Start a versatile and exciting career
The Master of Education in English as a Second Language program at Worcester State University helps you become a highly trained educator who is ready to meet the challenges of teaching English Language Learners in today’s diverse schools. Our program is designed for individuals with an initial teacher license in ESL and leads to a professional teacher license in ESL. If you completed Worcester State’s post-baccalaureate program in ESL, all of those credits transfer to our master’s program.
With classes available in the late afternoons and evenings as well as online, our convenient program is designed for working professionals like you. You can earn your degree on your schedule with the option to complete the program either part- or full-time.
You’ll gain valuable insight from professors who are experienced practitioners in the field. What’s more, you’ll apply the theories you learn in class to real-world settings, where you’ll observe and implement effective teaching strategies in classrooms across Central Massachusetts. Your studies culminate in an individual research project, for which you’ll address a question related to ESL pedagogy.
As you progress through our program, you’ll record your achievements in a portfolio of work that not only demonstrates your mastery of all program competencies, but also showcases your professional development. Graduates of our program are sought after by employers, and they go on to pursue rewarding teaching careers in schools across the state.
Admission requirements
In addition to the general graduate program admission requirements, applicants for the Master of Education in English as a Second Language (ESL) must provide the following:
- Completed graduate application, including fee and essay
- Official transcripts (Transcripts from outside the United States must be officially translated and evaluated.)
- Two current letters of recommendation
- Results of a language proficiency assessment, if applicable
- Copy of initial or professional license in English as a Second Language
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Millers Analogies Test (MAT) scores, or passing of appropriate MTELs
OR
Applicants who are pursuing a Master of Education in ESL, but have not yet obtained initial licensure in ESL must provide:
- Completed graduate application, including fee and essay
- Official transcripts (Transcripts from outside the United States must be officially translated and evaluated.)
- Two letters of recommendation
- Documentation of participation at an intermediate level in a language other than English from a college or university or foreign secondary school through the successful completion of foreign language courses deemed appropriate by the foreign language program in the World Languages and Literature Department or demonstrated ability as determined by a member of the Education Department faculty.
- Evidence of an existing bachelor’s degree and passing of Communication and Literacy MTELs
Students who meet the above requirements will be provisionally admitted into the program. Full admission into the program is based upon successful completion of a prerequisite course in human, child, or adolescent development at the undergraduate level resulting in a B+ or higher. Final admission is granted by the Department of Graduate and Continuing Education after departmental recommendation is provided.
Candidates who have obtained initial licensure in ESL from another program or by another route are required to take at least two other courses (e.g., SIFE or Global Perspectives, or a graduate course approved by the Graduate Coordinator e.g., History of the English Language or a reading course). Candidates who have not yet obtained initial licensure in ESL must take and pass the ESL MTEL before beginning practicum.