KU’s master’s in TESOL: Meet the needs of a growing student demographic

If you already hold initial teaching licensure in your state, this track will prepare you to transition to or start a career in TESOL. Prior to completion of the online master’s in TESOL teacher track,* you'll complete a practicum experience, a supervised teaching experience in a setting appropriate to your goals that lets you put into practice what you've learned about lesson planning, classroom management, and self-evaluation.

• 10 courses, 8 weeks per course, 30 credit hours
• Complete in as few as 2 years 
• Opportunity to apply practical approaches grounded in pedagogical theory through interactions with children and youth in your own community
• Learn from renowned faculty with extensively published research and diverse real-world experience
• Create a digital portfolio that highlights your engagement with scholarship and how you apply the ideas to your context
• Complete your coursework anytime, anywhere, through KU’s innovative online format
• No GRE required for admission
• Accredited under CAEP standards
• Required teaching practicum experience

View Admissions Requirements

In the teacher track of the online master’s in TESOL, you'll delve deep into the theories and foundations of second language acquisition, explore how to support children as well as adult learners in their English language acquisition and mastery, and confront the challenges that second language learners face linguistically and culturally. Your studies will prepare you for a hands-on practicum experience and a culminating master's project that reflects your successful achievement of the four program outcomes:

• Teaching all students
• Knowing and using research
• Pedagogical content knowledge
• Foundational Knowledge

For more detailed information on the topics covered in this program, view the course listings.

Graduates of the online master's in TESOL teacher track are often experienced teachers who transition to a career in teaching English as a second language at the PK-12 level or among an adult population. They may also serve as program directors for TESOL programs, consultants for companies that produce educational ESOL (English for speakers of other languages), or tutors at English language centers. Some may even go on to pursue teaching English abroad. Additionally, many of our classroom teachers want to continue teaching in the mainstream classroom while supporting the ELLs who are in their classroom.

The teacher track program includes both a master’s degree credential and preparation for the Praxis^® exam required by the State of Kansas to add a licensure endorsement for TESOL.

*This program is an online Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in TESOL.

The online master’s in TESOL teacher track program meets the educational requirements for licensure in the state of Kansas.

The non-teacher track of the online master’s in TESOL* program is meant for educational professionals who are not seeking teaching licensure, such as consultants, advocates, and those in administrative or government positions within the field of TESOL. It will not prepare you for a TESOL licensure endorsement. Nonetheless, you'll gain general knowledge about the learning styles of English as a second or other language students in English-speaking classrooms and best practices for improving their learning outcomes.

• 10 courses, 8 weeks per course, 30 credit hours
• Complete in as few as 2 years
• Learn from renowned faculty with extensively published research and diverse real-world experience
• Create a capstone project that reflects research completed during the program as well as documentation that demonstrates competency in the four program outcomes areas
• Complete your coursework anytime, anywhere, through our innovative online format
• No GRE required for admission

View Admissions Requirements

In the non-teacher track of the online master’s in TESOL, you'll delve deep into the theories and foundations of second-language acquisition, explore how to support children as well as adult learners, and confront the challenges that second-language learners face linguistically and culturally. Your studies will prepare you for a culminating master's project that reflects your successful achievement of the three program outcomes:

• Teaching and learning
  
  • Curriculum and Instruction
  • Delivery
  • Standards
  • Assessment
  • Technology
• Identities, communities, and inclusive learning contexts
• Professionalism and leadership

For more detailed information on the topics covered in this program, view the course listings.

Graduates of the online master's in TESOL non-teacher track pursue careers that support speakers of other languages outside of a PK–12 classroom environment. They may tutor adult students of any age through community-based programs and online services, consult for companies that produce educational ESOL materials, or advise government agencies.

^{*This program is an online Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in TESOL. It does not lead to initial nor advanced licensure in TESOL in the state of Kansas.}

The online licensure endorsement-only track in TESOL* is best for currently licensed teachers in states where additional licensure endorsement is required for roles that involve the teaching of English language learners. This program will give you graduate-level knowledge about English language learners and how to best serve their needs in the classroom.

• 6 courses, 8 weeks per course, 18 credit hours
• Complete in as few as 12 months
• Opportunity to apply practical approaches grounded in pedagogical theory through interactions with children and youth in your own community
• Learn from renowned faculty with extensively published research and diverse real-world experience
• Create a capstone project that reflects research completed during the program as well as documentation that demonstrates competency in the four program outcomes areas
• Complete your coursework anytime, anywhere, through our innovative online format
• No GRE required for admission
• Accredited under CAEP standards
• Required teaching practicum experience

View Admissions Requirements

In the online licensure endorsement-only track in TESOL, you'll delve deep into the theories and foundations of second-language acquisition, explore how to support children, as well as adult learners, and confront the challenges that second-language learners face linguistically and culturally.

Graduates of the online licensure endorsement-only track in TESOL are prepared to transition to a career teaching English as a second language at the PK–12 level. They may also fill other roles that serve to help non-native English-speaking students excel in the classroom, such as ESOL program administrators and directors.

*This online academic program satisfies the requirements for the TESOL teaching licensure endorsement in Kansas, but does not fulfill the requirements needed to complete a master's degree.

The teacher track of the program satisfies the requirements for the state-approved endorsement in the state of Kansas for teachers with existing licensure. Neither the teacher track nor non-teacher track lead to initial licensure. If you plan to obtain a license or certification in a state other than Kansas or a US territory after completion of your program, it is highly recommended you first seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency BEFORE beginning the academic program to ensure you can obtain a license of certification in your home state or territory. The website https://nc-sara.org/professional-licensure-directory provides resources for licensure and certification boards outside of Kansas.