Dual Language Program of the Honors College
Institution:
Miami Dade College
State:
Florida
Academic Level:
Associate
Issue Area:
Academic Program
Program Focus:
Bilingual/ESL, Honors
Key Personnel:
Magda Castineyra
Contact Info:
mcastin1@mdc.edu | 305.237.6713
Overview
The Dual Language program aspires to offer an intensive, challenging curriculum in English and Spanish to a special population of academically gifted, bilingual students.
Program Description
The Dual Language program of the Honors College at Miami Dade College (MDC) is the first and only associate degree program of its kind in the United States. Courses and academic activities immerse students in both English and Spanish. Students completing the program are prepared to transfer to upper-level institutions or enter the workforce fully bi-literate and bicultural. Established in 2006 with 46 students, the Dual Language Program has expanded enrollment to 77 students.
Outcome
Of the 489 students enrolled in MDC’s Honors College in fall 2007, 17% (n = 87) were in the Dual Language Program. While 75% of the students in the Honors College are Latino, 99% of those served in the Dual Language Program are Latino. The Honors College inaugurated its innovative Dual Language Program in 2006 and graduated the first cohort this spring, with a 74% graduation rate. The graduates earned a minimum of 60 credits, with more than 36 credits in honors-designated courses, and maintained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5. In the first two years of its existence, the Dual Language Program registered a retention rate of 69%.
