Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program for Initial Teacher License in English as a Second Language (Pre-K-6 and 5-12)

Graduate Program Coordinator: Dr. Margarita Perez
Phone: 508-929-8609
Email: mperez@worcester.edu

Candidates for this program must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher and meet the admissions requirements below.

Admission Requirements

The following information and materials must be submitted to the Department of Graduate and Continuing Education:

  • Completed graduate application, including fee and essay

  • Official transcripts (Transcripts from outside the United States must be officially translated and evaluated)

  • Two current letters of recommendation

  • Passing scores on the Communication and Literacy Skills Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL)

  • Results of a language proficiency assessment, if applicable

In addition, candidates also are required to demonstrate evidence of:

  • A course in human, child, or adolescent development at the undergraduate level.

  • Documentation of fluency at an intermediate level in a language other than English from a college or university or foreign secondary school; through the successful completion of foreign language courses deemed appropriate by the foreign language program in the Languages and Literature Department; or through the proficiency level determined by the University’s language proficiency assessment.

A passing score report from the ELL or ESL content MTEL is required prior to beginning the practicum

Items Needed to Apply:

  • Online application found at www.worcester.edu/apply
  • Essay explaining reason for pursuing this certificate program
  • Application fee
  • Two letters of recommendation from professional or academic sources
  • Official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities attended showing a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher
  • Official transcript evaluation for any transcript from outside the United States
  • An English language proficiency test if the student’s academic background is not in English
  • Passing scores on the Communication and Literacy MTEL
  • Results of a language proficiency assessment, if applicable. (Students must have studied or must be fluent in a language other than English to be eligible for this program.)

Full admission into the program is based upon successful completion of a prerequisite course in human, child, or adolescent development at the undergraduate level.

Core Requirements (29 credits)
ES-924Linguistics for Teachers of English Language Learners3
CD-910Speech/Language Development, Differences and Diversity3
ED-978Contemporary Issues in the Teaching of Bilingual and English Language Learners3
ES-928Second Language Acquisition3
ES-914Methods and Materials for Teaching English Language Skills to the ELL3
ED-986Literacy Instruction for the English Language Learner (ELL)3
ED-955Assessing English Language Learners3
ES-930Sheltered Instruction and Assessment in the Immersion Classroom3
ES-940Practicum and Seminar in the Teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Grades Pre-K-65
or ES-945 Practicum & Seminar in Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in Grades 5-12
Electives (Optional)
ES-929Assessing and Teaching English Language Learners With Disabilities3
ES-932Teaching Adult Esl and Sife3
ES-933Global Perspectives in Cultural Diversity3