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Teaching: Initial License with English as a Second Language (ESL)
MAT , Concentration

Program introduction and alerts

Offered as:  On-campus Graduate Concentration

The Master of Arts in Teaching- Initial Licensure (MAT-I) program with a concentration in English as a Second Language (ESL) provides the theoretical and practical knowledge related to language acquisition for teaching diverse multilingual students. Educators with an ESL license are in high demand both locally and across the state of Massachusetts.

Program curriculum and details

Students in the MAT-I ESL program earn a master's degree in teaching and an initial license in ESL at either the PreK-6 or 5-12 grade level.

This 30-credit program is for candidates who do not yet possess a teaching license or currently have a Massachusetts Provisional License, and is available to pre-service and in-service educators.

Required courses for ESL licensure

  • EDU 651 Language, Culture & Linguistics
  • EDU 652 Current Sociolinguistic Issues in TESOL 
  • EDU 653 Theories of Language Acquisition- Implications for Instruction

Course descriptions, schedules and requirements

University requirements for graduate admissions

  • Submit an application via the online portal. Be sure to provide your full legal name and to capitalize the first letter of all proper nouns.
  • Pay non-refundable $60 application fee (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa) via the online portal. For Nursing applicants, the non-refundable application fee is $75.
  • Statement of Purpose, minimum 300 words. Unless otherwise indicated in the program requirement details, indicate your graduate study objectives, research interests and experience, and business or industry experience if applicable. If you are applying for a teaching or research assistantship, include any special skills or experience that would assist us in making assistantship decisions.
  • Resume
  • Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended (regardless of whether a credential is earned or not). Unofficial transcripts are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled a final official transcript is required. International students applying with an transcript evaluation, please submit that document with your unofficial transcripts. International applicants for Data Science must submit semester-by-semester transcripts as well as consolidated transcripts. 
  • Many programs have specific recommendations/requirements, please see the additional program-specific requirements for more information.
  • English Proficiency Requirement: If you are a Domestic student and English is not your native language or you are an International student, you must provide the university with verification of your proficiency in English. This is required of any applicant who did not earn a bachelor’s degree or higher degree from an accredited academic institution in the U.S. or accepted English-speaking country, see exemptions for more details. The official TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, Pearson PTE or Duolingo (if accepted by program) score meets this requirement. Unofficial scores are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled official scores are required and must be sent by the testing agency (copies/scans not accepted). We require an overall/total minimum score of 72 on the TOEFL iBT or BAND 6.0 on the IELTS Academic or a 52 on the Pearsons PTE Academic for entrance to any program and a minimum score of 79 on the TOEFL iBT or BAND 6.5 on the IELTS Academic for consideration for a teaching assistantship. Some programs require higher minimum scores (see program-specific requirements). Most programs also accept the Duolingo with a minimum score of 95. The following programs do not accept the Duolingo: Art Education, Biology/Marine Biology, Nursing (MS, DNP, PhD), Psychology: Clinical and Public Policy. 
  • All official documents are required for enrollment, please have documents (ie. test scores) sent prior to the expiration. 

Program-specific requirements

Candidates must submit the required application materials, university requirements and program-specific requirements, for consideration.

  • International students are not eligible for this program. 
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
  • The statement of purpose should be approximately 1-2 pages in length and describe your beliefs about teaching and learning and why you have chosen teaching as a profession.
  • MTEL results are currently not required for admission.
  • 2 letters of recommendation from someone who can attest to your ability/potential as a teacher. Applicants will be required to provide the recommenders name and email address so we can contact the recommender for the letter of recommendation.

Application dates

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Course descriptions, schedules and requirements

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