Master of Arts in TESOL
With Transitional B Certification
We offer a 32-point Master of Arts degree in TESOL leading toward PK-12 Transitional B Certification. This is designed for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who wish to transition into public school classrooms. View requirements.
Admission Information
Displaying requirements for the Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025 terms.
Master of Arts
- Points/Credits: 32
- Entry Terms: Summer
- Enrollment Formats: Full-Time Campus-Based
Certification
View Public Disclosure Notification
- NY State Transitional B: English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Pre-K-12
Application Deadlines
| Entry Term Available | Priority Deadlines | Final Deadlines | Extended Deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Summer | January 15, 2025 | January 15, 2025 | N/A |
| Fall | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Select programs remain open beyond our standard application deadlines, such as those with an extended deadline or those that are rolling (open until June or July). If your program is rolling or has an extended deadline indicated above, applications are reviewed as they are received and on a space-available basis. We recommend you complete your application as soon as possible as these programs can close earlier if full capacity has been met.
Application Requirements
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Online Degree Application, including Statement of Purpose and Resume | |
| Transcripts and/or Course-by-Course Evaluations for all Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework Completed | |
| Results from an accepted English Proficiency Exam (if applicable) | |
| $75 Application Fee | |
| Two (2) Letters of Recommendation | |
| Video essay required (included in online application) | |
| Supplemental application required (included in online application) | |
| Interview (phone, video, or in-person) required | |
| English Proficiency exam required for all non-native English speakers, see program website for acceptable exams and score minimums |
For admission-related inquiries, please contact AHadmission@tc.columbia.edu.
Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2024-2025)
Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2024, Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 terms.
We offer a 32-point Master of Arts degree in TESOL leading toward New York State PK-12 Transitional B Initial Teacher Certification. The program is designed for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to transition into public school classrooms. Successful completion of this program of study leads to the M.A. degree and recommendation for New York State Initial Teacher Certification (grades PK-12). Students in this program balance full-time teaching in a NYCDOE school and graduate school coursework. They are supported in their program and teaching by the TESOL Program and the Peace Corps Fellows Program. Through comprehensive and innovative course work, hands-on experiences in New York City public schools, and research projects, Fellows explore the teaching and learning of English to PK-12 grade speakers of other languages.
In order to complete all degree requirements successfully, this program typically demands a minimum of two years, including summers. The first summer in the program includes intensive coursework and fieldwork to prepare students for their first year of teaching.
Candidates applying for initial certification in New York will be required to fulfill NYSED’s Content Core requirements for initial certification (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 exams for initial certification. For more information, please visit our OTE website: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/office-of-teacher-education/students/certification-requirements/certification-exams/
All courses must be passed with a grade of B- or above to count toward Initial New York State Certification.
General Courses (12 points):
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A&HL 4000: Educational linguistics (3)
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A&HL 4085: Pedagogical English grammar (3)
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A&HL 4087: Introduction to second language acquisition (3)
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A&HL 4088: Second language assessment (3)
Track Specific Courses in TESOL, PK-12 (14 points):
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A&HL 4076: TESOL methodologies for PK-6 (3)
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A&HL 4171: TESOL methodologies for 7-12 (3)
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A&HL 4185: Pedagogical approaches in the content areas for teachers of PK-12 ESL (3)
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A&HL 5207: Fieldwork in TESOL (2)
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A&HL 5105: Classroom Discourse (or other TESOL/AL Elective) (3)
Breadth Courses (6 points)
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C&T 4501: Teaching and Learning in the Multicultural, Multilingual Classroom (3)
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C&T 4000: Disability, Exclusion and Schooling (3)
Required Exit Project
In addition to course requirements, students must complete a master’s degree project written on a research topic arising from their 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 review, and is normally completed at the beginning of the last semester of study. For more information, click here.