Graduate Programs in Teaching English as a Second Language

Available Graduate Programs

Also available

Why TESL?

Welcome to the Teaching English as a Second Language program at UNC Charlotte. Working with immigrants and English language learners can be a rewarding experience. The TESL program at UNC Charlotte offers several different options to prepare teacher candidates at all stages for working in various English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching environments.

We cater to:

  • experienced teachers seeking additional ESL licensure and/or advanced degrees
  • candidates who do not have an educational degree but would like to seek initial ESL licensure in NC
  • candidates already enrolled in an undergraduate education program and would like to minor in TESL

What can I do with my degree?

Where can I work?

With a masters in TESL the following work settings are available:

  • K-12 schools
  • Higher Education
  • English Language Institutes
  • non-profit organizations serving immigrants

Organizations where our alumni have gone:

  • Local & national K-12 schools
  • Central Piedmont Community College
  • English Language Training Institute at UNC Charlotte
  • ELS at Queens University
  • Colleges and programs abroad (Korea, China, Indonesia, Egypt)
  • Universities around the country (UC San Diego, Greensboro College)

Professional Organizations:

  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) International Association
  • Carolina Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (Carolina TESOL)
  • American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL)
  • American Educational Research Association (AERA)

TESL Graduate Program Director

Joan Lachance, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Education
Dept. of Middle, Secondary, and K-12 Education
Email: Joan.Lachance@uncc.edu
704-687-8875

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Program Option

Undergraduate TESL Minor

Graduate Certificate (CERT) in Teaching

Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)

Master of Education (M. ED. ) in C&I, TESL

Targeted Candidate

Undergraduate Education majors who are already pursuing initial licensure in another discipline and seeking an add-on license in TESL.

Candidates seeking an initial “A” NC license in TESL

 

Candidates with undergraduate degrees in related fields such as English, Linguistics, Anthropology, Sociology, International Studies,

Candidates seeking an “M” license who already hold a TESL license and have completed the Graduate certificate program at UNC Charlotte.

Experienced K-12 teachers seeking advanced degree (“M” license)

 

Candidates who are interested in teaching TESOL at the adult or in international contexts are invited to explore this program.

Pre-Requisites

•GPA of at least 2.5 or higher

• Grade of C or better in MDSK 2100 or (EDUC 2100 and SPED 2100)

• Recommendation of advisor in major department.

• Passing scores on the PRAXIS Core exam or approved substituted scores from the

SAT or ACT.

• Brief statement of purpose

•A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution

•An undergraduate GPA of 2.5 overall or a combination of:

 

And

 

•A GPA of 3.0 or higher in the senior year, the major, or 15 hours taken in the last five years

 

•Satisfactory recommendations from three person’s knowledgeable of his/her interactions with children or adolescents.

 

  • Statement of purpose

•A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution

•An undergraduate GPA of 2.75 overall and 3.0 in the junior/senior years

•A GRE or Miller Analogies Test scores

•A satisfactory essay of purpose

• Satisfactory recommendations from three professional educators

•Completion of Phase I (Graduate Certificate in Teaching ESL) before officially applying to the MAT

 

•A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution

•An overall 2.75 GPA in undergraduate work

•A satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT)

•A statement of purpose

• 3 Strong letters of recommendation

 

 

Program Requirements

18 credit hours of study

 

18 credit hours

Completion of Graduate Certificate and 12 additional hours = 30 total credit hours

30 credit hours

Program Outcome

Bachelor’s degree and license in initial discipline and TESL

Initial A licensure in TESL

“M” licensure in TESL and a Master’s degree

“M” licensure in TESL and a Master’s degree