Valparaiso University offers an 18-credit graduate TESOL certificate. While the program is open to any degree seeking graduate student at Valparaiso University, this certificate would be most practical for students in programs with a language or international focus (e.g., International Commerce and Policy, English Studies and Communication, Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, etc.). In general, students in graduate degree programs may use up to 9 credits from their degree toward the TESOL certificate, but the actual number will depend on the specific degree program. For the Master of Arts in English Studies and Communication, for example, 9 credits of appropriate coursework may be applied toward the TESOL certificate.
The certificate is also open to non-degree graduate students, including international students and members of the Northwest Indiana community.
Enrolled VU TESOL students with at least 75 hours of ESL/EFL/ELL teaching, for which the teaching was not completed as part of the VU TESOL program, may submit a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) portfolio of TESOL artifacts, including documentation of work experience, lesson plans, assessments, and analysis. This portfolio will be assessed by TESOL program faculty with the PLA portfolio rubric. Students who complete a PLA portfolio that earns a passing score will be awarded the equivalent of credit for ENGL 569 Tesol: Methods and Practices, Another Language: Methods and Practices . Interested students should consult with their TESOL adviser and obtain a copy of the TESOL PLA portfolio prompt and rubric from their advisor to consider whether this opportunity is appropriate in their case.
Admission Requirements
Students currently or previously enrolled in a graduate degree program at Valparaiso University need only submit the application for the TESOL certificate, updated transcripts, and evidence of prior experience learning a foreign language. All others must, in addition to the above, meet standard graduate admission requirements.
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