, biculturalism, and biliteracy
5. Apply knowledge of educational linguistics to develop strategies and approaches to support bilingual-bicultural students’ language development

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Bilingual-Bicultural Education Supplemental Licensure Requirements

1. Current Wisconsin teaching license

2. Proficiency in English and in the target language (Spanish)

3. Completion of an approved program in bilingual-bicultural education at the grade-level of the license being sought

Professional Certification/Licensure Disclosure (NC-SARA)

The United States Department of Education requires institutions that provide distance education to disclose information for programs leading to professional certification or licensure about whether each program meets state educational requirements for initial licensure or certification. Following is this disclosure information for this program:

The requirements of this program meet Certification/Licensure in the following states:

Wisconsin

The requirements of this program do not meet Certification/Licensure in the following states:

Not applicable

The requirements of this program have not been determined if they meet Certification/Licensure in the following states:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming; District of Columbia; American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands