Program Quickview
All of the master's degree programs described below prepare for NYS initial and professional teaching certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages in grades K-12 and are offered at the graduate level only.
- Undergraduate degree in a liberal art (BA) or science (BS).
- At least 12 credits languages other than English.
- Meets All Coursework and Internship Requirements for BOTH Initial and Professional NYS Teaching Certification: In addition, you will need to pass the required state exams and complete the teaching requirements for professional certification.
- Shortest Program: Preservice teachers can complete the program in 15 months of full-time study (if starting in summer); certified teachers seeking additional certification in TESOL may require less time.
- Focus on TESOL: Includes three courses as well as internships (taken concurrently with methods courses) that are specific to teaching and learning a new language.
- Focus on Teaching ALL Students: Includes courses on diversity and working with students with disabilities (may be transferred in for certified teachers).
- Option to Add Specializations: For a few extra credits you can pursue additional NYS certifications or Warner advanced certificates that can can strengthen your effectiveness with diverse learners and make you more marketable.
Warner Programs that Prepare TESOL Teachers
- MS Program (TT1): 39 credits, including field experience and two student teaching experiences.

- NYS Certification in Another Language
- NYS Certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities in Adolescence: Prepares you to better serve students with diverse learning needs while qualifying you to teach in inclusive classes.
- Advanced Certificate in Urban Teaching and Leadership: Prepares you to teach and lead in racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse urban settings.
- Advanced Certificate in Digitally-Rich Teaching in K-12 Schools: Prepares you to make the best use of digital technology in your teaching.
Licensure in other states. Review certification and licensure requirements for Warner programs.
- Leading to Professional Certification Only (PT1) (30 credits; no internships): Our most flexible option, including 12 credits of electives; allows for possible addition of Advanced Certificates in Digitally-Rich Teaching in K-12 Schools or Urban Teaching and Leadership, or taking some leadership courses that can provide a jump start toward school leadership certification in the future.
- Distance Option Leading to Professional Certification Only (PX2) (30 credits; no internships): With an option to take online courses that can reduce trips to campus to less than half.
- Leading to NYS Certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities in Adolescence (PA6) (35 credits, including field experiences and one student teaching experience): Enables you to better serve your students' diverse learning needs and teach in inclusive classes.

Check the options that best apply to you from the program choices below:
- Advanced Certificate (NT1): Fastest path, including specialization courses plus 50 contact hours of field experience and one student teaching experience (no more than 16 credits).
- MS program (ST1): 35 credits, including 50 contact hours of field experience and one student teaching experience; also leads to NYS professional teaching certification in your original area of certification.

Our Approach
Creating Effective TESOL Teachers Who Can Inspire and Lead Change.

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 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.
ESOL 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 and in a life beyond high school.
The Warner Advantage
Preparing Graduates to Innovate, Advocate, and Elevate.
- Become an TESOL teacher who can create learning opportunities that are inviting and accessible for all students – engaging with 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.
- Leverage the reputation of a leading research university to strengthen the recognition of your degree.
- Make yourself stand out when applying for teaching positions by pursuing additional specializations for a few additional credits.
- Learn from an accessible, supportive faculty of researchers and accomplished practitioners who will prepare you to become adaptive experts in today’s K-12 schools.
- Network with the best and the brightest future colleagues.
- Shorten your path to a doctoral degree by earning transferable credits.
- Benefit from a guaranteed 50% scholarship.
- Take advantage of online learning options to help reduce trips to campus.
- Be ready to teach the school year following enrollment, as the program can be completed in as little as 15 months, even by those new to the teaching profession.
All About Experience

East High School Partnership
Our students have the opportunity to observe and learn from the reforming of an urban high school. As the Educational Partnership Organization (EPO) for East High School, we are overseeing a radical transformation affecting all aspects of the school – including innovative practices to support English Language Learners.

Recognizing the Unique Experiences of Refugees
Warner faculty member Mary Jane Curry co-edited the 2018 book on Educating Refugee-background Students, a group of English Learners with unique challenges and experiences. This work builds on research conducted as part of a federally-funded project (Project CELLS: Collaborations for English Language Learner Success), led by Curry as the Principal Investigator.

Horizons at Warner: Enrichment Program for RCSD Students in Grades K-8
Warner hosts a six-week summer enrichment program that engages urban K-12 students in meaningful and authentic learning experiences. The Horizons program creates a unique opportunity for Warner students to interact with young learners in an out-of-school setting. Opportunities for paid teaching experiences in this program are also available after graduation for a limited number of students.
Career Opportunities
Advancing Education and Your Career to the Next Level.
Graduates from Warner ESOL teacher preparation programs will have the credentials needed to teach ESOL at all grade levels in NYS public schools – as well as many other states that recognize NYS teaching certification. Unlike graduates of an undergraduate teacher preparation program, our graduates will have already met all the coursework requirements for NYS professional teaching certification, so they will only need to complete three years of teaching and some state exams in order to obtain this additional level of certification – a NYS requirement within five years from beginning a teaching job.
At the same time, some of our graduates have chosen to pursue careers other than teaching in K-12 public schools. These include teaching in private schools and other educational settings, including informal and after-school environments, community-based organizations, colleges, and adult programs for refugees.

Faculty
An Accessible, Supportive Faculty of Researchers and Accomplished Practitioners.
Nicole King, PhD
Assistant Professor (Clinical)
LeChase Hall 468
(585) 273-3341
nking@warner.rochester.edu
Scholarships
Making Warner Affordable.
Byron Williams Teaching Scholarships – Guaranteed 50% Tuition Savings
All new students starting their master’s programs in teacher education leading to New York State teaching certification are guaranteed a minimum 50 percent tuition scholarship, provided they commit to teach in a United States school for a minimum of two years after graduation.

Try Us Out
Get a Taste of What Warner Has to Offer.
- East High: This Rochester City School District secondary school is undergoing major transformation under the oversight of the University of Rochester as an educational partnership organization.
Contact admissions to arrange for a visit or learn more about opportunities for non-matriculated students.
