The Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) provides students a strong foundation in language acquisition, use, and pedagogy. We offer our students a strong foundation in theory with numerous opportunities for gaining practical teaching experience and developing individual research agendas.
Our program supports international teaching opportunities in numerous countries, including work with the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
Our faculty work hard to support our students as they develop their scholarship and teaching skills in preparation for a successful career in TESOL. Our successful graduates have received Fulbright English Teaching Assistant scholarships, English Language Fellowships, and obtained positions teaching overseas and here in the United States.
We also offer a graduate TEFL Certificate, an undergraduate TEFL Certificate, and an undergraduate Minor in Applied Linguistics.
Our professors have diverse research interests and thrive on working with students to develop their professionalism in the field. Current research trends in the department include Applied Linguistics, AI technology in teaching, gaming in TESOL, assessment, community engagement, Russian ESOL, and sociolinguistics.
This graduate program is proud to partner with the Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program to provide returning volunteers an opportunity to expand their education.
TESOL and the Applied Linguistics Concentration
Students may choose to pursue the MATESOL degree or the MATESOL degree with a concentration in Applied Linguistics. Both options consist of 36 credit hours of coursework. The Applied Linguistics concentration offers more interdisciplinary elective courses. Students in both areas can choose either Thesis or Non-Thesis for their program.
Thesis and Non-Thesis Options
The Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages MA program requires 36 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree. The thesis option consists of 36 credit hours that includes 24 credit hours of core courses, 3 credit hours of electives, and 9 credit hours of TSL 6971 - Thesis.
The nonthesis option requires 36 semester hours and includes 24 semester hours of core courses and 12 semester hours of electives. All students, both thesis and nonthesis, take a written final comprehensive examination covering the core TSL courses.
Total Credit Hours Required: 36 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree
Program Prerequisites
Degree Requirements
Required Courses
24 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- TSL6142 - Critical Approaches to ESOL (3)
- TSL6250 - Applied Linguistics in ESOL (3)
- TSL6350 - Grammar for ESOL Teachers (3)
- TSL6440 - Assessment Issues in TESOL (3)
- TSL6642 - Issues in Second Language Acquisition (3)
- TSL6640 - Research in Second Language (3)
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- TSL5525 - ESOL Cultural Diversity (3)
- TSL6252 - Sociolinguistics for ESOL (3)
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- TSL5345 - Methods of ESOL Teaching (3)
- TSL6940 - ESOL Practicum (3)
Thesis/Nonthesis Option
12 Total Credits
- Complete 1 of the following
Thesis Option - 12 Hours- Complete all of the following
- Earn at least 9 credits from the following:
- TSL6971 - Thesis (1 - 99)
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- TSL5325 - ESOL Strategies (3)
- TSL5380 - Computers and Technology for ESOL (3)
- TSL5376 - Reading and Writing in a Second Language (3)
- TSL5940 - Issues in TEFL (3)
- TSL6252 - Sociolinguistics for ESOL (3)
- TSL5601 - Second Language Vocabulary Learning (3)
- TSL6374 - TESOL Listening, Speaking and Pronunciation (3)
- LIN5137 - Linguistics (3)
- EDF6886 - Multicultural Education (3)
- TSL6940 - ESOL Practicum (3)
- EDH6305 - Teaching and Learning in Colleges and Universities (3)
- SPA6474 - Assessment and Management of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations (3)
- TSL5085 - Teaching Language Minority Students in K-12 Classrooms (3)
- ENC5276 - Theory and Practice of Tutoring Writing (3)
- ENC5705 - Approaches to Teaching College Composition (3)
- EDF6401 - Statistics for Educational Data (3)
- TSL6442 - Fundamentals of Standardized Assessment in TESOL (3)
- TSL5345 - Methods of ESOL Teaching (3)
- TSL6940 - ESOL Practicum (3)
- TSL 5907 or TSL6918- Directed Independent Study 3 credit hours may also be taken
Nonthesis Option - 12 Hours- Complete all of the following
- Complete at least 4 of the following:
- TSL5325 - ESOL Strategies (3)
- TSL5380 - Computers and Technology for ESOL (3)
- TSL5376 - Reading and Writing in a Second Language (3)
- TSL5940 - Issues in TEFL (3)
- TSL6252 - Sociolinguistics for ESOL (3)
- TSL5601 - Second Language Vocabulary Learning (3)
- TSL6374 - TESOL Listening, Speaking and Pronunciation (3)
- LIN5137 - Linguistics (3)
- EDF6886 - Multicultural Education (3)
- TSL6940 - ESOL Practicum (3)
- EDH6305 - Teaching and Learning in Colleges and Universities (3)
- SPA6474 - Assessment and Management of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations (3)
- TSL5085 - Teaching Language Minority Students in K-12 Classrooms (3)
- ENC5276 - Theory and Practice of Tutoring Writing (3)
- ENC5705 - Approaches to Teaching College Composition (3)
- EDF6401 - Statistics for Educational Data (3)
- TSL6442 - Fundamentals of Standardized Assessment in TESOL (3)
- TSL5345 - Methods of ESOL Teaching (3)
- TSL6940 - ESOL Practicum (3)
- TSL 5907 or TSL6918 - Directed Independent Study 3 credit hours may also be taken
Grand Total Credits: 36
Application Requirements
Application Deadlines
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
Most students complete the nonthesis option so that they can focus more on coursework related to specific aspects of TESOL, pedagogy, or education. The thesis option is appropriate for those students wishing to research current issues in the discipline or pursue a doctoral program in TESOL or related language field. By the end of the second semester, students wishing to pursue the thesis option should speak with the program director to seek approval and a recommendation for a thesis committee chairperson.
Our courses are focused on theory into practice and, therefore, often have a service-learning, practical, or applied project as an integral part of the curriculum. The TSL 6640 - Research in Second Language is required and should be taken in the first semester of study. A final cumulative course, TSL 6642 - Issues in Second Language Acquisition, is also required. TSL 5325 - ESOL Strategies will help students prepare for their comprehensive exam.
All students take a comprehensive written examination covering the core TSL courses. This examination is normally taken in the last semester of graduate work and will be reviewed by members of the TESOL Graduate Committee. A student may take the comprehensive examination only twice, and a second examination will not be given in the same semester in which the first attempt occurred.
