Certificate Program in
Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TESL/TEFL)

The TESL/TEFL Graduate Certificate provides training to those interested in teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language. The certificate is given to those who complete the practical preparation needed to teach English both within and outside the United States to post-secondary students and adults. The specific courses for the certificate include the specific knowledge and skills specified for ESL teachers and identified by TESOL, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. Students have the option of completing the program on-line.

Note: The Certificate in Teaching of English as a Second/Foreign Language is not a program to prepare K-12 ESL teachers. Pre-service and in-service teachers seeking an ESL certificate and an add-on endorsement in ESL for K-12 should see Teacher Add-On Licensure.

Admission Requirements:

1. Applicants should hold either an MA degree in any field or a BA degree in any field with a GPA of at least 2.5.
2. International students must have a TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), or 79 (internet-based).
3. Applicants must submit a one-page personal statement and two letters of recommendation to the English Department.
4. Since 12 hours in the certificate program may also count toward the MA degree, it is expected that many fully-admitted students will earn the certificate on their way to the MA degree. Certificate students wishing to earn the MA must make formal application for the master’s program following all guidelines specified by the English Department and the university.

Program Requirements

The certificate program requires completion of fifteen (15) semester credit hours
ENGL 7531 Theory and History of ESL (3 Hours)
ENGL 7532 Principles of Skills Assessment (3 Hours)
ENGL 7535 ESL Grammar (3 Hours)
ENGL 7530 Field Experience and Practicum in ESL (3 Hours)

Plus ONE of the following:
ENGL 7533 Method/Techniques of ESL in K-12 (3 Hours)
ENGL 7536 Issues in Second Language Writing (3 Hours)
ENGL 7537 Issues in Second Language Reading (3 Hours)
ENGL 7538 Cultural Issues in ESL (3 Hours)
ENGL 6533 Issues and Techniques in English as a Foreign Language (3 Hours)*

*ENGL 6533 is offered only in the summer as part of the TESL Program in Pilsen, Czech Republic. See here

Typical Program of Study