The Multilingual and Elementary Education major prepares you to lead in an increasingly interconnected world. As classrooms become more linguistically and culturally diverse, skilled educators who understand bilingualism, language acquisition, and culturally responsive teaching are in high demand.

This program gives you research‑based strategies, practical teaching experience, and a global perspective to help you support multilingual learners and advocate for educational equity in schools and communities.

Through the program, you’ll pursue either the Bilingual Education Endorsement, which qualifies you to teach in dual‑language settings, or the English Language Learners Endorsement, which prepares you to teach multilingual learners in mainstream or English Language Development classrooms. Because these are not standalone endorsements, you’ll complete both the Elementary Education Prerequisites and the Elementary Education Core Requirements as part of your degree pathway.

Alongside your elementary education coursework, you’ll explore topics essential to effective multilingual teaching, including:

• Language structure and acquisition: understand how languages work and how students acquire them.
• Principles of bilingual education: learn research‑based approaches to dual‑language instruction.
• Diversity in the classroom: develop strategies for creating inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments.

A degree in Multilingual Education will open doors to meaningful and in-demand careers. Washington continues to face a statewide teacher shortage, with multilingual educators among the most urgently needed.