MA TESOL Program Options
With the MA TESOL at Portland State, you can fit the program to your goals by choosing the Teaching Track (to get complete training as an ESOL teacher) or the Applied Linguistics track (if you are not primarily interested in classroom teaching). Your choice needs to be made by the time you start your third term in the program.
All courses must be completed with a grade of B or higher to count in the MA TESOL program. Courses taken for a "pass" grade during the Covid pandemic are also acceptable for program requirements.
Teaching Track | Applied Linguistics Track |
Foundations of Language Structure and Use
(12 credits) |
(16 credits)
|
1) LING 513 Applied Phonetics & Phonology
2) LING 521 Applied English Grammar
3) LING 531 Language, Identity, and Culture | 1) LING 513 Applied Phonetics & Phonology
2) LING 521 Applied English Grammar
3) LING 531 Language, Identity, and Culture
4) LING 516 Discourse Analysis |
Language Education
(20 credits) |
(8 credits)
|
1) Ling 538 Second Language Acquisition
2) Ling 577 TESOL Methods I
3) Ling 578 TESOL Methods II
4) Ling 539 Language Assessment†
5) Ling 509 Teaching Practicum †Students with prior assessment experience may petition to substitute an elective | 1) Ling 538 Second Language Acquisition
2) Elective in Language Education (advisor approved) |
Electives (advisor approved)
(8 credits) |
(16 credits)
|
1) Elective in Language Education
2) Elective in Language Use
| (Any graduate-level LING courses)
1) Elective 1
2) Elective 2
3) Elective 3
4) Elective 4 |
Research & Culminating Experience
(8 credits w/o thesis; 10 credits with thesis) |
(8 credits w/o thesis; 10 credits with thesis)
|
1) LING 565 Research in Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics
2) LING 566 Culminating Workshop (4 credits) or Thesis (6 credits) | 1) LING 565 Research in Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics
2) LING 566 Culminating Workshop (4 credits) or Thesis (6 credits) |
Total: 48-quarter system credits (or 50 w/thesis). Two academic years at 2 courses/term.
M.A. TESOL Ideal Curriculum Flow
M.A. TESOL Course Planning Form
Second Language Requirement (required for all PSU M.A. degrees)
- If English is not your native language, then your proof of English proficiency for your application to the program fulfills the requirement.
- If English is your native language, you must provide proof of proficiency in another language in one of these ways: (1) two or more years of study at the college level, as indicated on a transcript or (2) passing a proficiency test at the second-year level. Further details for the second language requirement can be found on the Department of World Language and Literature.