Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages - Graduate Certificate

The graduate certificate in TESOL is an option for current Illinois State University graduate students in a variety of degree programs who intend to teach English to speakers of other languages. This sequence of courses will provide graduate students an exposure to the fundamental topics of language description, the grammatical description of English, second language acquisition, and cultural-pragmatic or sociolinguistic aspects of language contact and second language acquisition, all of which are necessary for effective ESL/EFL teaching. This program does not certify teachers to teach K-12 in the state of Illinois.

This certificate requires 15 credit hours for completion.

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to a graduate certificate program must:

• have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so within one academic year
• present unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term. If accepted, official transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 209 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Office of Admissions.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

A student applying to this program must:

• be enrolled in a graduate degree program at Illinois State University
• have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for either the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework or any previous work in a master's program
• submit names and email addresses of three references for letters of recommendation within the online application
• submit a 300 word maximum essay that addresses the following questions: For what purposes do you wish to take courses in the certificate program in TESOL? How does this program support your immediate and long-term personal and professional goals?

International students are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum TOEFL score required is 100 (internet-based testing), or 250 (computer-based testing), or 600-603 (paper-based testing).

Application Deadlines

Application reviews occur on a rolling basis

• Fall (August) Term — April 15
• Spring (January) Term — November 15

Graduate Coordinator