The curriculum of the Murray State University Master of Arts Program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is based on guidelines developed by TESOL, an international professional organization, and on recognized programs at other institutions. It features instruction and experiences that contribute directly to competencies in linguistics, language pedagogy, assessment, and culture.

The M.A. in TESOL is in the Department of English & Philosophy in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. Doctorally-prepared faculty in linguistics, second language teaching, and related fields in the departments of English & Philosophy and the English as a Second Language program teach courses in the program. The TESOL Advisory Committee is made up of the Graduate Coordinator of the M.A. in TESOL program, the Chair of English & Philosophy, and the TESOL faculty.

The M.A. in TESOL is the recognized teaching degree in the field of English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, a field that has shown phenomenal growth in the past few years. This degree is regularly cited as the preferred degree in position announcements for:

• Community college and university teaching positions in pre-college English programs for international students;


• Positions in industry in training programs for non-English speaking employees;


• Positions to teach English in secondary schools and colleges all over the world.

The Murray State program collects information about internship and employment opportunities and makes it available to program participants. The credit-bearing internship experience required of all students at the end of the program can in many cases be an actual paid position in this country or abroad, a position that will not necessarily cease when, after two months on the job, the employer has carried out the program's expectations for evaluation of the degree candidate's performance.

Students may apply to the MA/TESOL program at any time, with successful applicants able to begin in the next semester or summer term. Application forms for graduate study at Murray State are available in the Admissions Office on the first floor of Sparks Hall, or Graduate applications may be downloaded at Admission Applications. A copy of the current Graduate Bulletin can be viewed at Murray State Graduate Bulletin. The Admissions office will send a copy of your application materials to the Graduate Coordinator of TESOL so that your qualifications can be evaluated.