Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester logo in the print header
Page link printed 09/25/2018

Female student against a backdrop of trees.

Graduate Programs in
TESOL

Live to
Inspire.
Love to
Teach.
 Do you want to help people understand and communicate in English? If so, consider becoming an ESOL/EFL teacher.
The demand for people who can teach English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) is growing, both in the United States and abroad.  People of all ages need to become proficient in English and are looking for opportunities to learn English in many different contexts – including schools and universities abroad, specialized language schools, adult programs, and even daycare centers.  While there may be no required credentials for ESOL/EFL teachers outside of U.S. K-12 public schools, the quality of their preparation matters!  

Warner will enable you to stand out as an ESOL/EFL teacher who can be effective, innovative, and culturally responsive.  It also provides multiple opportunities for international students to experience American culture and education, and domestic students to interact with people from other countries and languages.
PROGRAM QUICKVIEW OUR APPROACH THE WARNER ADVANTAGE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FACULTY SCHOLARSHIPS TRY US OUT RELATED PROGRAMS TESTIMONIALS CONTACT US
Attention International Students!

Program Quickview

The programs described below are designed for those who aspire to be ESOL or EFL teachers or to better assist students who are English language learners, but who do not require certification. While these programs are approved by New York State (NYS), they do not lead to NYS teaching certification.

If you are interested in NYS teaching certification or doctoral level programs in TESOL, check our Related Programs.
Prerequisites:
  • Undergraduate degree (although undergraduates can begin the advanced certificate while completing their program).
  • Experience learning another language.
  • Proficiency in the English language (for international students, this means TOEFL scores of 90 or above, or equivalent in other recognized tests). Occasional exceptions may be made; inquire with admissions.
Key Program Features:
  • TESOL-Specific Core: Includes three required core courses on learning and teaching TESOL.
  • Opportunities for Field Experiences: International students can benefit from a wide range of internships and volunteer opportunities, gaining important learning experiences in area schools, colleges, and community agencies, while also strengthening their English skills.
  • Option to Add Specializations:  Can be combined with Advanced Certificates in Online Teaching or Digitally-Rich Teaching in K-12 Schools to learn how to integrate these powerful technologies in your teaching.
  • Network of International Alumni: Past students have come from various countries, including the United States, China, Kosovo, Chile, and Turkey.
  • Hybrid-Online Courses:  Some of the courses are offered online, and can be taken from all over the world, allowing students to personally experience the potential of online learning and to shorten residency on campus.
  • Customizable: The program can be customized to be most relevant to your context and role, and to leverage courses taken in prior or concurrent programs.
  • Flexible: The program can be pursued full time or part time, allowing you to go at your own pace.

Warner Programs in TESOL

MS in TESOL (TT3) (30 credits): A non-certification program that includes, in addition to the TESOL core courses, foundational courses in literacy and a master’s essay supported by an academic writing seminar; electives allow students to customize to their interests and/or add additional specializations for a few additional credits.

Opportunities for Additional Specializations:

  • Advanced Certificate in Online Teaching (as few as 3 additional credits): Prepares you to teach online and leverage online learning in a variety of instructional contexts (from university courses to professional development and public dissemination).

  • Advanced Certificate in Digitally-Rich Teaching in K-12 Schools (as few as 3 additional credits): Prepares you to make use of digital technologies in K-12 school classrooms to enhance student learning.
Warner administrator talking with new students


Advanced Certificate in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) (GT2) (10 credits): Expedited path to prepare native English speakers to teach English abroad, or international students to add a TESOL credential to their main degree program; consists of the three TESOL methods courses and a field experience; also open to undergraduate students with advisor’s permission.

Opportunities to Complement/Combine the EFL certificate with Another Program

While an Advanced Certificate in English as a Foreign Language is great on its own, it is also a helpful and marketable complement to an existing Warner program, especially the program choices below:

Master's in Teaching Not Leading to New York State Certification
Warner offers several master’s degrees that prepare for teaching in settings other than K-12 public schools in the United States (where state teaching certification is required), with options to pursue various areas of specialization.  Any of these programs can be complemented by an Advanced Certificate in English as a Foreign Language. By choosing your electives strategically, you may only need three additional credit hours to earn this advanced certificate.

To learn more, visit Master's in Teaching (Without Certification).
Master’s in Educational Leadership
Schools are experiencing increased numbers of students for whom English is a new language. Leaders will greatly benefit from a more in-depth knowledge and understanding of English language learning as they support their school community.

Warner offers a flexible master’s degree to prepare educational leaders who are not interested in New York State school certification (only required for administrative positions in K-12 public schools).  This customizable master’s program can be enhanced by an Advanced Certificate in English as a Foreign Language. By choosing your electives strategically, you may only need three additional credit hours to earn this advanced certificate.

To learn more, visit Master’s in Educational Leadership.
Doctoral Programs
International students interested in faculty positions abroad should consider pursuing an Advanced Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language as part of their doctoral program. By choosing your electives strategically, you may only need three additional credit hours to earn this advanced certificate.

To learn more, visit Doctoral Programs in Teaching.

Our Approach

Preparing Effective and Innovative ESOL or EFL Teachers.

At Warner, we prepare teachers who find innovative ways to make learning English fun, meaningful, authentic, and relevant to students from every background. Through coursework and field experiences, our graduate students deepen their understanding of the English language, linguistics, and language acquisition while learning innovative and effective ways to teach this growing population. Our program aims to prepare teachers who understand that learning English includes communicative competence, cultural expertise, and mastery of the structural complexities of the English language. Students become ESOL or EFL teachers who know how to create and adapt curricula and classroom instruction around authentic materials, contexts, and purposes that engage students in the English language.
Warner stduetn in classroom with globe
Learn More About Warner’s Approach to TESOL
ESOL and EFL teachers are constantly learning from students, their families and communities, and the curriculum they develop around their students. By bridging planning and instructional strategies with theory and research that supports them, our graduates know how to develop curriculum and teaching practices that are learner centered—where they start from what English language learners already know and build on that to link to their students’ home and community lives. And, they seek out and develop habits of reflective practitioners and collaborate with other professionals to improve learning opportunities and meet the diverse needs of all students. These powerful classroom practices and experiences give their students, who are learning English, an equal opportunity to succeed both in and out of the classroom.

The Warner Advantage

Preparing Graduates to Innovate, Advocate, and Elevate.

Warner can help you stand out as an ESOL/EFL teacher and prepare you to excel in your career.
  • Become an ESOL/EFL teacher who can create learning opportunities that are inviting and accessible for all students – building on cutting-edge research and educational innovations.
  • Be challenged to be an agent of change, who can effectively introduce new ideas and practices that will enhance students’ learning and address current inequities.
  • International students can benefit from rich opportunities to learn about United States culture and schooling, through both coursework and field experiences.
  • Leverage our collaboration with international universities in China and Mexico.
  • Learn from an accessible, supportive faculty of researchers and accomplished practitioners who will prepare you in best practices in TESOL/EFL.
  • Network with the best and the brightest peers from around the world.
  • Leverage the reputation of a leading research university to strengthen recogition of your degree.
  • Shorten the pathway toward your doctoral degree by earning transferable credits.
  • Make yourself stand out when applying for teaching positions by pursuing some additional specializations for a few additional credits.
Our flexible programs have been designed to meet the needs of domestic as well as international students.
  • Use your electives to specialize in your area of interest and add specializations.
  • Take advantage of online learning options to reduce time in residence or in commuting.
  • Start the program in any semester and go at your own pace.
  • Are you a University of Rochester employee? Make full use of your tuition benefits!

Career Opportunities

Advancing Education and Your Career to the Next Level.

Graduates of our programs are working in the United States or abroad as TESOL, EFL, and bilingual teachers in K-12 settings and higher educational institutions, curriculum designers, and researchers, and some pursue doctoral studies.
Vasquez in class at table with studnets

Faculty

An Accessible, Supportive Faculty of Researchers and Accomplished Practitioners.

Hairong Shang-Butler, PhD
Program Director and Advisor
LeChase Hall 442
(585) 276-7426
hshangbutler@warner.rochester.edu

Evelyn Kirst
Assistant Program Director and
International Student Advisor
LeChase Hall 236
(585) 273-2280
ekirst@warner.rochester.edu

Scholarships

Making Warner Affordable.

Some of our TESOL/EFL program students benefit from merit-based scholarships to decrease tuition costs.

Contact admissions for more information about merit-based scholarships.

Are You a UR Employee? Inquire about your tuition benefits. If eligible, up to 95% of your tuition costs can be covered depending on your position. Contact the UR benefits office at benefitoffice@rochester.edu.   
 

Learn More About Scholarships
Vasquez in class at table with studnets

Try Us Out

Get a Taste of What Warner Has to Offer.

Take A Course! You can experience the Warner advantage as a non-matriculated student for a highly discounted price.

The following courses may be of special interest to students who are not residing in Rochester, as they are fully online and do not require any presence on campus:
  • EDE434: Master's Academic Writing (offered in summer)
  • ED480: Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism (online section offered in spring)
  • EDU446: Entrepreneurial Skills for Educators (offered in summer and spring)
Contact admissions to learn more about opportunities for non-matriculated students.
hands in a circle

Testimonials

Meliora means 'Ever Better.' To our graduates, it means making a world of difference.

  • Shannon Walton, Sports Performance Counselor, Rochester, NY

    “I had a very unique situation. I wasn’t going down the typical path of a Warner student, and the school was just so flexible and supportive.”

    Shannon Walton, Sports Performance Counselor, Rochester, NY

  • Beatriz M. Folch-Torres, MD, Rochester, NY

    “It was more than I expected. Not only what I learned in the program, which I’ve been able to put into practice every day since, but also the connections I was able to make and the relationships I was able to form."

    Beatriz M. Folch-Torres, MD, Rochester, NY

  • Laura Van Laeken, Teacher, Midlakes, NY

    "The growth I’ve realized in myself is something I will be forever grateful for. I’ve learned to question, analyze, think and create in ways I never considered. I’ve changed as an educator and as a person."

    Laura Van Laeken, Teacher, Midlakes, NY

  • Jeremy Friedman, Research Associate, Harlem Children's Zone, New York, NY

    “When it came time to interview for jobs, it was very easy for me to talk about anything in the field, and that set me apart,” he says. “You name it, and I had at least one experience in it—largely due to Warner.”

    Jeremy Friedman, Research Associate, Harlem Children's Zone, New York, NY

  • Dawn Santiago-Marullo, Superintendent, Victor, NY

    "The most important thing I received there was the opportunity to be immersed in the study of education and leadership with very talented people, that think-tank mentality of being surrounded by the best of the best. The intellectual stimulation from both the staff and fellow classmates really did allow me to think about things differently."

    Dawn Santiago-Marullo, Superintendent, Victor, NY

  • Jody Goodman, Program Director, UMass Amherst

    “As educators, it’s our job to make sure we’re giving students the knowledge to be successful when they move on in their life….Warner was the best grad school experience I’ve ever had because it prepared me extremely well to jump into my career, and I will forever be grateful for that.”

    Jody Goodman, Program Director, UMass Amherst

Contact Admissions

The admissions team looks forward to assisting you as you explore graduate education at the Warner School. Please feel free to use the form below to contact us with any questions. You can also email us at admissions@warner.rochester.edu or call (585) 275-3950.


Application Deadlines

January 15
March 15
June 15
October 15


Apply Now


Request Information Form