Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Graduate Certificate Program

Specialists in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) teach English (speaking, listening, reading, writing) to people who do not speak English as their first language. TESOL specialists may teach adults in universities, community colleges or various literacy programs. Some may teach overseas in schools, businesses or other settings, such as the Peace Corps.

Graduate students in English may emphasize TESOL course work in their master’s program without necessarily seeking certification; some may seek Missouri K–12 TESOL certification as described below.

Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Suneeta Thomas, Certificate Advisor
Siceluff Hall, Room 203; Phone 417-836-4173
SuneetaThomas@missouristate.edu

Program description

The Graduate Certificate in TESOL provides a 15-hour graduate-level experience for people who already hold a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in some area and who are interested in teaching English to adults, either abroad or in the U.S. The program includes courses in applied linguistics as well as in pedagogical concerns. (The certificate is not Missouri Department of Elementary And Secondary Education (DESE) K-12 endorcement for teaching in state-funded schools but will provide a foundation for those credentials. For information on the DESE requirements, see below).

Admission criteria

To be considered for the program, a student must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, with at least a 3.00 undergraduate grade point average and no grade lower than a “B” in any graduate courses (if any have been taken). The student must submit a Graduate Application. Admission to the certificate program does not constitute admission to any other Missouri State University graduate program. Students who are already graduate students at MSU may apply to the certificate program as well (except for students in the M.A. in English with an emphasis in TESOL program).

Required courses (15 hours total)

Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
ENG 691* Linguistic Theory 3 hrs
ENG 688 Sociolinguistics for Language Teaching 3 hrs
ENG 695 Principles of Second Language Acquisition 3 hrs

* If a student has already taken an introduction to linguistics at the undergraduate level, he/she may, with the approval of the certificate advisor, substitute a different course for ENG 691 from the list of elective courses below, or another graduate course in linguistics with the consent of the certificate advisor.

Two courses from:

Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
ENG 605 Methods in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) 3 hrs
ENG 690 Grammatical Analysis 3 hrs
ENG 696 Materials and Assessment in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) 3 hrs

Transferred course work

Students may transfer one course taken from a different regionally-accredited institution into the certificate program, with the approval of the certificate advisor and following MSU’s policy on transfer credit. (See the Graduate College section on Transfer Credit for these policies).

Double counting courses

Students may not count the same course more than once within the certificate program itself. Students may count toward the graduate certificate in TESOL any of the courses listed above that have been taken as part of the M.A. in English or the M.A. in Writing. Double counting in other programs may be allowed with the consent of the certificate advisor and the student’s major advisor.

Completion requirements

Courses must be completed with a 3.00 GPA for successful completion of certificate.

DESE English Language Learners (ELL) Endorsement

A student can receive the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) English Language Learners (K-12) endorsement (sometimes known as TESOL certification):

  1. Completing a bachelor's degree;
  2. Holding a Missouri teaching certificate in any other area (e.g. elementary education, secondary English);
  3. Completing the following professional education requirements (may be taken as part of bachelor's degree): SPE 310 or SPE 715; LTC 474 or LTC 710; LTC 574 or LTC 640;
  4. Completing the course requirements outlined below. It is recommended, though not required, that the student have course work in a foreign language or have a foreign cultural experience.

DESE ELL Endorsement requirements (21 hours)

Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
ENG 690 Grammatical Analysis 3 hrs
ENG 691 Linguistic Theory 3 hrs
ENG 688 Sociolinguistics for Language Teaching 3 hrs
ENG 695 Principles of Second Language Acquisition 3 hrs
ENG 696
OR
ENG 796

Materials and Assessment in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
OR
Seminar:  Assessment in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

3 hrs
ENG 605 Methods in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) 3 hrs
ENG 697
OR
ENG 797

Practicum in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
OR
Advanced Practicum in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

3 hrs

NOTE: All students must have a 2.75 GPA or higher (Missouri State and transfer grades combined) in the certification subject area. Students must earn a "C" or higher in all courses counting toward state certification.