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 state certification. These programs do not lead to NYS teaching certification.
- 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.
- TESOL 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.
- Combined Program Option: Students adding at least one advanced certificate may enroll in a “combined program” that will help secure the appropriate visa for international students and extend loan eligibility for domestic students.
Warner Programs in TESOL
M.S. in TESOL (combined option) (TT4): This non-certification combined program will allow you to pursue the master’s program described above concurrently with at least one advanced certificate (see list below) – thus leading to multiple credentials for only a few additional credits. The length of the combined program and its total number of credits will depend on the chosen advanced certificate(s) and other optional enhancements. This option may be especially desirable for international students interested in additional specializations and willing to devote 4-5 semesters to their master’s program.
Advanced Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Non-Certification) (GT2) (10 credits): Expedited non-certification 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 Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Non-Certification) is great on its own, it is also a helpful and marketable complement to an existing Warner program, especially the program choices below:
To learn more, visit Master's in Teaching (Without Certification).
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 Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Non-Certification). 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.
To learn more, visit Doctoral Programs in Teaching.
Our Approach
Preparing Effective and Innovative ESOL or EFL Teachers.
The Warner Advantage
Preparing Graduates to Innovate, Advocate, and Elevate.
- 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 teaching TESOL/EFL.
- Network with the best and the brightest peers from around the world.
- Leverage the reputation of a leading research university to strengthen recognition 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.
- 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!
All About Experience
Nationally Recognized Author on Global Academic Publishing
Warner faculty member Mary Jane Curry recently published Global Academic Publishing, her third book on the topic of supporting authors who are not native English speakers in getting their work published in academic journals. Curry has also published essays on the topic that have appeared in national and international journals.
Global Collaborations
Warner students can benefit from the agreements recently established with two universities in China – Nanjing Normal University and Wuhan University – as well as Tecnologico de Monterrey University in Mexico, to support collaborations and exchanges among faculty and students.
Expert on International Students’ Experiences
Program Director Hairong Shang-Butler conducted research into the experiences of Chinese students studying at U.S. universities. Her findings and recommendations provided the foundation for the extensive support services offered by Warner to international students.
Career Opportunities
Advancing Education and Your Career to the Next Level.
Faculty
An Accessible, Supportive Faculty of Researchers and Accomplished Practitioners.
Evelyn Kirst, MSAssistant Program Director and International Student Advisor
LeChase Hall 238
(585) 273-2280
ekirst@warner.rochester.edu
Hairong Shang-Butler, PhDProgram Director and Advisor
LeChase Hall 450
(585) 276-7426
hshang@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.
Try Us Out
Get a Taste of What Warner Has to Offer.
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)
Testimonials
Meliora means 'Ever Better.' To our graduates, it means making a world of difference.
"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
“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
“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
"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
“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
“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