Foreign Language Education

At the undergraduate level, we offer Bachelor’s degrees (BS) in French, German, or Spanish Education. At the graduate level, we offer Master’s degrees (MEd) in French or Spanish Education and Specialist degrees (EdS) in French or Spanish Education.

If you already have a Bachelor’s degree and a Bachelor’s-level professional educator certificate in Spanish or French education, you may apply to our traditional Master’s program (MEd) in either French or Spanish Education. If you already have a Master’s degree and Master’s level professional educator certificate in Spanish or French (Alabama Class A, for example), you may apply to our Specialist program (EdS) in either French or Spanish Education. We offer these programs both on-campus and 100% online. To do the program online, make sure to select the “distance” option on your application.

Our Alternative Masters (Alt MEd) in French or Spanish Education will allow you to earn an Alabama Class A teaching certificate in addition to the MEd. We offer this program both on-campus and 100% online with our distance option.

Traditional Masters and Specialist programs in French or Spanish Education are 30 credit hours: 15 credits in world language pedagogy and 15 in your target language. One course is usually 3 credit hours, though courses can vary between 1 and 4 credit hours, for a total of around 10 classes over the course of the program. The Alternative Masters program is typically requires 36 credits depending on your undergraduate program of study. To see detailed requirements for each degree, visit our website here: https://education.auburn.edu/curriculum-and-teaching/academic-programs/foreign-language-education/

The time it will take you to complete the degree will depend on how many courses you want to take each semester. Most students take between 2 to 3 years if they are working full-time and 2 years if they are full-time students. We encourage those who are already full-time classroom teachers to enroll in 2 courses per semester (including summers), more for full-time students.

You must choose either French OR Spanish Education as your degree, not a combination of both. However, you are welcome to take additional courses in your other language or study abroad in the other language if you so choose, knowing that these courses in a language other than your chosen degree will not count toward the program requirements for graduation.

Typically, yes, but please check your state’s reciprocity rules regarding certification. You may contact the program coordinator with specific questions at aulanged@auburn.edu

From the AU graduate school bulletin: “The applicant must be in good standing at the institution last attended […] The successful applicant normally will meet one of the following: a) a GPA of at least 2.75 on all undergraduate course work at an accredited United States institution in fulfillment of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree; b) a GPA of at least 3.0 on all graduate course work at an accredited United States institution in fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree […] Departments may (and frequently do) establish higher standards than those described here, and may require that applicants submit additional materials.” You can read more here: https://bulletin.auburn.edu/thegraduateschool/admissions/

You will be asked to provide official transcripts from other institutions you have attended, a professional educator certificate (if applicable), 3 letters of recommendation, a personal statement of intent, your résumé, and ABI/FBI Background Check/Fingerprinting. Instructions for the background check/fingerprinting can be found here: https://education.auburn.edu/about/_assets/docs/Fieldprint%20Fingerprint%20Registration%20Instructions-update%203-12-24.pdf. We cannot review your application until you have successfully submitted all of these materials.

No, but you will have to pass the Praxis in order to be certified.

No, the GRE is waived for our graduate programs. There is no entrance exam to apply.

We review applications on a rolling basis throughout the year, but our deadline for Fall admissions is August 1st. Our new cohort groups begin in the Fall to ensure students will have the correct sequence of courses, as many of our courses are only offered in the Fall or the Spring, not both. You may begin the program at other points of the year under certain circumstances and with the permission of the program coordinator.

Apply on the graduate school’s website: https://graduate.auburn.edu/

You must pass the Praxis II exam in the language you plan to teach before your clinical residency, complete a clinical residency, pass EdTPA, as well as satisfactorily complete all other program requirements and paperwork. Visit the College of Education’s certification website to learn more: https://education.auburn.edu/about/certification/cert-information.php

Yes. You can read more about the specific requirements and timing for clinical residency here: https://education.auburn.edu/about/certification/testing.php

If you are not currently certified, then yes. You can learn more about EdTPA here: https://education.auburn.edu/about/certification/testing.php

If you are not currently certified, then yes. If you are already working full-time as a French or Spanish teacher but not yet certified, you may have an opportunity to do this in your own classroom.

Yes, all of our program courses can be completed online via Zoom.

Our program courses meet synchronously every week, with other readings and assignments that are completed independently outside of class meeting times. Many of our students join class via Zoom, but we also have on-campus students. Classes are recorded each meeting.

Attendance in our program courses is required. If you have an extenuating circumstance or emergency, you will be required to watch the recording of class and turn in a written summary assignment to make up for your absence.

To graduate in 2-2.5 years, you typically need to take two courses per semester, including summer. Our cohort groups begin in the Fall to ensure you have the correct course sequence, as many of our courses are only offered in the Fall or the Spring, not both. You may begin the program at other points of the year under certain circumstances and the permission of the program coordinator.

Yes, except in some special situations with departmental approval. To earn the 15 Spanish or French credits required (usually 5 courses) in the MEd and EdS programs, most students must study abroad for at least one summer, oftentimes two summers, in order to graduate in two years. We have many flexible options to accommodate your needs.

Various summer programs are available to accommodate a teacher’s school year schedule. However, if you are not currently teaching and are a full-time student, you can study abroad at other times of the year with the approval of the program coordinator.

In recent years, our French MEd and EdS students have had the option of going to Paris through the World Languages Department study abroad program in July. In Paris, students typically take courses in French on literature or other topics. We also have had students study abroad in Québec through the Université de Laval. These courses are highly beneficial for our students in that the classes at Laval are taught exclusively in French but are focused on how to teach French as a second language.

Our Spanish MEd and EdS students have had the option of going to Spain through the World Languages Department study abroad program in June and/or July. There are some flexible options here in terms of when students can go and for how long by taking some parts of the courses in Spain via Zoom as well as on-site. In Spain, students typically take courses in Spanish on literature or other topics. We plan to have a Latin American study abroad option to share soon for Summer of 2025.

In Paris and Laval, you can earn up to 6 credits. In Spain, you can earn up to 9 credits.

Possibly, but it depends on the specific study abroad program. Each program has its own policies regarding accompanying family members. We strongly recommend that you consult with the program coordinator as early as possible to discuss the details of your chosen study abroad program.

That is certainly a possibility, depending on whether the program is determined as acceptable to the program coordinator and the department. However, financial aid may not be available in that situation.

Financial aid is available for summer study abroad courses. Contact the financial aid office for more information at (334) 844-4634 or email Finaid7@auburn.edu You can also visit Auburn University's financial aid website for more information. We may have limited partial scholarship opportunities, but know that these are not guaranteed and vary each year.

Yes! Every August before the start of classes, we hold an on-campus weekend seminar. This is not only an orientation and a chance to meet your new cohort group, but also includes sessions with live teaching demos and essential presentations related to the semester course topics. We also have other weekend seminars, typically in October, January, and March, at the mid-semester points. We encourage you to make every possible effort to attend these in person, especially the initial weekend seminar in August. If there is an extenuating circumstance, please let the Program Coordinator know to make alternate arrangements for you to join via Zoom or to watch the recordings.

Yes! Every August before the start of classes, we hold an on-campus weekend seminar. This is not only an orientation and a chance to meet your new cohort group, but also includes sessions with live teaching demos and essential presentations related to the semester course topics. We also have other weekend seminars, typically in October, January, and March, at the mid-semester points. We encourage you to make every possible effort to attend these in person, especially the initial weekend seminar in August. If there is an extenuating circumstance, please let the Program Coordinator know to make alternate arrangements for you to join via Zoom or to watch the recordings.