Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) MSEd

About the Program

The Master of Science in Education program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is designed for professionals from a variety of backgrounds and with varied career interests. These include:

Those interested in teaching positions that do not require state certification, including jobs overseas or in business settings, community agencies, college and university English language institutes, and parochial or other independent elementary and secondary schools.
Those who are already certified to teach in a public school system in Pennsylvania and want to learn how to better meet the needs of English language learners.
Those from abroad who desire to develop expertise in teaching English in their native country.

Most courses have a mandatory fieldwork component that affords students the opportunity to apply newly learned course concepts and skills to the classroom. Students typically serve as assistant teachers, but if they already have teaching positions, they may complete the fieldwork in their own classrooms. Students who need help finding a fieldwork site receive assistance from their course instructor or from the Office of Field Placement and Professional Experiences.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 5 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Students complete the degree program through classes offered after 4:30 p.m. The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.

Job Prospects: Graduates are prepared to meet the needs of English language learners both stateside and abroad.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Students may take up to, but not more than, 9 credits of graduate study in the program before being admitted to the program. The credits transfer into the program if the student is admitted. Students completing non-matriculated courses before being admitted to the program are NOT guaranteed admission.

Financing Opportunities: Financial support opportunities may include scholarships, tuition remission, and other financial aid such as grants, loans and federal work-study.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: March 1
Spring: November 1

Applicants should submit all required admissions documents by the application deadline to receive priority consideration for admission and financial support.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained to provide insight regarding the applicant's academic competence. References from college/university faculty are recommended.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A bachelor's degree is required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is expected.

International applicants should also submit an official document that validates completion and conferral of a degree, diploma and/or certificate. While not required, international applicants are encouraged to submit transcript(s) to the World Education Services (WES) for evaluation.

Statement of Goals: Write a 500 to 1,000-word statement of purpose that outlines your interest in seeking a master's degree with a specific focus on the career to which you aspire, your interests, and your academic and job-related experiences that are relevant to the program.

Standardized Test Scores:
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

TOEFL iBT: 95
IELTS Academic: 7.0
PTE Academic: 64

Resume: Current resume required.

Other Requirement: Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all accredited institutions attended and/or from which credit was earned must be submitted.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 31

Required Courses:

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses
TESL 5611	Applied Language Study I: Phonology and the Lexicon	3
TESL 5612	Applied Language Study II: Grammar, Morphology and Classroom Discourse	3
TESL 5613	Multilingual Students' Literacy Development	3
TESL 5614	Current Approaches to Teaching English Language Learners	3
TESL 5616	Designing Assessment and Curriculum for Multilingual Students	3
TESL 5618	Second Language Development	3
TESL 5687	Practicum for Teaching English Language Learners	3
TESOL Electives
Select two from the following: ¹		6
TESL 5615	Teaching English in a Global Context
TESL 5621	Contexts for Teaching and Learning Language
TESL 8625	Applied Linguistics
TESL 8626	Second Language Writing
TESL 8634	Bilingualism and Bilingual Education
TESL 8636	Assessment of English Language Learners
TESL 8643	Research Methods in Applied Linguistics
TESL 8644	Current Issues in Applied Linguistics
Non-TESOL Elective ²		3
Research Course
EDUC 9993	Master’s Comprehensive Examination	1
Total Credit Hours		31

With advisor approval, other appropriate courses may be taken. Students may also choose to take a third TESOL elective, thus requiring no non-TESOL elective.

To fulfill this requirement, a course may be taken either within the College of Education and Human Development or in another Temple University school or college. Non-TESOL electives are recommended to be taken in, but are not limited to, such fields as Anthropology, Educational Media, Educational Sociology, English, Foreign Language Education, Linguistics, Literacy, Secondary Education, and Urban Education.

Culminating Events:
Comprehensive Examination:
In order to take the comprehensive exam, the student must remain in good academic standing. Thus, the student cannot accumulate more than two grades below "B-" or one "F" and must maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average.