Listed below are the requirements for the TESOL Undergraduate Certificate.
Please note: the certificate program application form (step 1 in the process below) can now be found online here: https://uwm.edu/linguistics/tesol/undergraduate-certificate/certificate-application/
Requirements
Admission
Students who wish to apply to the program should submit the declaration of interest form: https://uwm.edu/linguistics/tesol/undergraduate-certificate/certificate-application/.
Requirements for admission include:
- A current transcript, with evidence of a GPA of 2.50 or better;
- A meeting with the Director of TESOL, to assess the student's interest and plan for completing the certificate.
Applicants who are not native speakers of English also should submit scores of least 550 on the TOEFL exam and 45 on the TSE.
The teaching practicum is completed at one of the institutions affiliated with the certificate program. The site of the internship may be chosen by the student, but it must be approved by the certificate program staff. The student is expected to complete between 60 and 80 hours of supervised teaching over a period of a semester. Students who previously have taken any of the required courses while enrolled as non-degree undergraduate students or students in other undergraduate programs at UWM may transfer the credits earned into the certificate program, so long as the courses have been taken within the last five years. Students who have taken comparable undergraduate-level courses at other institutions may be allowed to transfer in up to 6 credits of coursework, upon approval of the certificate program coordinator.
There is a time limit of three years from initial enrollment for completion of the certificate.
Students are required to complete the six courses (18 credits) plus teaching internship (3 credits) outlined below. All credits must be completed with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| LINGUIS 350 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| LINGUIS 410 | Literacy, Grammar, and Methodologies in ESL Education | 3 |
| LINGUIS 420 | Introduction to Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
| ENGLISH/LINGUIS 565 | Introduction to Adult/University Level TESOL | 3 |
| ANTHRO/LINGUIS 570 | Issues in Bilingualism | 3 |
| or LINGUIS 430 | Language and Society | |
| Elective | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Applied Educational Linguistics | ||
| Language, Power, and Identity | ||
| First Language Acquisition | ||
| Introduction to Phonology | ||
| Introduction to Syntax | ||
| Language in its Various Forms: | ||
| Historical/Comparative Linguistics | ||
| Advanced Phonology | ||
| Advanced Syntax | ||
| Materials for ESL Instruction | ||
| Practicum | ||
| ENGLISH/LINGUIS 569 | Practicum in Adult/University TESOL | 3 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |