Admissions

Each fall, the MA TESOL program enrolls approximately 10-15 new students who come from around the United States and other parts of the world. Applicants should have a four-year degree and a strong undergraduate record, particularly in courses taken during the last two years of study. It is advisable for students to have taken some coursework in a related field as an undergraduate, but it is not required.

For additional information, please see the FAQ’s Page.

General Information:

  1. Applications to the MA TESOL program are submitted online. Note: The application form will ask you if you are interested in a graduate assistantship. Applicants who are accepted by the TESOL program and are interested in an assistantship will be considered for opportunities that may become available within the Department of Linguistics and Languages but these opportunities are very limited.
  2. Students are generally only admitted for the fall semester, but if you wish to start in the spring semester, please contact the TESOL Director. No funding is available to students starting in the spring.
  3. Applicants must have their materials submitted by January 15 to be considered for any funding, including those who plan to apply for a teaching assistantship with the English Language Center.  The deadline for other applications is April 15.
  4. There is no provisional or conditional admission.
  5. Below you will find links for domestic students and international students. You will be asked for a personal statement and an academic statement as well as three names for letters of reference.  You may start the application even if these materials are not ready.
  6. We prefer to have domestic students take the GRE as they can make you more competitive for funding. If this is a hardship, however, please contact the TESOL Director.
  7. International students do not need to take the GRE but instead need to submit proof of English proficiency.

English Language Proficiency:

All applicants whose first language is not English, even those with a degree from an English-language institution, must provide English language competency scores.

  1. For the TOEFL, the following minimum scores are strongly recommended: 100 on the internet-based test (iBT) with no subscore below 22; 250 on the computer-based test; or 600 on the paper-based test. The iBT is strongly preferred.
  2. For the IELTS, an overall minimum score of 7.0 is recommended (6.5 is required by MSU), with no subscore below 6.5.
  3. The test scores must be valid for up to two years prior to the beginning of the enrollment semester.
  4. Test scores must be sent directly to MSU from the testing agency. For the TOEFL, MSU’s institution code is 1465 and the department code is 04 (linguistics).

Application Procedure:

If you have any questions, please contact the program director: Peter De Costa.

Domestic Applicants: Please click here to begin your application.

International Applicants: Please click here to begin your application.