Return to: 4170 Department of Middle and Secondary Education
The M.A.T. major in English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Education Online Program provides initial teacher preparation in ESOL for individuals holding bachelor’s degree and who have an interest in English to speakers of other languages in P-12 settings. This program addresses the needs of teachers who work with literacy learners from diverse cultures. Although these teachers can have an undergraduate degree in any area, they must have had experience learning a second language. Candidates who are not currently working with P-12 ESOL students will need to work with the Office of Field Placements and Certification staff in consultation with the program advisor to help arrange field placements. The ESOL course of study is designed to meet the requirements for professional certification at the initial level in ESOL and the requirements for a Reading Endorsement.
The M.A.T. ESOL Education online program is 45 hours (9 hours of college core courses; 9 hours English as a Second Language; 9 hours reading endorsement; 9 hours of applied linguistics; 9 hours of practicum). Entry into the program could begin in any semester; however, applicants are required to take TSLE 7440 prior to enrolling in practicum hours, and EDRD 7600 or EDRD 7630 prior to enrolling in EDRD 7650 . Consequently, M.A.T. students (who are required to complete a year-long fall/spring practicum) could enroll in summer and complete the program in a minimum of 4 semesters; otherwise, the program would take a minimum of 5 semesters. This degree addresses the professional standards from IRA for classroom teachers of reading and from TESOL for teachers of ELL learners.
Program Academic Regulations
Upon admission to a teacher education program, students will be contacted by the Office of Field Placements and Certification with instructions to claim enrollment in their program and submit a GaPSC Pre-Service Certificate Application. The pre-service certificate is required for placement in required field experiences or clinical practice.
Each student is advised by a committee of education faculty including representatives from the Department of Middle and Secondary Education and the Department of Applied Linguistics.
Exit requirements for this program are:
- Completion of all program coursework with a grade point average of no less than 3.0.
- Successful completion of the teaching internships with a grade of “B” or higher.
- Successful presentation of a professional portfolio.
Certification
Students in this program will be eligible to be recommended for Georgia initial certification after earning passing scores on the GACE Program Admission Assessment, GACE Content Assessment for Teaching English as a Second Language, Georgia Educator Ethics - Program Exit (360) Assessment, and successfully completing:
- For Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) certification requirements, students must earn a grade of “B” or higher in EXC 4020.;
- EXC 4020, EPY 7080, TSLE 7250, TSLE 7260, TSLE 7440, EDRD 7600, EDRD 7630, EDRD 7650, EDCI 4650, EDCI 7660, EDCI 7670, EDCI 7680; and
- Presentation of a professional portfolio.