The School of Education has been granted approval to entitle each graduate of TLLSC for the ESL endorsement. The requirements for this endorsement are integrated throughout our teacher education program. No additional courses or requirements are needed to earn this endorsement. Upon graduation, you will be entitled for this endorsement by the Assistant Dean of Student Academic Affairs. Note that some transfer students may not be eligible for this endorsement. Consult the School of Education Undergraduate Advisor if you have questions.

Learn more about the requirements for the ESL endorsement.  

If you are fluent in in a language other than English, consider adding the Bilingual endorsement. Bilingual educators are in extremely high demand both locally and nationally, and this is a highly marketable endorsement to possess. The Bilingual endorsement is open to any Education major, although you should consult with your School of Education advisor to ensure that you can meet the requirements given the demands of your particular degree pathway. In addition to course requirements, students seeking the Bilingual endorsement must complete (and document) additional clinical hours and pass a language proficiency test. 

Learn more about the requirements for the Bilingual endorsement.  

Elementary or Secondary Education candidates who would are interested in teaching in a content area in grades 5-8 may consider adding a Middle Grades endorsement. Middle Grades endorsements are available in four areas: General Science, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Language Arts. Any of these endorsements can be earned by taking coursework here at Loyola, but Science and Mathematics would likely require additional coursework at another institution.  For each endorsement, Illinois requires a total of 18 hours of coursework in middle grades methods (including a content area-specific methods course), plus the appropriate content area licensure test. Specific course options for the Middle Grades endorsements should be selected under the guidance of your School of Education academic advisor. Schedule a meeting early in your pathway to discuss those options.

The Reading Teacher endorsement is designed to enhance your knowledge and skills in teaching reading/literacy. Students who add this endorsement are better prepared to teach reading and literacy as they enter the field of education. Seeking the Reading Teacher endorsement will require you to declare a Reading Teacher minor. While 18 credit hours are required for the minor, most of these hours are already included in your TLLSC curriculum.

The Reading Teacher minor/endorsement covers preschool through grade 12 and is available to Elementary, Middle Grades (Social Studies and ELA) Secondary (ELA), and Special Education majors. Reading minors typically declare at the end of their freshman year/beginning of sophomore year. Special Education majors should consult the School of Education undergraduate academic advisor to ensure that BSEd requirements do not preclude adding this minor. Note that Early Childhood Special Education majors typically do not have room in their pathway to add this minor.

Then add a button that leads to the course catalog page for this endorsement. 

Learn more about the requirements for the Reading Teacher Minor/Endorsement. 

Secondary Education candidates who would are interested in teaching in an additional content area may consider adding a Secondary content area endorsement in Science, Social Studies, English Language Arts, or Mathematics. Illinois requires 18 hours of coursework in content area methods plus the appropriate secondary content area licensure test. Note that seeking these endorsements involves taking content area courses in the corresponding area:  Social Sciences (History, etc.), Mathematics, ELA, or Science. These are not courses that are offered in the SOE; therefore, specific course options for the Secondary content area endorsements should be selected under the guidance of the School of Education undergraduate advisor. Schedule a meeting to discuss those options.

Secondary Education majors should also review the information under Other Endorsements below.

If you are a major in Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary or Bilingual/Bicultural Education, consider adding an endorsement to work with children with disabilities. This endorsement is greatly needed and highly marketable. Seeking this endorsement will require you to declare a Special Education minor. The endorsement itself is issued by the Illinois State Board of Education; it would appear on your Professional Educator License (PEL) as the Learning Behavior Specialist 1 or LBS 1.

Visit the SPED Minor page to learn more about this program; then use the course catalog link below to access specific minor/endorsement requirements. If you have any questions about the SPED minor, please reach out to Dr. Hank Bohanon, the Special Education faculty lead, at hbohano@luc.edu. Then work with your SOE advisor to plan your minor pathway.

Learn more about the requirements for the Special Education Minor/Endorsement.  

Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) offers a host of endorsements to teach many different grade levels and subject areas. For more information on available Illinois endorsements, visit this page of the ISBE website. Then, meet with your SOE academic advisor to discuss how an endorsement could potentially fit into your degree plan.

Our teacher education program is the only one in Illinois offering entitlement for the IB certificate to graduates across undergraduate majors. As you pursue the IB certificate, you will examine the principles and practices associated with one of the following IB programmes: Primary Years (PYP), Middle Years (MYP), or the Diploma Programme (DP). Our field-based learning experiences have been enhanced to lead to this certificate; your certificate type will depend upon your major and certain field placements along your pathway. IB preparation helps us to shape pre-service educators into reflective practitioners and teacher by improving the quality of your classroom teaching, increase your access to teaching jobs worldwide, and creating opportunities for deep understanding of and engagement in student learning.

The IB certificate is integrated into our BSEd teacher education program to ensure deep knowledge of IB content, principles and practices and to prepare you to teach in IB world schools both nationally and around the globe. We offer in-depth experiences with the IB at strategic points in the curriculum, as well as integrate IB principles throughout your experiences with university faculty and IB educators in school sites. The certificate is available to students in all majors except Special Education and Early Childhood/Special Education. You are entitled to this credential upon graduation, after which you can apply to IB to obtain it.

Learn more about the International Baccalaureate Organization by visiting their website. For details on how TLLSC undergraduates work toward this credential, check with your SOE academic advisor.

Students majoring in our Early Childhood degree programs have access to three unique credentials. The preparation for these credentials is built into your sequences and modules, so no additional coursework is required; note however, that you are required to apply for them yourself upon graduation. We provide resources and support to help you through these processes. For additional information on these credentials, contact Dr. Adam Kennedy at akenne5@luc.edu.

• Illinois Early Intervention Credential in Developmental Therapy: The Illinois EI credential in Developmental Therapy qualifies graduates to work with families of infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays through the IL Early Intervention System. This credential is available to all graduates of the Early Childhood/Special Education (ECSE) program, as all requirements are built into the degree pathway. Upon earning a BSEd in ECSE, graduates apply for this credential from Provider Connections, the organization which credentials, enrolls, and provides technical support to Early Intervention (EI) providers in Illinois. To see which School of Education courses and modules are pre-approved for EI semester hours in the required knowledge areas, visit this page.

• Illinois Gateways Infant-Toddler and Early Childhood Education (ECE) Credentials: These credentials are available to all graduates of the Early Childhood/Special Education (ECSE) program. Gateways to Opportunity Credentials are awarded and recognized by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Division of Early Childhood. Some Illinois early childhood programs require Gateways Credentials and use them in their hiring decisions. Gateways Credentials are for individuals who live and/or work in Illinois. Gateways Credentials are symbols of professional achievement that show your knowledge, skills, and experience in caring and educating for children. Credential types are based on each individual’s education, training, and experience. Loyola’s ECSE program is entitled for both the Infant Toddler and ECE Credentials. Graduates apply for these credentials directly from Gateways to Opportunity.