Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) - Distance Learning MA

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Expand your horizons. Travel the world. Qualify for a range of academic and professional teaching positions in many international contexts.

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Learning, teaching and assessment in 2021/22

Overview

MA Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is a well-respected qualification which will enable you to access reputable and high-paying teaching roles in many international contexts.

You will develop an in-depth theoretical knowledge of the English language, and develop your identity as a language educator, as well as practical and effective teaching skills.

This flexible, distance-learning course is perfect if you want to develop your career, but you can’t attend the University of Sunderland in person.

Why us?

Gain experience of practical teaching and receive a postgraduate degree
Work in any country where people want to learn English

Practise teaching skills in a supportive distance learning environment
Benefit from over 15 years of teaching this course

Course structure

You can learn from anywhere in the world that has internet access. You’ll interact with other students in online discussion forums, and your tutors will guide and support you via email, phone, and the University’s virtual learning environment.

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Master's degree requires a higher level of independent working. However, you will have a high level of support from staff throughout your degree.

Core modules:

TESOL: Principles and Practice (30 credits)
Linguistics for English Language Teaching (30 credits)
The Research Process (30 credits)
Dissertation of up to 15,000 words on a TESOL-related topic of your choice (60 credits)

Optional modules (choose one):

Theories of Second Language Learning (30 credits)
Corpus Linguistics for Language Teaching (30 credits)
Language, Discourse and Power (30 credits)

Please note that modules may vary from year to year. Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Facilities

This distance-learning course can be studied from anywhere in the world. You will need internet access to receive materials and communicate with your tutors and classmates.

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is:

Qualification	Minimum grade
a Canadian bachelor's degree	GPA 2.40
a USA bachelor's degree	GPA 2.5

If you already hold a postgraduate qualification, please see our Applying for additional postgraduate degrees Help and Advice article.

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.

If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.

We usually require applicants to hold at least a second class honours degree (usually a 2:1) or equivalent. You should also have excellent English language skills.

If your first language isn’t English, you must achieve a minimum IELTS score of 6.5, and all elements must be 5.5 or higher.

Additional Requirements
For the TESOL: Principles and Practice module, you will need access to a language school or other institution where you can arrange for a taught lesson to be video recorded for assessment purposes.

If you have any of the following qualifications, please ensure you include a copy of your certificate with your application:

CELTA
Trinity CertTESOL
DELTA
Trinity DipTESOL

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

The fee for this course is:

£7,455

Take a look at the Your Finances section to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

If you are not sure whether you qualify as a UK, EU or international student, find out more in our Help and Advice article.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

Career ready

A TESOL qualification is an essential qualification for many overseas teaching jobs. Career options can include senior roles in educational institutions, educational advisers, and educational inspectors.

You will find that possessing a Master's postgraduate degree will also support a career in other fields, as employers recognise the higher levels of research, analysis and communication that a postgraduate degree requires.

Meet the students

Applying for jobs abroad with my MA TESOL gave me more opportunities

Edwina Thornton
The course has opened many doors for me, both in the UK and abroad

Jill Fortune
I liked the course structure and organisation

Muhammad Moustafa AlQadi
The best part was connecting with other learners and getting high quality feedback

Neill Wylie
I’ve been able to see the benefits of my MA TESOL both professionally and financially

Phil Hunter
When I faced difficulties I always emailed my tutor who was the greatest help during this journey.

Stefanie Deri
I have recommended the University of Sunderland to people already

Tyrone Bishop

Related courses

MA Education (Independent Distance Learning)

Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Education and Society.

Page last updated: 27 September 2021

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Overview

Why us?

Course structure

Core modules:

Facilities

Entry requirements

Fees and finance

Career ready

Meet the students

Edwina Thornton

Jill Fortune

Muhammad Moustafa AlQadi

Neill Wylie

Phil Hunter

Stefanie Deri

Tyrone Bishop

Related courses

Contact

Sign up to receive more information