TESOL and Maryland Certification Option

Students who wish to earn Maryland State Certification to teach ESOL (K-12) and complete the M.A. in English–TESOL are advised to enroll in this fifty-seven (57) credit (maximum) program. (The number of credit hours required for the TESOL and MD Certification Option may vary depending on students’ educational and professional backgrounds. However, students must take a minimum of 33 graduate credit hours in order to earn the M.A. in English.) Students pursuing an ESOL Teaching Certification must take the PRAXIS I examination and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program at SU. All courses included in the program must be completed with grades of C or better, and students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0.

The required Core Curriculum for the M.A. in English–TESOL and MD Certification Option (Plan D Plus) consists of the following thirty-six (36) hours/twelve (12) courses:

Six credits of a foreign language
ENGL 528 ESOL Tests and Measurements
ENGL 532 Literacy and ESOL Reading
ENGL 534 Literacy and ESOL Writing
ENGL 535 Language and Culture
ENGL 536 Principles of Linguistics
ENGL 537 Survey of Modern English Grammar
EDUC 547 ESOL Methods
EDUC 500 Historical, Philosophical, and Social Foundations
EDUC 545 Learning and Instruction in the Schools
EDUC 588 Seminar: Educating Individuals with Disabilities

In addition, students must take six hours/two of the following Language Learning courses:
ENGL 538 Bilingualism
ENGL 539 Second Language Acquisition
ENGL 591 Topics in Linguistics and Language Learning;

Nine credits in Student Teaching in ESOL, divided into elementary and secondary levels, and a seminar, all co-requisites:
EDUC 507 TESOL Internship I
EDUC 509 TESOL Internship II
EDUC 511 TESOL Internship Seminar.

Students who have two or more years of successful teaching experience may substitute the three credit EDUC 558 Practicum for Teaching Professionals, while those with two years of successful supervised ESOL teaching experience may waive the student teaching experience, subject to the approval of the TESOL Liaison in the Education Department.

Students pursuing the M.A. in English--TESOL & Maryland Certification who have taken any of the Core Requirements as undergraduates (e.g., ENGL 428 ESOL Tests and Measurements, ENGL 430 Principles of Linguistics, ENGL 431 Survey of Modern English Grammar, ENGL 433 Language and Culture, ENGL 439 Second Language Acquisition) will, in consultation with the Graduate Program Director, select alternative courses to meet the thirty-three (33) hour requirement.

Prior to graduation, students must take PRAXIS II ESOL and submit their scores to the Graduate Program Director. Students apply for the state certification individually.

Download TESOL and Maryland Certification Option Course Checklist (PDF | Word Format)