Get Your Online Master’s Degree in TESOL

Online master’s degrees in TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) are becoming more popular as more non-native speakers move to the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the Hispanic population alone will more than double through 2060, from 53 million to 128 million. By 2060, almost one in three U.S. residents would be Hispanic, up from about one in six today. And with over 3.8 million students currently utilizing ELL (English language learner) services, qualified ESL teachers will continue to be in high demand.

Your online master’s degree program in TESOL will prepare you to take a leadership role in your district’s elementary or secondary ESL (English as a second language) program. As an ESL leader, you’ll make important curriculum decisions, advocate for school diversification and ensure quality instruction for ELLs.

Participating in an online master’s degree program in TESOL gives you a great opportunity to improve your talents and focus your learning around a fast-growing student population. In fact, bilingual and ESL teachers are consistently listed as some of the most sought-after teachers on the U.S. Department of Education’s national teacher shortage list. If you need to get your master’s degree to complete state certification requirements, specializing in TESOL could give you an edge in a difficult job market. For more information, see our Teacher Job Market Interview and our Teacher Shortage blog posts.

Options for Online Master’s Degree Programs in TESOL

Online colleges and universities offer programs that help you learn the intricacies of the English language and work across language barriers with people from different cultural backgrounds. Master’s level TESOL programs prepare you to take your knowledge of the English language and your passion for working with immigrants to the next level by teaching you how to manage challenging classroom situations and take on district-wide initiatives.

Once you start an endorsement or certification level TESOL program, you may find that obtaining a master’s degree requires only a few more classes. As you research different programs, keep in mind that teachers with graduate degrees often have an advantage in hiring situations and also earn higher salaries for their level of education.

Many online master’s degree programs in TESOL provide you with an unsupervised internship component that lets you put your new knowledge into practice. This hands-on learning experience is, for many students, the best-and most helpful-part of their TESOL program.

Completing your master’s degree program in TESOL online is a good way to learn new skills, increase your marketability and pursue career advancement.

_{Source: National Center for Education Statistics}