Graduate Program in TESOL

Department: English Language and Literature
Contact Person: Joyce Milambiling

Program: M.A. in TESOL and M.A. in TESOL/Modern Languages

Overview of the Program
The Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) M.A. program is a vital part of the Department of English Language and Literature. This program provides students with advanced instruction on subjects related to language and language teaching, and it includes opportunities for students to teach in different contexts (include an on-site Intensive English program), to conduct their own empirical research, and to assist faculty on research projects.

TESOL
The TESOL M.A. program is a 33 credit program. In addition, there is a 6 hour written comprehensive examination which covers material studied throughout the program. Students may choose to write a thesis or to complete a graduate research paper. In doing their required coursework, students are completing all the necessary courses for the ESL K-12 endorsement, which they can then add, if they so desire, to the necessary professional education courses for teacher licensure.

TESOL/Modern Languages
Students have the opportunity to combine TESOL and the teaching of Spanish, French, or German for the TESOL/Modern Languages graduate degree. The combined major is a 33 hour program (18 credit hours in TESOL and 15 in the other language). In addition, there is a 6 hour written comprehensive examination which covers material studied throughout the program. Students may choose to write a thesis or to complete a graduate research paper.

The TESOL program, in conjunction with other programs on campus, is instrumental in providing students with opportunities that are often found only in larger universities or in urban areas. The TESOL/Modern Languages option is beneficial for broadening job options after graduation, and it also allows students to continue with the study of a modern language in which they have advanced proficiency, a valuable skill in the global economy.
One of the distinguishing features of the TESOL M.A. program is that it attracts outstanding students from a wide variety of countries. These students often hold positions at home for which they need additional training, or the TESOL M.A. qualifies them for different or more advanced positions within their educational system or in private companies.
Students with TESOL credentials work in the public schools across the state and have pursued advanced degrees in linguistics, education, and other fields. Students who have received undergraduate degrees from different departments at UNI often inquire about going on to get an M.A. in TESOL because it can complement their undergraduate study in a variety of useful ways. TESOL students with teaching credentials are highly valued by international employers who come to UNI’s Overseas Recruiting Fair every year.

Graduates of the program have continued their education at doctoral programs in Linguistics and in Education, among other fields, and have been hired at educational institutions (particularly community colleges) and agencies in Iowa and other states, and around the world. 

The TESOL graduate program is integrally involved in outreach and engagement with the community and the state, particularly as it relates to the continuing education and licensure of in-service teachers who are responsible for teaching Iowa’s immigrant community.  By using the Iowa Communication Network (ICN) to deliver courses on language and language teaching methodology, we have educated hundreds of ESL and content area mainstream teachers in the field over the last ten years. Teachers have enrolled in courses in order to add a TESOL endorsement to their Iowa teaching license, and many have pursued the M.A. TESOL degree in order to meet the growing demand for competently trained educators to teach the growing number of Iowa’s non-English speaking population.

The TESOL programs have also been involved in planning and executing state-wide seminars for in-service and pre-service teachers through the annual “Our Kids Seminar” and the Iowa Language and Culture Conference. In addition, faculty members have consulted with local school districts and provided in-service teacher training and school-wide professional development on the subjects of understanding the English Language Learner and improving content-based instruction. 

Members of the TESOL program have been actively engaged in outreach worldwide. Not only has the program been represented in conferences that would be considered part of scholarship, but it has also been sharing its expertise in teaching, intercultural communications, and consulting.  International grants include collaboration with institutions in Poland concerning Holocaust issues and training teachers in Chile, Korea, Russia, Indonesia, and Poland.