TESOL, M.A.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Minimum Totals for Graduation: 30 hours
Admission Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards
Admission Requirement Snapshot
GPA: 3.0 (and 3.0 in major)
Entrance Exam: N/A
Internat'l Application Deadline: July 1 (Fall), Oct. 1 (Spring)
See Admission Requirement Details Below
To be admitted into the M.A. TESOL program, a student normally should have an undergraduate major or minor in English, linguistics, language arts, reading or a foreign language. Applicants with majors in areas not related to language will be considered on an individual basis.
Regular Admission
For regular admission to the M.A. TESOL program, a student must have:
- An undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale and a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
- TOEFL scores of IBT 79 (20 writing), PBT 550 or above, or an IELTS score of 6.5 (6.5 writing) or above.
- Two years of college foreign language study (or its equivalent) and a B or better in a 3 credit introductory linguistics course.
Admission with Stipulations
Admission with stipulations may be granted to applicants who meet the minimum GPA requirement, but do not meet the additional language and linguistic coursework requirements. Those applicants may be required to take additional coursework to meet these requirements before being granted regular admission status.
Applicants with TOEFL scores from 61-78 IBT, 500 to 549 PBT, or IELTS scores of 5.5 or 6, may be granted admission with stipulations. Upon arrival at the university, they will be required to take an English proficiency test administered by CMU's English Language Institute (ELI). The results of the test will be used to determine the number of courses they will be required to take through the ELI. Students admitted with stipulations will be allowed to take a restricted number of courses in their academic disciplines concurrently with the ELI courses and must complete all required ELI courses by the end of their first year at CMU. ELI courses must be passed with a B or better to demonstrate proficiency for this program. Once satisfactory proficiency in English has been demonstrated, as determined by ELI policies, these restrictions will be removed. Please note that students are required to pay tuition for ELI courses just as they would for any other CMU course.
Program Requirements
Required Courses (24 hours)
| ENG 571 | Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages | 3(3-0) |
| ENG 574 | TESOL Materials, Assessment, Curriculum | 3(3-0) |
| ENG 577 | Introduction to Second Language Acquisition | 3(3-0) |
| ENG 672 | Applied Linguistics for Written Communication | 3(3-0) |
| ENG 673 | English Phonology for Language Teachers | 3(3-0) |
| ENG 674 | English Grammar for Language Teachers | 3(3-0) |
| ENG 675 | Seminar in English Linguistics | 3-9(3-0) |
| ENG 690 | Practicum in TESOL | 1-3(Spec) |
Note: 3 hours of ENG 675 is required. The remaining 3-6 credits for ENG 675 may be taken as elective course credits.
Electives (6 hours)
| ENG 510WI | Writing Center Practicum | 1-3(Spec) |
| ENG 517 | Reading and the English Classroom | 3(3-0) |
| ENG 573 | Linguistics and Reading | 3(3-0) |
| ENG 578 | Applied Sociolinguistics | 3(3-0) |
| ENG 615 | Seminar in Current Issues in the Teaching of Writing | 3-6(Spec) |
| ENG 618 | Empirical Research Methods in English Studies | 3(3-0) |
| ENG 675 | Seminar in English Linguistics | 3-9(3-0) |
Total: 30 semester hours
Note: Students must pass a comprehensive examination. A Plan B paper is required.
Accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Admission Standards
(Currently enrolled CMU Undergraduate Students only.)
Students must be signed English majors intending to pursue the Applied Linguistics Specialization.
- Maintain an overall cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 and a grade of 3.25 or higher in ENG 375 and one of the following: ENG 303WI or ENG 402WI.
- Submit a writing sample and cover letter (for more details, contact the Department of English Language & Literature at 989-774-3171).
- Obtain written approval from the Chair of the Department of English Language & Literature.
- Obtain graduate school approval of courses selected to double count on both the BA/BS and MA.
Retention Standards
Maintain of a 3.25 GPA in English courses. Students who fail to maintain a 3.25 GPA in English courses in two successive semesters will be removed from the accelerated program.
Students considering an accelerated MA program should be aware that their financial aid may be affected for courses double counting on the BA/BS and MA Contact the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid for information at 989-774-3674 or cmuosfa@cmich.edu.
Note: Students must pass a comprehensive examination. A Plan B paper is required