Top Ten TESOL Certificate Programs

Most states are requiring a certification for TESOL professionals today, and those teachers that did not major in the field while getting their degree are returning for a Graduate TESOL Certificate that can be found in many TESOL degrees online.  Those credentials are often modeled on state requirements drawn from the state where the campus is located, but that does not mean the certificate won’t apply in other states; teachers who are considering obtaining a certificate should check with their state licensing bureau for educators.

1.      Northcentral University (**Highly Recommended) has a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies program for English as a Second Language.  The six course curriculum consists of Instructional Practices, Evaluation of Diverse Learners, Bilingual Instruction Methods, Secondary Language Foundations, Cultural Diversity, and Developing Curriculum for ESOL Learners.

2.      University of Phoenix (**Highly Recommended) offers an online Graduate California Teachers of English Learners Certificate that is also available at several of the California campuses.   This TESOL Certificate enables teachers in the State of California to apply for credentialing as TESOL educators in their area of specialty, or as a generalist if they are elementary school teachers.

3.      George Washington University has an online TESOL graduate certificate in special education that is for the purpose of training educators to conduct special education programs in a bilingual context.  The Bilingual Special Education program is one of only eight in the nation with this design, which will allow teachers to determine whether a student has a problem with limited language skills or an actual learning disability.

4.      Kaplan University includes an online Graduate Certificate in Literacy and Language Teaching meant for licensed teachers who wish to become experts at teaching reading and writing in a TESOL environment.  The core courses are in Student Assessment, and Reading Diagnosis & Remediation.  Specialization courses include Teaching Reading K-6 and Teaching Writing K-6, or Teaching Writing Across the Curriculum 6-12 and Reading in the Content Area Grades 6-12.

5.      University of Cincinnati (**Highly Recommended) offers a Certificate in Postsecondary Literacy that is designed to prepare students for teaching literacy and writing in community colleges and adult education programs.  One of the principal issues in these two educational environments is teaching students for whom English is a new or second language the fundamentals of reading development and writing construction.  This online TESOL Certificate is a six course program that includes a practicum.

6.      Northeastern University has an online Graduate Certificate in TESOL that is structured as a five course program with four core courses and one elective.  The core courses cover Language & Linguistics for English, and Teaching, Learning & Assessment, along with Managing a TESOL Classroom.  Electives include Bilingualism & Literacy Development, and Teaching Reading & Writing to ESL Students.

7.      Lesley University has a TESOL graduate program that is designed for licensure for current teachers in the specialties of reading and literacy.  Lesley has campuses in Boston and Cambridge and uses the State of Massachusetts guidelines for its teacher preparation programs.  Lesley also offers a Master of TESOL degree that is also available with a Bilingual Education specialization.

8.      Seattle University offers a Post-Masters Certificate in TESOL for teachers with an advanced degree who would like to obtain an endorsement or license for teaching in their specialty in a TESOL environment.  High school teachers with this certificate can teach English Language Learners in their respective fields of science, social studies, math, etc.  The certificate meets State of Washington requirements.

9.      Bowling Green University has a School of Education that has been structured around the State of Ohio teacher licensing requirements.  Their MAT and MEd programs all meet state standards, and the Ohio Reading Graduate Endorsement is a certificate program for teachers with a graduate degree who would like state certification as reading specialists K-12.  This is a graduate TESOL certificate that addresses language limitations through the teaching of reading.

10.  University of Florida has included a Certificate in TESOL as part of the Unified Elementary ProTeach Masters program.  ProTeach is a combination of special education and elementary education preparation for an increasingly diversified student population.  The TESOL Specialization option is a twelve credit   course of study combined with three other mandatory courses that add further specialization to this program designed for Florida classrooms.