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TESOL / Bilingual Education, MA

TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) / Bilingual Education, MA

Objectives

This program is designed to provide students with an advanced level of expertise and thorough training on the theory and practice of teaching English to non-native speakers of English (MA TESOL) and/or bilingual learners (Bilingual Education). The program provides students with the pedagogical and intellectual preparations necessary to teach in K-12 English Language Learner (ELL) or dual language immersion classrooms as well as in colleges, universities, and language institutes both in the United States and internationally. Further, students with a pre- or co-requisite K-12 teaching certification earn secondary certification in TEL (Teacher of English Learners) or Bilingual Teacher. 

The goal of the MA TESOL / Bilingual Education program is to produce educators who are prepared to teach English language and/or bilingual learners both in the U.S. and internationally in K-12 education, colleges and universities, and language institutes. 

Admission Requirements

All Applicants are required to:

  • Applicants must meet all graduate school requirements. 
  • Applicants must either:
    • show evidence that they have earned a bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university, possess the ability to do graduate work of high quality, and meet language proficiency requirements for English (and target language for those pursuing bilingual education); or,
    • be a current undergraduate student with senior status and a minimum 3.0 overall GPA.  Undergraduate applicants may apply during their junior year, and must also submit a letter of recommendation from their advisor, in addition to the two required letters of recommendation.  Undergraduate admits to the program must complete their bachelor’s degree prior to beginning the final semester of study in the MA program.
  • Applicants must submit one official transcript from all previous undergraduate and graduate work, two letters of recommendation, and a 1,000-word statement of purpose indicating educational career goals and experience.
  • Applicants pursuing K-12 certification (only) must have completed, or be concurrently enrolled in, a primary teacher education program. 
  • International applicants without a college degree from a U.S. institution must also have a minimum TOEFL score of 90 (iBT), 576 (paper), or an IELTS of 6.5.

Degree Requirements

The MA TESOL / Bilingual Education degree requires the completing of 33 credit hours, consisting of 27 credit hours of core courses and six (6) credit hours of approved electives courses. The program follows a praxis model in which students are expected to apply the learned theory and methods in the classroom.  Accordingly, 80 hours of EFE (early field experience) are required as part of the core course curriculum, including a practicum course that places students directly in a K-12 or post-secondary classroom. 

Students pursuing the bilingual education track must evidence language proficiency in their target language. Proficiency is evidenced by 1) achieving a minimum level of Advance Mid (for tests using the Roman alphabet) or Advanced Low (for tests using a non-Roman alphabet) based on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines on the ACTFL OPI in the target language, and 2) achieving a passing score on the ACTFL WPT in the target language.

The final required six (6) core course credits can be obtained by one of two pathways: 1) Research and Thesis - The completion of a research-based thesis in which students write a publishable thesis based on independent research.  In addition to successfully defending the thesis, students are required to submit their work to a reputable peer-reviewed journal or scholarly publisher for publication consideration. 2) Applied Research - The completion of an applied research project in a classroom setting suited to student’s focus area of study that engages in current, ongoing issues in ELL / Bilingual Education pedagogy, identifies key problem areas or areas for improvement, and then recommends and implements evidence-based best practices to address the identified issue.  This process will place students directly in the professional atmosphere and setting they will be working in, allow them to develop applied competencies, and contribute to the specific learning environment in which they are working, as well as to the field in general.  All details of the project are reported in a comprehensive portfolio.

Tuition & Fees

The tuition for courses in the TESOL & Bilingual Education tracks are set at a program rate of $500 per credit hour.  There is no in-state/out-of-state distinction, and the rate is the same for all students enrolled in the program.

Additional fees, including registration, technology, and student activity fees are as listed under “Doctoral and Graduate Fees | Dover” on the main Tuition & Financial Aid page.

Required Courses

View the course curriculum

View the course descriptions