Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (Non-Licensure), MAT

Offered through: College of Graduate Studies

The goal of the program is to offer professional training for teachers of English Learners. The program has two tracks: Licensure and Non-licensure. The program offers a variety of courses from the College of Education and Health Sciences and from the English department.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) non-licensure program is designed for college graduates, both from the United States and abroad, who may wish to work in teaching environments such as colleges, community groups and organizations, international English language schools, and English language intensive programs. The program also provides professional training for public school teachers with an initial license who seek further professional development.

Learnng Outcomes: Master’s Core, TESOL Standards, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Standards, Commonwealth of Massachusetts and SMK Standards, and WIDA Standards

Admission Requirements

A completed MAT application from the College of Graduate Studies
A four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
A 2.75 undergraduate GPA based upon four years of course work or a 3.0 undergraduate GPA based upon course work completed during the junior and senior years
For international applicants for whom English is a second language, an acceptable TOEFL score
Three letters of recommendation (at least two letters from academic references)
Official copies of transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate work

Program of Study

Required courses (24 credits)

Exit requirement/electives (9 credits)

Candidates will complete the exit requirement/electives by selecting a thesis (TESL 521) or non-thesis option (TESL 520) as outlined below.

Thesis option

Candidates who choose the thesis option will conduct an independent research study in TESOL by enrolling in TESL 521 - Graduate Thesis in TESOL under the supervision of a thesis advisor (a TESOL faculty member). Candidates may elect one of the following thesis options:

TESL 521 - Graduate Thesis in TESOL for three credits*, plus two three-credit elective courses, selected from the list below.
TESL 521 - Graduate Thesis in TESOL for six credits*, plus one three-credit elective course, selected from the list below.

*A six-credit thesis usually takes two semesters to complete. A thesis advisor has to agree to allow a student to register for a 3-credit thesis. Such permission will be granted if a thesis is based on substantive work done in prior courses.

It is the student’s responsibility to select a thesis advisor and two additional faculty members to serve on the thesis committee. The student will submit a thesis proposal that will have been approved by the thesis advisor to the College of Graduate Studies for final approval. The completed thesis must be approved by the thesis advisor and their thesis committee.

The thesis will be presented at the student’s defense of the thesis. TESOL faculty from the thesis committee will evaluate the oral presentation and the accompanied written work to assess if the student demonstrated proficiency in the skills outlined in the program’s learning outcomes.

Non-thesis option

Students who choose not to write a thesis must successfully complete TESL 520 - TESOL Professional Portfolio and participate in a portfolio defense. TESOL faculty will evaluate the oral presentation and the accompanied written work to assess if the student demonstrated proficiency in the skills outlined in the program’s learning outcomes.

In addition, candidates must complete two three-credit elective courses, selected from the list below.

Electives

Select from the following:

Academic Catalog