MAT TESOL

Increase Your Reach with a TESOL MAT at BSU

Between 2000 and 2017, the number of English language learners in K–12 schools alone increased by more than 1 million, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Now, an estimated 4.9 million students in U.S. public schools are learning English.

As more and more people seek to learn English, we’ll need educators who are experienced at teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) or teaching English as a foreign language.

If you’d like to advance your career and increase your reach as an educator, our Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MAT TESOL) program at Bridgewater State University can give you the credentials you need to make a difference, whether or not you’re seeking teaching licensure.

Through our Department of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), our master’s in TESOL program will prepare you for effective classroom teaching by incorporating self-reflection, learner case studies, culturally responsive pedagogy for multilingual students and more.

Graduate Admissions

Bridgewater State University
Maxwell Library, Room 019
10 Shaw Road
Bridgewater, MA 02325

(508) 531-1300

gradadmissions@bridgew.edu

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MAT TESOL Program Highlights

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 learning opportunities

Looking for graduate TESOL programs for teachers that emphasize experiential learning? You’ll find them at BSU. Here, you’ll complete case studies, prepare a research proposal and learn practical strategies to employ in the classroom. Seeking initial licensure? You’ll also complete a practicum as you earn your master’s in TESOL.

speaker at podium with 2 people seated beside it

Learn from knowledgeable faculty

Our MAT TESOL program will give you robust academic preparation in teaching English as a foreign language or second language. All of your instructors are experienced TESOL educators who have completed extensive research and are prepared to give you the feedback and guidance you need to succeed.

Flexibility you need

If you’re looking for TESOL programs with flexibility, you’ll find them at BSU. As you focus on your specialized teaching English degree program, you’ll take graduate courses face-to-face, online and in hybrid formats.

Small classes, big rewards

While working toward your master’s in TESOL at BSU, you’ll learn in classrooms with 15 or fewer students. This will provide you with opportunities to work closely with your instructors and collaborate and network with your fellow graduate students.

Find the career of your dreams

As you complete your MAT TESOL, you’ll learn about local and international job opportunities. For instance, area school districts often ask us to inform our master’s in TESOL graduates about employment opportunities and teaching positions.

Finish strong with a completion scholarship

TESOL graduate students who maintain a 3.3 GPA may be eligible for BSU’s Nunckatessett Graduate Scholarship, a tuition scholarship of $3,000 to be applied toward the last two courses needed to complete a graduate degree.

Program of Study for MAT TESOL Graduate Students

At BSU, our TESOL programs align with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requirements to ensure you’ll gain the credentials and knowledge you need to earn your licensure.

Our MAT TESOL programs include:

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (Initial Licensure), MAT, which includes a practicum and initial licensure in Massachusetts.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (Non-Licensure), MAT, designed for those who will teach in another state or already hold licensure in another field.

Admission Requirements and Program Details

Click any link below to reveal each program's admission requirements and program description.

Program details from 2024-2025 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

Graduate Program Coordinators: Dr. Melissa Keh (licensure track) and Dr. Yulia Stakhnevich (non-licensure track)

Careers in Teaching English as a Foreign Language or Second Language

BSU’s graduate TESOL programs certainly prepare you for classroom careers, but they also prepare you to work with immigrant, refugee and asylee populations. After earning your graduate-level teaching English degree, you’ll have the skills and credentials to pursue a variety of careers.

Many of our MAT TESOL graduates are already employed in the field when they join the program. Others go on to obtain teaching English as a foreign language or second language positions before they graduate.

In addition to teaching in a K–12 or college-level environment, an MAT TESOL or graduate-level teaching English degree from BSU can also help you:

Teach English to adults in the United States and abroad
Teach English language learners through community groups and organizations
Gain employment in an immigration, refugee or similar center

ESL teachers earn an annual salary of about

$59,000

according to Glassdoor.

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