Graduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

The online Graduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) helps to prepare educators to clear the language barrier for their students.  This certificate program helps instructors of students from many culturally diverse backgrounds to succeed in early childhood, K-12 or adult education classrooms.

Note:  This program does not provide instruction in speaking English.  It prepares educators to teach English to speakers of other languages and is not an English language program for second or other language learners.

*This academic program does not lead to licensure.

Admissions Requirements

In addition to a completed online application, applicants also need to provide:

• Official transcript(s) for all undergraduate and postbaccalaureate course work, showing a GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)
• Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Statement of goals/purpose
• Application fee of $30

Please note: Letters of recommendation are not required for the TESOL graduate certificate.

For students whose native language is not English, official scores on the TOEFL (IBT) of at least 23 in Listening, Reading and Writing must be submitted for consideration of admission to the Curriculum and Teaching Department. The IELTS (Academic) official score is also accepted, with an overall score of at least 6.5, and scores of at least 6.0 in Listening, Reading and Writing. The PTE (Academic) official score is also accepted, with an overall score of at least 58, and scores of at least 53 in Listening, Reading and Writing. The TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores must be less than two years old at the time of admission. TOEFL/IELTS/PTE scores may not be required if the applicant meets the verification of English proficiency requirements as specified below:

Graduation with a baccalaureate degree (or higher) earned in residence from an accredited English-medium U.S. college or university, or a college or university in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, English-speaking province of Canada, or an English-speaking Caribbean country, with instruction conducted in English. Degrees earned online may not be used to verify English proficiency.

Please note: Meeting minimum admission standards does not guarantee admission to the program.

Disclosure information about the U.S. Department of Education Gainful Employment Program can be seen here.

Courses required for Graduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (15 credit hours)

Kansas educators interested in an endorsement in TESOL take an additional course for a total of 18 credit hours: