Spanish K-12 Licensure Emphasis: Comprehensive Program (with a 3+2 Master of Arts)

The 3+2 Secondary and K-12 Licensure Program allows students to complete a B.A. in their academic major with an emphasis in Secondary and K-12 Licensure and a Master of Arts in Education in five years. Students apply to the program by December of their junior year. MUS majors interested in the program need to set up an individualized plan with their MUS and EDUC advisors.  To be accepted into the 3+2 Program, each student must: 

  • Provide letters of recommendation from at least one Education Department faculty member and one faculty member from the student's major
  • Prove content, as defined by the Colorado Department of Education
  • Be accepted into Western's Teacher Licensure Program
  • Successfully complete EDUC 340 (by Spring of junior year)
  • Be on track to complete all coursework required within the academic major

Upon satisfactory completion of these requirements, students will be designated as "MAED candidates with provisional acceptance." Upon completion of the final undergraduate credits for the Western B.A., students will be designated as "MAED degree-seeking students." Students who have completed all other requirements of the 3+2 Secondary and K-12 Licensure Degree Program and all Western undergraduate requirements, yet choose to leave the MAED program before Year Five, will still have completed the BA in Secondary and K-12 Licensure, have earned 120 credits necessary for a Western undergraduate degree, and be eligible to apply for initial teacher licensure . 

Program Requirements

Students interested in pursuing this comprehensive program should consult with the Teacher Education Program advisor in addition to the advisor in their major as soon as possible. 

A minimum of 36 credits is required including the 15-credit Spanish Core.

Spanish Core
SPAN 201Intermediate Spanish I3
SPAN 202Intermediate Spanish II3
SPAN 270Spanish Conversation and Composition3
SPAN 350Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics3
SPAN 385Introduction to Hispanic Literature3
Total Credits15

A maximum of nine credits earned from independent study and/or foreign travel may be applied to the major. Students who desire foreign language credit for foreign study and/ or exchange programs must have prior approval from the Department of Communication Arts, Languages, and Literature. Spanish credit for foreign study will be granted only to students who participate in formal study abroad programs sponsored by institutions accredited in the United States.

In addition, the student must fulfill the requirements of the Secondary Licensure 3+2 Program (see description under Education), and the following:

SPAN 341Latin American Civilization and Culture3
SPAN 366Methods of Teaching a Foreign Language3
SPAN 370Advanced Spanish Conversation and Composition3
SPAN 494Capstone Experience3
Two of the following Linguistics Classes:6
Spanish Phonetics and Pronunciation
Syntax and Morphology of Spanish
Spanish in the U.S.
One of the following Literature Classes:3
Hispanic Literature
Hispanic Literature Through Film
U.S. Latino Literature
Hispanic Literature, Contemporary Authors
Total Credits21

Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation.  Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above).  Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued. 

Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
EDUC 000 Education Gateway Course 0
ENG 102 Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) 3
Essential Skills MATH 3
Gen Ed Social Sciences 3
Gen Ed Natural Sciences w/lab 4
HWTR 100 First Year Seminar 1
SPAN 201 Intermediate Spanish I 3
 Credits17
Spring
SPAN 202 Intermediate Spanish II 3
ENG 103 Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) 3
Elective Elective 4
Gen Ed Arts & Humanities 3
Gen Ed Social Sciences 3
 Credits16
Year Two
Fall
Elective Elective 3
Gen Ed Arts & Humanities 3
Gen Ed Social Sciences 3
SPAN 270 Spanish Conversation and Composition 3
SPAN 350 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics 3
 Credits15
Spring
SPAN 370 Advanced Spanish Conversation and Composition 3
SPAN Linguistic elective 3
Elective Elective 3
Gen Ed Arts & Humanities 3
Gen Ed Natural Sciences w/lab 4
 Credits16
Year Three
Fall
EDUC 340 Application of Pedagogy and Practice 3
Elective Elective 3
SPAN 385 Introduction to Hispanic Literature 3
SPAN 366 Methods of Teaching a Foreign Language 3
SPAN 341 Latin American Civilization and Culture 3
 Credits15
Spring
Elective Elective 6
SPAN 494 Capstone Experience 3
SPAN Linguistic elective 3
SPAN Literature elective 3
 Credits15
Year Four
Fall
EDUC 403 Instruction and Assessment in Content Area 3
EDUC 405 Data-driven Instructional Practices 3
EDUC 604 Learning Environments 3
EDUC 606 Reading and Writing in the Content Area 3
EDUC 609 Secondary Student Teaching 3
 Credits15
Spring
EDUC 607 Rethinking Learning in the 21st Century 3
EDUC 609 Secondary Student Teaching 3
EDUC 624 Managing to Differentiate 3
EDUC 629 Inclusion and English Learners 3
 Credits12
 Total Credits121