Offered as an Academic Certification in Collaboration with the School of Education
SOU’s TESOL certificate promotes global engagement, awareness, and cultural competency to help you explore the world, teach in global contexts, and work effectively with people from culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
In earning this certificate, you will learn to:
See the TESOL Certificate Brochure
I took some of the required courses at SOU in the past. Can those courses be retroactively applied to this certificate?
Yes. Current students and alumni who took some of the required courses in the past can have those courses retroactively applied to this certificate. Undergraduate courses can always be retroactively applied; graduate courses must have been taken within the last ten years.
I already hold a BA (or an MA). Should I apply for the TESOL certificate at the undergraduate or graduate level?
It’s up to you. However, all courses in your certificate program must be taken at the same level (graduate or undergraduate); you may not “mix and match” course levels.
Where will this certificate qualify me to teach?
This certificate will help you develop skills, knowledge, and confidence to teach and work in a variety of multicultural settings both here in the US and overseas. It is not a teaching license, so it does not qualify you to teach in public schools in the US.
What is the difference between the ESOL endorsement and the TESOL certificate?
Both programs provide you with tools to successfully work with people from diverse cultures and languages. An ESOL endorsement prepares teachers to teach students whose language is other than English, and is attached to an Oregon K-12 teaching license. This TESOL certificate is not officially part of a teaching license and is designed more for teaching English internationally. If you have earned the ESOL endorsement, you have already completed much of the TESOL certificate coursework. Likewise, by completing the TESOL certificate you will have a good start on the ESOL endorsement. For more information about ESOL endorsement, contact Dr. Gerald McCain: mccaing@sou.edu
Do I have to take the courses in a particular order?
You can take the courses in any order you choose. The practicum should be completed toward the end of the certificate program.
Is the certificate externally accredited?
SOU’s TESOL certificate has been officially approved by Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission. It was designed to align closely with the standards of the TESOL International Association, but it is not accredited by that organization.
Am I eligible for financial aid to earn this certificate?
If you’re pursuing the certificate while enrolled in a degree program, you may be eligible for financial aid. Financial aid is not currently available for the stand-alone certificate.
Do I have to apply for admission at SOU?
If you are not currently enrolled in a degree program, you will need to apply and meet SOU’s basic admissions requirements. When you apply for admission, select the TESOL Certificate Program, at the undergraduate or graduate level.
How much does the certificate cost?
Regular per-credit undergraduate and graduate tuition rates apply to all courses in this certificate program.
SOU’s TESOL certificate can be earned in conjunction with any undergraduate major; it can also be taken at the graduate level, or as a standalone certification from SOU. (Some of the TESOL certificate’s core courses also meet the major requirements for English and Education.) The TESOL certificate is designed for anyone interested in teaching or working abroad, or in culturally and linguistically diverse settings!
The TESOL certificate consists of 28-29 credits (see flyer). Twenty-one of these credits are from upper-division English and Education core courses. Students choose an additional 7-8 elective credits from a list of designated courses (in English, Education, Communication, International Studies, Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology, History and Spanish). With the exception of the practicum, these courses may be taken in any order that fits your schedule.
The one-credit practicum, which takes place a linguistically and culturally diverse educational setting, is typically completed toward the end of the certificate program.
SOU English Program
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6181
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