The MA in TESOL at Valparaiso University provides the knowledge and experience necessary to succeed in any English language teaching context in the US and internationally, including universities, businesses, and public and private K-12 schools.
The 36 or 37-credit MA in TESOL prepares individuals from a variety of backgrounds for teaching English to non-native speakers. The program emphasizes competency in the theory and teaching practices involved in second language acquisition and provides supporting coursework in linguistics, methodology, grammar, culture, curriculum, and assessment. All students are expected to acquire hands-on experience during the course of the program through a practicum. 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.
The student may select up to 12 credits of elective coursework based on individual need and interest. Students may include one elective related to the world region of their interest or anticipated employment.
The program has been approved by the Indiana Department of Education for approval for professional EL (English Learners) certification. To receive an Indiana P-12 TESOL license, prospective students must first either have or obtain a primary license in another licensable area.
Students seeking Indiana state English Learner (EL) licensure must complete designated versions of TESOL courses for P-12 educators in each of the categories listed below. Enrollment in the P-12 focused versions of the TESOL courses is restricted to Education students and students with a P-12 teaching license.
Admission
International applicants who are non-native English speakers must have an undergraduate English major or its equivalent, or a TOEFL score of at least 83, an IELTS of 6.5, with no individual score below 6.0, a Duolingo score of 120 with a Duolingo interview and writing sample reviewed and approved by the TESOL program, or a Gateway English course with a grade of A- or higher.
Students may be eligible for admission to this program as an Early Entry student. See here for more information.
TESOL Thesis Option
The TESOL program provides a thesis option for qualifying students, particularly those interested in pursuing doctoral level study. Specifically, students approved for this option must take three credits beyond the TESOL degree (39-40 credits total). Thesis completion requires adherence to the guidelines outlined in the Thesis Manual, available on the Graduate Office academic forms website.
Thesis work comprises six credits. Three credits of coursework ‒ applied toward the elective category ‒ are first completed as ENGL 692 Research Project or ENGL 695 Independent Study and are intended for the development of a thesis proposal. With satisfactory completion of ENGL 692 /ENGL 695 and approval of thesis candidacy, the student may enroll in ENGL 795 Master’s Thesis: .
Admission to Thesis Candidacy
Students meeting the following criteria may be accepted as candidates for the TESOL thesis option. Prospects must demonstrate that they have met the qualifications for thesis work through an application for Thesis Candidacy. This form requires the signatures of two or more Valparaiso University faculty, one from the student’s area of concentration, who have agreed to serve on the thesis committee. In addition, the prospect must provide evidence of having completed the prerequisite coursework, submit GRE scores of 302 or above (quantitative plus verbal), have achieved a grade point average of 3.70 or higher in all graduate coursework at Valparaiso University, and have successfully completed ENGL 692 /ENGL 695 with a grade of A or A-. Under certain circumstances, if the student otherwise meets academic requirements, he or she may petition the graduate program director and department chair to have the GRE requirement waived. Such a waiver is not likely to be approved for a student who intends to apply for a doctoral program in the U.S.
Thesis prospects must have completed 21 credits of TESOL before enrolling in ENGL 795 . Since enrollment in ENGL 692 /ENGL 695 is currently permitted after 12 credits are completed, the thesis proposal work may be included in the 21 credits of prerequisite coursework.
Thesis Implementation
A thesis may involve academic or applied research. Research projects may be primarily analytical, critical, and synthetic in nature, or they may be primarily empirical (data based). To ensure an appropriate methodology, students carrying out a research project, particularly one that is empirical, may be advised to complete a course on Research Methodology in an appropriate discipline prior to undertaking thesis work. An important step in the thesis process is selection of the thesis committee. Rather, through the quality of their graduate coursework, as well as the alignment of their topic with faculty interest and expertise, they will need to demonstrate that faculty mentoring is both deserving and possible. Thesis work is generally carried out in two phases. ENGL 692 /ENGL 695 is intended for the development of the thesis proposal and should result in a preliminary review of the field and a detailed proposal of study or of the project (e.g., 30-40 pages plus an appropriate list of references or citations). This coursework should be carried out under the supervision of at least one of the faculty who will serve on the thesis committee. If the proposal is approved by the thesis committee, the student may enroll in ENGL 795 Master’s Thesis: . The thesis itself should represent a significant contribution to the field and be of publishable or exhibition/ exposition quality. Upon completion, the thesis is reviewed by the faculty of the thesis committee and defended by the student at a public forum announced by email one week in advance to the students and faculty of the program. The approved thesis should be deposited to ValpoScholar in accordance with Thesis Manual guidelines. Thesis work is encouraged during summer sessions when both faculty and students typically have more time available for more intense intellectual interaction.
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