TESOL MA Initial

The TESOL PK-12 Initial Certification track offers a 37-point Master of Arts degree in TESOL leading toward New York State Initial Teacher Certification. Students wishing to teach in a public school in a state other than New York are advised to consult the certification requirements for that state).

Candidates applying for initial teacher certification in New York will be required to fulfill NYSED’s Content Core requirements (see https://www.tc.columbia.edu/office-of-teacher-education/students/certification-requirements/initial-certification/ ). They will also be required to take and pass all required New York State certification exams for initial certification. For more information, please visit our Office of Teacher Education (OTE) website: 

https://www.tc.columbia.edu/office-of-teacher-education/students/certification-requirements/certification-exams/      

General Courses (12 points):  

• A&HL 4000: Educational linguistics (3)

• A&HL 4085: Pedagogical English grammar (3)

• A&HL 4087: Introduction to second language acquisition (3)

• A&HL 4088: Second language assessment (3)

Track Specific Courses in TESOL, PK-12 (13 points):

• A&HL 4076: TESOL methodologies for PK-6 (3)

• A&HL 4171: TESOL methodologies for 7-12 (3)

• A&HL 4185: Pedagogical approaches in the content areas for teachers of PK-12  ESL (3)

• A&HL 4776: Supervised student teaching in TESOL: PK-6 (2)

• A&HL 4777: Supervised student teaching in TESOL: 7-12 (2)

Elective Courses (3 points)

One elective course in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (3 points):

• A&HL 4077: TESOL classroom practices (3)

• A&HL 4090: Teaching writing to ESL students (3)

• A&HL 5011: Tech-based language teaching and materials design (3)

• A&HL 6097: Task-based language teaching learning (3)

• A&HL 4001: Sociolinguistics (3)

• A&HL 4104: Discourse analysis (3)

• A&HL 4105: Conversation analysis (3)

• A&HL 4106: Text and textuality (3)

• A&HL 5105: Classroom discourse (3)

• A&HL 5106: Language socialization (3)

• A&HL 5008: Interlanguage analysis (3)

• A&HL 5087: Second language acquisition in the classroom (3)

• A&HL 6097: Task-based language learning (3)

• A&HL 5199: Topics in language assessment (3)

• A&HL 5519: Instructed SLA and assessment (3)

• A&HL 6040: Classroom-based language assessment (3)

Breadth Courses (9 points)

Foundations/breadth courses are intended to broaden students’ knowledge of the history of education, philosophies, and educational issues and practices beyond their particular area of concentration. 

Foundations/breadth credits must be used to meet the New York State requirements within the following categories: 

*Bilingual/bicultural education or urban education (3)

*Elementary and secondary education (3)

*Teaching students with learning disabilities (3)

Students must consult with their advisor when choosing their breadth courses.

Bilingual/bicultural education or foundations of education and urban education (3) :

• A&HB 4020: Bilingualism and disabilities

• A&HB 4021: Foundations of bilingual/bicultural education

• A&HB 4024: Linguistics foundations of bilingual/bicultural education

• A&HB 4075: Cross-cultural communication and classroom ecology

• A&HB 4121: Bilingual/bicultural curriculum design

• A&HH 4076: History of urban education

• C&T 4078: Curriculum and teaching in urban areas

• C&T 4501: Teaching and learning in the multicultural classroom

• EDPS 4022: Sociology of urban education

• ITSF 4060: Latinos in urban schools

• Various topics courses in Bilingual/Bicultural Education

• Elementary and secondary education (3)

• A&HF 4090: Philosophies of education

• A&HF 4091: Call to teach

• A&HW 4036: The teaching of social studies

• A&HW 5030: Diversity and the social studies curriculum

• C&T 4124: Curriculum development in elementary education

• C&T 4133: Learning and teaching in the intermediate reading and writing classroom

• C&T 4141: Literature for older children

• C&T 4151: Teaching of writing

• C&T 5037: Literacy, culture, and the teaching of reading

• HUDK 4022:  Developmental psychology: Childhood

• HUDK 4023:  Developmental psychology: Adolescence

• MSTC 4040: Science in childhood education

• MSTC 4044: Biology curriculum and methods laboratory

• MSTM 5010: Mathematics in elementary school

Teaching students with learning disabilities (3)

• C&T 4000: Disability, exclusion, and schooling

• C&T 4001: Differentiating instruction in inclusive classrooms

• C&T 4046: Curriculum and instruction in secondary inclusive education

• C&T 4047: Curriculum development in secondary inclusive education

• C&T 4301: Formal assessment of exceptional students

• C&T 5080: Access to full participation in schools

• HBSE 4001: Teaching students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms

Exit Project:

In addition to course requirements, students must complete a master’s degree project written on a research topic arising from course-related interests and subject to approval by an advisor. This project can be a review of literature on a scholarly topic or a practice motivated review of literature. It is normally completed at the beginning of the last semester of study. For more information, click here.