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 this 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 by the time of program matriculation.
• Submit 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 admitted, official domestic transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 208 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.
• If admitted, official international transcripts can be emailed directly from the international institution to InternationalAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, International Admissions, Campus Box 6180, Normal, IL 61790-6180.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Graduate School Admission Requirements.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

You must be enrolled in a graduate degree program at Illinois State University.

You must 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.

The Grade Point Average (GPA) of all undergraduate credentials earned in the United States that are used for graduate degree admission evaluation is calculated by the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. International credentials are evaluated by using cumulative GPA (CGPA) in lieu of the GPA from the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.

Application Materials

A student applying to this program must:

• Submit names and email addresses of two references for letters of recommendation within the online application.
• Submit a 300-600 word statement of purpose that addresses the following questions: Why do you want to take courses in the TESOL certificate program? How does this program support your immediate and long-term personal goals?

English Proficiency Scores for International Students

International students from non-native English speaking countries are required to submit English proficiency scores, dated within two years of application, from one of the accepted testing agencies unless English waiver qualifications are met. See the minimum English proficiency scores by test.

Application Deadlines

Application reviews occur on a rolling basis

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

Graduate Coordinator