Initial Licensure

The Spanish/ESL PreK-12 Initial Licensure concentration is designed for the individual who holds a Baccalaureate degree and wishes to become a teacher of Spanish or English as a Second Language.

Upon successful completion of the program and all current Virginia Department of Education requirements for licensure, students meet eligibility requirements for the Virginia Postgraduate Professional Teaching License with an endorsement to teach PreK-12 Spanish or English as a Second Language as well as the Master of Science degree from Longwood University.

For acceptance into the program candidates must submit passing scores on Praxis I, or an equivalent SAT/ACT score, and prior to enrollment in the Graduate Directed Teaching/Professional Semester passing scores on Praxis II (except for ESL candidates) and the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) are required.

An application for the Graduate Directed Teaching/Professional Semester must be completed and filed with the Office of Professional Services by the required date, September 1 (one year before the fall professional semester) or February 1 (one year before the spring professional semester).  Visit the Office of Professional Services website for complete information on admission to teacher preparation and the professional semester. 

Students admitted to this program are expected to present an undergraduate major or minor in Spanish or be a native speaker of Spanish with a Bachelor's degree. English as a Second Language students must present the equivalent of at least three upper-level undergraduate courses in a foreign language for admission, or may take these undergraduate courses during the course of their study in this program. Students may select Spanish or English as a second language as an area of concentration. Note that courses with a SPAN prefix are usually offered during summer institutes for teachers. Students should work closely with their advisor to determine their course of study.

Summer Institutes for Teachers

Graduate courses in Spanish are offered during the Summer Institute for Spanish Teachers in Mérida, Venezuela, and in Valencia, Spain, and change each year. Approximate dates each year are from July 5th through 30th; the application deadline is May 1. Students may take two graduate Spanish courses and receive six credits while living with host families and sharing three meals per day with them. The program is very intensive; besides attending classes each day, students participate in visits to sites of cultural or historic significance and in social activities with the families and instructors.

Students should visit the Modern Languages web site for more information.