Information for Current Students

Welcome to your go-to source for questions about “how to get it done” in the ESL/Bilingual endorsement or approval program at Dominican University.

If you are a newly accepted and/or newly registered student, please be sure to also check out the Accepted Students page. If you can't find the information you're looking for here, please contact the Office of Graduate Admission or your academic advisor, Melizabeth Santos and we'll help point you in the right direction. In general, the most current sources of information and forms are online. Here is an inventory of resources and information that you may find helpful.

Examples of the kinds of things found on the MyDU intranet:

Your academic advisor is the best place to start with questions about course selection. Many administrative functions are controlled by the university rather than within the School of Education (SOE), although the SOE office can help navigate the central offices if there is a question.

Frequently Asked Questions (How Do I ... )

Apply for Financial Aid?

Financial aid is available in the form of loans, as opposed to scholarships, which are gifts and do not need to be paid back. All financial aid questions should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at (708) 524-6809.

Pay my bill?

E-bills are published once a month; students should log in to MyDU to view the most recent and/or make payments. When e-bills are published, a notification goes to students’ @my.dom.edu email address. Tuition is generally due at the start of each semester; payment plans are available. Contact Latricia Heard, Director of Student Accounts, at (708) 524-6487 for more information.

To view your published e-bill, login to MyDU, go the "students" tab, select "My Student Accounts" and then click on the "Go to the Online Payment Center" link. A bill will not be mailed to you. You will receive an email notification sent to your Dominican email address that your e-bill is ready to be viewed.

Add a course?

The current add/drop period is noted on the academic calendar.  Adding a course may be done online.

Drop a course?

You can drop courses by logging into MyDU and clicking “Add/Drop Courses.”

Withdraw from a course?

After the add/drop period ends, a student may withdraw (Grade W) from a course any time up to designated withdraw date noted on the academic calendar. A request to withdraw from a course or courses must be submitted to Stars Connect. After the withdraw date, a student wishing to withdraw must request permission for an administrative withdrawal from the School of Education director in writing or via email. Administrative withdrawals are only granted in cases of extreme hardship or illness.

Register online?

Current students should be able to register electronically by logging on to MyDU; new students registering for the first time need to submit an online registration form to Melizabeth Santos or fax to (708) 524-6665. The registration schedule is available on MyDU—Resources—Registrar’s Office—Registration—Advance Registration Dates.

View the deadline dates for registration here.

Can I register for two courses in one 7.5-week session?

Given the accelerated and rigorous nature of our courses, we strongly recommend that candidates only register for one course per 7.5-week session.

Get a refund from a class I’ve dropped or withdrawn from?

Unless a course is dropped during the first week there will be some tuition charge. The refund schedule is available on MyDU—Student Accounts—Refund Schedule.

See the current course schedule? Upcoming semesters’ schedules?

(Please note that course schedules are subject to change based on enrollment.)

Visit MyDU—Course Search, then select the appropriate semester, then select "School of Educ - EDU” in the Department pull-down. Upcoming semesters’ schedules are only posted a few weeks before registration opens.

Clear a registration hold, including a conditional admission hold?

If the hold is a financial one, the student needs to clear it with Student Accounts, not the School of Education.

Take a semester (or more) off?

You may choose not to register for up to three consecutive semesters without being considered “stopped out”; that is, you do not need to inform SOE and will be able to register again when ready. After three consecutive semesters of not registering (or registering and then dropping a course, in which case there is no record of the registration), students are considered to have “stopped out” and will need the SOE dean’s permission to register. There is no form to use; the dean will simply email the registrar and authorize the lifting of the registration hold. Students have a maximum of six years to complete the ESL/Bilingual endorsement.

Apply/transfer previous coursework toward my ESL or Bilingual endorsement?

The School of Education will accept one previously completed course from an accredited university/college and still entitle a candidate who completes the remainder of their coursework through Dominican University for the English as a Second Language or Bilingual endorsement. 

Candidates hoping to apply a previous course toward their endorsement must provide the program coordinator with an electronic copy of the transcript and the applicable course description for the course completed.

What if I have completed more than one course from a previous institution?

Candidates who have completed more than one course at a former university/college can still apply to Dominican University’s English as a Second Language or Bilingual endorsement and take courses at the discounted cost per credit hour ($200) if they are completing three or more courses. Upon completion of their coursework at Dominican, these candidates must apply directly to the Illinois State Board of Education for their endorsement through their Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) account.

What if I only need to complete one or two courses to complete my ESL or Bilingual endorsement or approval?

If you only need to complete one or two courses to complete the endorsement or approval, you will be required to apply to the School of Education as a student at-large. Candidates taking courses as a student at-large will be charged a different cost per credit hour ($550).

Do I need access to English Language Learners to complete the ESL or Bilingual endorsement or approval?

Yes. The Illinois State Board of Education requires that candidates complete 100 clock hours of experience working with English Language Learners. These clock hours are embedded in the following courses at Dominican:

  • EDU 651 Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language
  • EDU 653 Methods and Materials for Teaching in Bilingual Education Programs
  • EDU 654 Assessment of English Language Learners
  • EDU 661 Literacy Development for English Language Learners

While the approval does not require field experience hours at the state level, because the hours are embedded in the courses through assignments, candidates seeking the ESL or Bilingual approval will need access to English Language Learners to complete the applicable courses listed above.

Can the ESL or Bilingual endorsement or approval be added to an Educator License with Stipulations (ELS)?

No. An ESL or Bilingual endorsement or approval can only be added to a Professional Educator License (PEL). Candidates with an Educator License with Stipulations can begin their ESL or Bilingual endorsement coursework, but the endorsement or approval will not be recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education until the candidate has a valid Professional Educator License.

What is the difference between an approval and an endorsement?

The difference between the approval (9 semester hours – 3 courses) and the endorsement (18 semester hours – 6 courses) is that the approval is only available to candidates who currently hold a valid Learning Behavior Specialist (LBS) I endorsement on their Professional Educator License. The approval allows these individuals the credential needed to work with English Language Learners who hold an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The full endorsement is applicable to the full age range that a candidate is endorsed to teach. 

Candidates who hold a Learning Behavior Specialist I endorsement can begin the ESL or Bilingual approval program and later continue to complete the additional three courses to receive the full endorsement.

What do I do when I have finished my coursework?

Endorsements can only be added to a valid Illinois Professional Educator License. Upon completion of coursework, apply for this endorsement through the Licensure Office at Dominican University (brburns@dom.edu). Once entitled, you must apply for the endorsement through your ELIS account.