Applied Linguistics and ESL is an exciting and ever-growing field with post-graduate opportunities around the world. If you have an eye for adventure and interests in language and culture, this could be the field for you!
The English as a Second Language masters program at UA prepares graduates to pursue a range of academic and professional careers. In recent years, our graduates have continued to doctoral programs in Linguistics, Rhetoric and Composition, and History and taught in schools, language institutes, and universities in the US and around the world. Through our comprehensive curriculum and varied tutoring and teaching experiences, we help students acquire the specialized knowledge, cultural understanding, and teaching skills necessary for a successful career.
Admission Requirements
A candidate for admission to the MA-ESL degree program must satisfy the minimum conditions for regular admission to the Graduate School (including a GPA of 3.0 overall and an acceptable score on the general test of the Graduate Record Examination). Each applicant must also submit a sample of his or her academic writing.
For non-native English speakers applying to the MA-ESL program, one of the following minimum language test scores is required. Note that this departmental requirement is more stringent than the Graduate School’s requirement.
- o TOEFL IBT = 100
- o IELTS = 7
- o Pearson Test of English (PTE) = 68
- o DuoLingo English Test (DET) = 120
While new applications to our graduate programs will continue to be read until admissions decisions have been made, the application deadline for best consideration for all funding opportunities is December 1.
See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.
Degree Requirements
The program offers two paths to the master’s degree:
- Plan I (Thesis): Students may write a thesis under the guidance of the MA-ESL faculty. Students writing a thesis will take 6 hours of thesis research (EN 599) during the second year of the program.
- Plan II (Non-Thesis): Students who choose the non-thesis option will be required to pass a comprehensive examination towards the end of their coursework. The examination is normally given once a year, in late February. The examination will cover all the major areas of study, including second language development, linguistics, and language teaching methodology.
Plan I - Thesis Course Requirements
| Code and Title | Hours |
| EN 524 | Modern English Grammar | 3 |
| EN 610 | Meth Teaching English Sec Lang | 3 |
| EN 612 | Topics In Applied Linguistics | 3 |
| EN 613 | Second Language Development | 3 |
| EN 617 | Teach Esl Acad Language Skills | 3 |
| EN 620 | English Linguistics | 3 |
| EN 599 | Thesis Research | 6 |
| |
| |
| New Literacies | |
| Statistical Methods In Educ | |
| Eval Classroom Learning | |
| Multicultural Education | |
| Intro Spanish Linguistcs | |
| Quantitative Methods in Ling | |
| Total Hours | 30 |
Plan II - Non-Thesis Course Requirements
| Code and Title | Hours |
| EN 524 | Modern English Grammar | 3 |
| EN 610 | Meth Teaching English Sec Lang | 3 |
| EN 612 | Topics In Applied Linguistics | 3 |
| EN 613 | Second Language Development | 3 |
| EN 617 | Teach Esl Acad Language Skills | 3 |
| EN 620 | English Linguistics | 3 |
| |
| |
| New Literacies | |
| Statistical Methods In Educ | |
| Eval Classroom Learning | |
| Multicultural Education | |
| Computers And Writing | |
| Intro Spanish Linguistcs | |
| Quantitative Methods in Ling | |
| Total Hours | 30 |
Language Requirements
To earn the degree, native speakers of English must demonstrate proficiency in a second language; students whose native language is not English must demonstrate satisfactory proficiency in spoken and written English. The language requirement may be satisfied by one of the following:
- the certification through the appropriate department of a "B" average or the equivalent of two years of undergraduate-level study in a single foreign language, completed within five years of admission to the master's program; or
- proof of advanced proficiency in the form of an undergraduate major in a foreign language OR the certification of at least a "B" in two advanced literature courses (300-level or higher) taught in the foreign language, completed within five years of admission to the master's program, or
- passing the foreign language reading examination prepared by the Department of Modern Languages and Classics.
Students who are not native speakers of English may use their native language to fulfill this requirement. Students may petition their program director and/or the Graduate Studies Director for exceptions to these guidelines
