The MA TESOL program at the University of Alabama prepares graduates to pursue a range of academic and professional careers. In recent years, our graduates have continued to doctoral programs in Applied Linguistics, Education, Linguistics, and Rhetoric and Composition. They have 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.
Admissions
A candidate for admission to the MA TESOL degree program must satisfy the minimum conditions for regular admission to the Graduate School (including a GPA of 3.0 overall). Each applicant must also submit a sample of his or her academic writing.
Speakers of English as an additional language applying to the MA TESOL program, are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE scores unless they meet at least one of the following criteria: 1) at the time of initial enrollment, they will hold a degree from a U.S. institution or an institution in one of the English speaking countries or regions listed on the graduate school webpage; 2) at the time of initial enrollment, they will have been enrolled in coursework for at least two years at a U.S. institution or an institution in one of the English speaking countries or regions; 3) they are a citizen or legal resident of one of the English speaking countries or regions. For other applicants, 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.
Curricular 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 TESOL 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 | Descriptive Linguistics | 3 |
| Thesis Course | ||
| EN 599 | Thesis Research | 6 |
| Elective Courses | 6 | |
| Typical electives include topics such as Language Assessment, Language Policy, Classroom Discourse Analysis, and Technologies for Second/Foreign Language Teaching and Learning. All electives must be approved by the program coordinator. Directed studies are also an option. | ||
| Options include but are not limited to: | ||
| ANT 501 | Linguistic Anthropology | 3 |
| ANT 510 | Ethnography of Communication | 3 |
| BEF 534 | Multicultural Education | 3 |
| BEF 585 | Language Politics & Education | 3 |
| BEP 500 | Adv Educational Psych | 3 |
| BEP 505 | Motivation and Self-Regulation | 3 |
| BEP 541 | Learning and Cognition | 3 |
| BEP 550 | Life Span Development | 3 |
| BEP 641 | Learning and Cognition | 3 |
| BER 500 | Intro Educatn Research | 3 |
| BER 540 | Statistical Methods In Educ | 3 |
| BER 550 | Eval Classroom Learning | 3 |
| BER 555 | Measure & Eval: Social & Behav | 3 |
| BER 558 | Psychometric Theory | 3 |
| BER 631 | Inqry As Interp: Qual I | 3 |
| BER 634 | Narrative Inquiry | 3 |
| BER 640 | Adv Statistical Methods in Ed | 3 |
| CIE 567 | Improv Foreign Lang Instruct | 3 |
| CIE 575 | Teaching Emergent Multilingual | 3 |
| CIE 578 | Second Lang Test Assess Evaln | 3 |
| CIE 605 | Tch Prac Across World | 3 |
| CIE 606 | New Literacies | 3 |
| EN 500 | Special Topics | 3 |
| EN 512 | Computers And Writing | 3 |
| EN 523 | History English Language | 3 |
| EN 525 | Dialectology | 3 |
| EN 614 | Tech for L2 Teaching/Learning | 3 |
| RL 514 | Qual Methds/Applied Ling Res | 3 |
| RL 518 | Historical Linguistics | 3 |
| RL 524 | Bilingualism Research Methods | 3 |
| RL 586 | Pragmatics | 3 |
| RL 587 | Bilingualism | 3 |
| RL 523 | Quantitative Methods in Ling | 3 |
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 | Descriptive Linguistics | 3 |
| Elective Courses | 12 | |
| Typical electives include topics such as Language Assessment, Language Policy, Classroom Discourse Analysis, and Technologies for Second/Foreign Language Teaching and Learning. All electives must be approved by the program coordinator. Directed studies are also an option. | ||
| Options include but are not limited to: | ||
| ANT 501 | Linguistic Anthropology | 3 |
| ANT 510 | Ethnography of Communication | 3 |
| CIE 606 | New Literacies | 3 |
| BEF 534 | Multicultural Education | 3 |
| BEF 585 | Language Politics & Education | 3 |
| BEP 500 | Adv Educational Psych | 3 |
| BEP 505 | Motivation and Self-Regulation | 3 |
| BEP 541 | Learning and Cognition | 3 |
| BEP 550 | Life Span Development | 3 |
| BEP 641 | Learning and Cognition | 3 |
| BER 500 | Intro Educatn Research | 3 |
| BER 540 | Statistical Methods In Educ | 3 |
| BER 550 | Eval Classroom Learning | 3 |
| BER 555 | Measure & Eval: Social & Behav | 3 |
| BER 558 | Psychometric Theory | 3 |
| BER 631 | Inqry As Interp: Qual I | 3 |
| BER 634 | Narrative Inquiry | 3 |
| BER 640 | Adv Statistical Methods in Ed | 3 |
| CIE 567 | Improv Foreign Lang Instruct | 3 |
| CIE 578 | Second Lang Test Assess Evaln | 3 |
| CIE 605 | Tch Prac Across World | 3 |
| CIE 609 | Discourse & Pedagogy | 3 |
| CIE 575 | Teaching Emergent Multilingual | 3 |
| EN 500 | Special Topics | 3 |
| EN 512 | Computers And Writing | 3 |
| EN 523 | History English Language | 3 |
| EN 525 | Dialectology | 3 |
| RL 514 | Qual Methds/Applied Ling Res | 3 |
| RL 518 | Historical Linguistics | 3 |
| RL 523 | Quantitative Methods in Ling | 3 |
| RL 524 | Bilingualism Research Methods | 3 |
| RL 586 | Pragmatics | 3 |
| RL 587 | Bilingualism | 3 |
EN 533 and FWP orientation are conditions of employment for all graduate students who are teachers of record for EN 1xx courses.
Language Requirements
To earn the degree, native speakers of English must demonstrate proficiency in a second language. 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 speakers of English as an additional language 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.
Transfer Credit
Graduate School information on Transfer Credit.
Time Limits for Degree Completion
Graduate School information on Time Limits.
Academic Misconduct
Graduate School information on Academic Misconduct.
Withdrawals and Leave of Absence
Graduate School information on Withdrawal and Leave of Absence.
Academic Grievances
Graduate School information on Academic Grievances.
Grades and Academic Standing
Graduate School information on Grades and Academic Standing.
Graduate School Deadlines
Information on Graduate School Deadlines.
Application for Graduation
Information on the Application for Graduation.
Financial Support
Students admitted to the MA graduate program are guaranteed up to two years of full financial support, pending the fulfillment of Assistantship responsibilities. Unlike many other graduate programs, all of UA English’s admitted students qualify for Graduate Assistantships, which include a stipend paid over nine months, and full payment of up to 15 credit hours of graduate tuition.
For information regarding current Graduate School policy on Graduate Assistant health coverage, please consult the Graduate School directly. The Graduate School will provide single-coverage health insurance for each qualified assistantship, based on the FTE (Full-Time Equivalency, or number of assigned work hours) of the appointment.
Graduate Assistantships
First-year Graduate Assistants with fewer than 18 hours of prior graduate coursework in English will be assigned to work in the Writing Center, serve under the supervision of a faculty member as small section discussion leaders for 200-level literature lecture courses, or be assigned other duties as appropriate.
In the second year and beyond, Graduate Assistants usually teach a 1-2 or 2-1 course load of first-year writing. In this first year of teaching, GAs receive ongoing training and support from the department’s composition specialists. Later, GAs are eligible to request other appropriate teaching opportunities, such as literature surveys, advanced composition courses, and creative writing courses.
Continuation of Graduate Assistantships depends on the successful completion of assigned responsibilities, such as teaching or tutoring and following departmental guidelines as outlined by program directors.
Fellowships and Awards
New and returning graduate students are also eligible for awards other than Assistantships, including
- Graduate Council Fellowships
- Dean’s Graduate Recruiting and Opportunity Awards
- McNair Graduate Fellowships
- National Alumni Association Fellowships
- Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholarships
- Alumni Heritage Scholarships
There are no separate application processes for these awards; all eligible students receive consideration. More information is here. Other awards, fellowships, special positions, and grants include
- Excellence in Teaching Awards – Open to all MA, MFA, and PhD students who have taught at least 2 semesters
- Excellence in Research Awards – Open to all graduate students
- Outstanding Service Awards – Open to all graduate students
- Buford Boone Fellowships – Open to all MA and PhD students
- Harrison Fellowships – Open to all MA and PhD students
Research and Travel Funding
The department has use of the Henry E. Jacobs Fund and the Miriam Locke Scholarship to help with graduate student research and conference travel expenses. The Graduate School and the College of Arts & Sciences also offer significant assistance with research and travel costs. The Student Government Association and the department’s own English Graduate Organization (EGO) are additional sources of research and travel funding, along with the Capstone International Center, which allocates funding for international research and travel.