General MA-TESOL
The General MA-TESOL is for candidates who already hold a bachelor's degree from Wheaton or another institution and are seeking to deepen their cultural understanding and pedagogy for teaching English as a second language (ESL) or teaching English as a Foreign language (EFL). Whether students are planning on teaching overseas or in downtown Chicago, the degree equips students for the extensive TESOL opportunities that are available worldwide.
- Opportunities in the U.S. include teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in colleges and universities, language institutes, company-sponsored programs, and centers for immigrants and refugees in the U.S. or another English-speaking country.
- Opportunities abroad include teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in colleges and universities, elementary and secondary schools (K-12), language institutes and international schools.
- By earning the MA degree, already-licensed K-12 teachers can add an endorsement in ESL and bilingual education and expand their horizons.
Three Pathways
Residential MA in TESOL
- Students take courses in the fall and spring semesters (full-time or part-time) in classes on campus, usually offered in the late afternoons and evenings. Students may also take summer intensive classes in June and July.
Benefits of this model: access to faculty mentoring, local and overseas internships, campus community and events, presentations at conferences.
TESOL Flex – Summer/Online MA in TESOL
- Students take courses in the summer session (June-July) and during the year in online format. Summer classes meet daily in an intensive format. Online classes are blended with residential classes and are taught by regular Wheaton faculty.
- Teachers and others who are working full -time outside of the Chicago area can complete the program in little over two years (three summers). Benefits include a sense of community during the on-campus sessions and access to Wheaton faculty throughout the year in high-quality online courses.
Field-Based MA in TESOL (ELIC)
- ELIC teachers (and others based in Asia and the Middle East) take courses in Thailand each January and on Wheaton’s campus each July, earning the degree in 2 to 2.5 years.
Benefits include a cycle of coursework, teaching, and reflection over an extended period of time, in community with other long-term EFL teachers. Graduates often move into leadership positions in their agencies. Ministry-related courses are taken on campus (rather than online) to avoid security concerns for teachers in Creative Access countries. Projects can be tailored to specific teaching contexts.