Master of Arts in ESL - Prospective Students

Hamline University's Center for Second Language Teaching and Learning is pleased to offer an Master of Arts in English as a Second Language for professionals who currently hold a license or certificate in ESL or bilingual education.

GOALS FOR THE MAESL PROGRAM

Teachers who graduate from the MAESL program will:

• Have a strong background in the systems of language and how they relate to instruction.
• Understand the relationship between language and culture and how it affects learning.
• Become reflective practitioners.
• Be able to pose questions related to their instruction and systematically investigate those questions.
• Have the knowledge they need to take leadership and advocacy roles in schools.
• Be able to incorporate technology in their instruction.

WHY AN MAESL?

Licensure Graduates
With an MAESL, graduates will qualify for university and community college ESL positions both in the US and abroad.

TEFL Graduates
Students who finish the TEFL certificate or its equivalent generally go abroad and teach English for a limited period of time. After they return, many have a desire to continue to improve professional skills and learn more about language theory and linguistics. With an MAESL they will qualify for university and community college ESL positions both in the US and abroad.

Teachers of Adult ELLs
An MAESL allows our Adult ESL Program graduates to teach ESL in community colleges, where many immigrant students start their advanced education in the United States.


COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. Can I count credits that I have taken at another institution?
A. You may transfer up to 16 semester credits from other institutions into the MA in ESL. They must be graduate credits. They must correspond to program requirements and must be approved by the faculty.

If you have taken relevant courses at an undergraduate level (for example, if you took linguistics and grammar as an under-graduate), you will have to substitute graduate level ESL-related courses for those classes to meet the total credit requirement. Courses must be approved by the faculty, and must have a grade of at least 3.0 or "B". We will to work with you to develop an appropriate program whenever possible.

Q. Tuition and Fees
A. The tuition rates per credit vary according to the published departmental rates for a given school year. Click here for a current tuition chart.

A one-time program fee of $175 is charged to cover the cost of advising, equivalency assessment and costs related to graduation. A non-refundable $100 deposit is required upon acceptance into the MAESL. This deposit will be used toward the first semester's tuition.

Q. How does this degree differ from the MAT or the MAEd?
A. The MAT (for people getting their first license) and MAEd (for people who already have a license) are generalist degrees. They will focus on general education issues.

The MAESL degree specializes in language and language teaching issues. On a practical level, if you would ever like to teach ESL at a college level, an MAESL, with its specialized study, will generally be looked upon more favorably than the generalist degree. In addition, an MAESL will allow you to teach in university and community colleges abroad.


FOR MORE INFORMATION

Monthly information sessions are held for prospective students. Please contact Graduate Admissions at 651-523-2900, email the Office of Graduate Admission, or click here for the next scheduled session.

You may also contact the SLTL Program Assistant at 651-523-2964 or by email.