New Mexico State University

The Department of Languages and Linguistics offers a graduate certificate program in Teaching Spanish for Heritage Language Learners. The certificate requires a student to complete 18 credit hours (a total of six courses) that could be completed in one year. Four courses are mandatory core courses. The remaining two courses can be selected by the student from the list of approved courses. Upon completion of all six courses, students will be guided as they prepare and submit an online reflective portfolio. Students may choose to apply to our master’s program online or on campus and upon completion, all six courses can be used towards the final degree plan in our MA program. This certificate program is open to applicants not currently enrolled as well as current and former NMSU graduate students.

The graduate certificate is designed for those educators interested in heritage language pedagogy and methodology. Why is heritage language instruction important? School districts all over the United States have started to move towards a more inclusive curriculum where educators are creating environments that are culturally and linguistically focused, and sensitive to the needs of the heritage language students. As the state’s land-grant and Hispanic-Serving Institution, New Mexico State University works diligently to provide our teachers the best tools to serve our students. The Department of Languages and Linguistics is proud to say that our heritage language program is pioneer in the nation. We have been working with educators since the 1940’s to help serve our Hispanic students. This certificate puts our student’s heritage, culture, and language at the forefront of our instruction.

Upon completion of the certificate, educators will be able to understand who our SHL students are and what needs they have in the classroom. Educators will create dynamic lesson plans and learn how to manage their time and classroom. Most importantly, educators will learn how to create an environment that is culturally and linguistically safe for SHL learners.

Curriculum

Online Portfolio Submission

Detailed instructions for the online portfolio submission guidelines will be provided during advising in the department, but will include deliverable items such as lesson plans, projects, and other pedagogical items that have been completed as part of the courses in the certificate that students can use in their planned careers with heritage learners.

Admission Requirements

1. Completed bachelor’s degree in Spanish or related field Completed bachelor’s degree from Spain or Latin America
2. Proof of bilingual proficiency; ACTFL OPI/ Praxis/State Level Bilingual Exam/Individual statement
3. Students interested in this certificate should apply in the appropriate places:
   Main Campus students -- apply through the NMSU Graduate Program online portal.
   NMSU Global students --  apply through the NMSU Global Portal.
4. The application requires a fee and the following documents:

• Letter of Interest
• CV/Transcripts
• Language Proficiency Statement
• Self-Evaluation

*Program does NOT lead to licensure. However, students are encouraged to inquire with their local districts to see if this can be added as an endorsement to their CV. Students can work in conjunction with our master’s degree to earn a graduate certificate at the same time.

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