TESOL, M.A. Program
Program Description
Cal State East Bay’s M.A. TESOL program provides students with a strong generalist preparation to work with adult English learners while still allowing students to explore particular specialties, such as general linguistics or composition studies. The program is organized around a cohort model which helps to create a strong sense of connection between classmates. There are eight required classes (28 units) as well as a departmental thesis (2 units). Most students complete the program in two academic years.
Career Opportunities
- Teach ESOL at community colleges and adult schools
- Teach composition to bilingual students at four-year colleges and universities
- Teach in intensive English programs
- Teach workplace English in the private sector
- Teach English as a foreign language anywhere in the world
- Prepare for Ph.D. study in English studies, linguistics, or education
- Work in a variety of jobs for ESOL textbook publishers
- Develop ESOL materials
- Start a tutoring business
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), students must hold a baccalaureate degree in English, linguistics, speech communication, or other related areas with a 3.0 overall GPA, and have completed the following two prerequisite courses or their equivalents:
ENGL 351: Modern English Grammar
ENGL 497: Topics in the Study of the English Language
Student Standing and Progress Toward the Degree
Students are normally admitted to the M.A. TESOL as “Conditionally Classified Graduate” students. Once students have completed any outstanding prerequisite courses and have passed the Writing Skills Test, they may apply for “Classified Graduate” status. In order to advance to candidacy, students must have completed 18 units of graduate-level coursework with grades of “B” and higher.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with an M.A. TESOL from Cal State East Bay will be able to:
- communicate effectively in the profession both orally and in writing;
- apply information literacy principles in their work as TESOL professionals;
- draw on knowledge of language ability to shape their instructional choices;
- use pedagogical content knowledge appropriate for a particular group of language learners;
- integrate principles of diversity and inclusiveness in their classrooms;
- select life-long learning strategies to stay current in the profession.
TESOL Degree Requirements (30 units)
Prerequisites
The following prerequisite courses or their equivalents for 0-8 units are to be completed prior to taking the major coursework:
Core Courses
All 28 units of the following courses are required:
Capstone Requirement
The following capstone course for 2 units is required to complete the major requirements:
Other Graduate & Post-Baccalaureate Degree Requirements
In addition to departmental requirements, every student must also satisfy the University requirements for graduation as described throughout this catalog. These include the 70% unit residence requirement; the five-year rule on currency of subject matter; the minimum number of units in 600-level courses; the “C” minimum grade for each graduate course; the 3.00 cumulative grade point average; and the University Writing Skills Requirement, if applicable.
Note: For information on meeting the University Writing Skills Requirement, see Graduate Policies or call the Testing Office at (510) 885-3661.
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