Undergraduate Certificate & Minor in TESOL

Enhance Your Degree Through the TESOL Certificate Program or Minor at BSU

Did you know that nearly one in 10 students in grades K–12 learn English alongside other subjects? According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, 9.6% of students are English learners.

This number is expected to grow, so the need for educators who are experienced at teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) or teaching English as a foreign language in another country (TEFL) will increase, too.

You don’t need a bachelor’s degree in TESOL to effectively work with English language learners. If you’d like to major in another subject area but are interested in TEFL or TESOL certification, Bridgewater offers two pathways to teaching other language speakers: Choose the TESOL certificate program or a minor in teaching English as a second language.

Through our Department of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), you’ll find the best TESOL certification and minor programs to help meet your goals, whether you’d like to teach English as a second/foreign language in schools, community centers or other organizations in the United States or abroad.

TESOL Certificate Program and Minor Highlights

students working in small groups in a classroom

Trustworthy program content

The best TESOL certification programs feature credible content. At BSU, both our TESOL certificate program and TESOL minor program align with the Standards for Short-Term TEFL/TESL Certificate Programs developed by the TESOL International Association, so your education is based on industry standards.

BSU TESOL student teacher smiling while holding up a drawing of Abraham Lincoln with a sentence under it in front of an elementary age student with her hand raised

Exciting hands-on opportunities

If you’d like to teach English but you don’t want to commit to a bachelor’s degree in TESOL, BSU offers other options. Through our TESOL minor or TESOL certificate program, you’ll teach and interact with multilingual learners, applying what you’re learning while developing your teaching skills.

BSU student Taylor Alfonse smiling while showing a large book page to a preschool student

Get a TESOL certificate or minor — whatever your major

Add a TESOL certificate or minor to your current major. Our minor and TESOL certificate program graduates have majored in communication sciences and disorders, elementary education, English and other areas. Non-degree seeking individuals may also pursue our TESOL certificate program. TESOL minors may choose to receive the certification as part of their program of study.

Small class sizes, big learning opportunities

The best TESOL certification programs and minors allow for one-on-one time with instructors and class collaboration. At BSU, classes are capped at 25 students. This allows you more face time with your instructors and opportunities to work with fellow students in the TESOL certificate program or minor.

Flexible course schedules that work for you

BSU’s College of Continuing Studies gives you maximum flexibility to complete your program. Are you trying to figure out how to get a TESOL certificate while juggling other responsibilities? At BSU, our TESOL certificate program and most TESOL minor courses are 100% online. This way, you can learn wherever you are.

Program of Study for TESOL Certificate and TESOL Minor students

What’s the difference between TEFL vs TESOL certification? Wondering how to get a TESOL certificate?

When it comes to TEFL vs TESOL certification, many institutions use the terms interchangeably. Either can prepare you to teach English language learners. TEFL prepares you to teach in a country where English is not the primary language, whereas TESOL provides a broader foundation in teaching English to speakers of other languages.

Grounded in best practices, we have some of the best TESOL certification programs and minor programs available. Both programs will provide you with critical theory, strategies for teaching multilingual learners, a background on cultural issues in TESL/TEFL and more.

Click any link below to reveal each program's course detail.

Program details from 2024-2025 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

Careers in TESOL

You don’t need a bachelor’s degree in TESOL to teach English to speakers of other languages. Once you complete our undergraduate TESOL certificate program or minor from BSU, you’ll have the skills and credentials you need to pursue a variety of careers.

Learn more about the the TESOL certificate program »

Either BSU undergraduate program can also help you:

Teach adults English in the United States and overseas
Teach English through various organizations and community groups
Begin your career at a refugee or immigration center
Work for private institutes or libraries
Teach English online
Teach at language learning centers or Community centers

Adult ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers who teach adults how to read, speak English and more earn a median salary of about

$55,400

according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

a male BSU student with glasses and short dark brown hair, mustache and beard looking up from his laptop

Continue Your Education Beyond Your TESOL Certificate or Minor

If you’d like to pursue graduate studies after you complete an undergraduate TESOL certificate program or minor, here are some options at BSU to consider:

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, MAT
Bilingual Education, Graduate Certificate
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Graduate Certificate

View BSU Graduate Programs »

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