Teaching English to speakers of other languages

University of Missouri-Columbia
Master of education in learning, teaching and curriculum
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Overview

A master’s in TESOL from MU can help you advance your career in contexts where English is taught as a second or foreign language. If you are a teacher and want to help non-native speakers tap the possibilities offered by the English language, this may be the program for you.

Top-ranked programs

Mizzou's online master's in education programs ranked among the nation's finest in U.S. News & World Report 2024.

Quick facts

Official name

Master of education in learning, teaching and curriculum with an emphasis in teaching English to speakers of other languages

Campus

University of Missouri-Columbia

Program type

Master's degree

Academic home

College of Education & Human Development | Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum

Delivery mode

100% online

Accreditation

Higher Learning Commission, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)

Credit hours

33

Estimated cost

$18,539.40

*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.

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Career prospects

This degree has potential benefits for

  • English language instructors
  • Language program administrators
  • Language testers
  • Writers for educational materials
Burning Glass Technologies. 2021. Salary numbers and employment growth numbers are based on models that consider advertised job posting salary, Bureau of Labor Statistics data and other proprietary and public sources of information for multiple occupations.
11.54%
Employment growth
Burning Glass Technologies. 2021. Salary numbers and employment growth numbers are based on models that consider advertised job posting salary, Bureau of Labor Statistics data and other proprietary and public sources of information for multiple occupations.
$69,000
median salary

Program structure

This program is 100 percent online: no campus visits are required.

Courses are semester-based. Most students study part time, taking two classes per semester, and earn their master’s degrees in just two years.

Course work includes

  • Structure of the English language
  • How languages are used and learned
  • Design and implementation of tasks, assessments, and curricula to facilitate language learning

Delivery

100% online

Calendar system

Semester-based

Typical program length

2 years

Typical course load

2 classes per semester

Accreditation

The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. This program is accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Faculty spotlight

Nikki Ashcraft

Nikki Ashcraft is an expert in language teaching methodology and adult learning, with extensive international experience in Latin America and the Middle East. Dr. Ashcraft has held numerous leadership positions in the Mid-America Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) association and TESOL International Association and has served as an English language specialist with the U.S. Department of State on projects in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Russia. She publishes and presents widely on classroom instruction and teacher professional development topics.

Nikki Ashcraft, PhD
Teaching Professor, Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum
Rachel J. Pinnow

Rachel J. Pinnow is interested in the multimodal ways second language learners gain interactional competencies in academic contexts. Dr. Pinnow conducts both national and international research, funded through the National Science Foundation, to foster expert praxis among teachers of English to speakers of other languages and second language acquisition educators.

Rachel J. Pinnow
Associate Professor, Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum

Learn more about this program

This program is administered by the Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum