Admissions | Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL)

At PSU, the master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) is housed in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. This degree is designed to give you skills and expertise in three critical areas:

• Language structure and use
• Language teaching and learning
• Research and professional development

Graduates from our program are working in the US and abroad, in universities, community colleges, community programs, private language schools, corporations, online programs, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations. They are teachers, material developers, program administrators, foreign service officers, and much more. Our strong network of alumni will give you access to connections and support for a wide array of opportunities. 

Application Materials

Below is the list of the materials and information you will need to provide as part of your application. We recommend preparing these materials in advance of submitting your application.

Qualifying graduate applicants may submit a request for the application fee waiver with required documentation as part of the application process.

• Current resume or CV
• Statement of Purpose: In 2-3 pages, comment on your background and preparation for entering the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) / Applied Linguistics. Outline your reasons for selecting this field as a future profession, describe your future goals, and explain why the M.A. TESOL program at PSU is an appropriate program for achieving these goals.
• References: Submit contact information for at least two academic or professional references who can write letters commenting on your ability to do graduate work and your potential for teaching or other language-related careers. We prefer that at least one letter comes from a professor who knows your academic work. Portland State University will contact your references and provide them with instructions for submitting recommendation forms.
  • If you have been out of school for many years and can not get a letter from a former professor, consider taking a pre-admission course so you can ask our department faculty member for a letter. You can also ask for letters from supervisors. 
  • If you are a recent graduate or are currently a post-bac student, former professors will likely be the best people to ask. 
  • If possible, find recommenders who have completed graduate work so that they can comment on your aptitude for such work.
• Copies of transcripts from each college or university attended
• Proof of English Language Proficiency (if applicable). Our program’s minimum test scores are as follows:
  • iBT TOEFL: 100
  • IELTS: 7.0
  • PTE: 65

Cost & Funding

At this time, the department does not offer Teaching Assistantships or Research Assistantships.

The MA TESOL program is a Western Regional Graduate Program. If you live in one of 15 western states, you pay in-state tuition. 

The James Nattinger Scholarship Fund also provides scholarship support for outstanding graduate students. Applicants must be graduate students who are in good standing in the Applied Linguistics department, or
who have recently applied for admittance to the MA TESOL program.

Contact

Once you've submitted your application, please visit the student portal for the latest updates on your application. If you have any questions regarding the application process, contact the Graduate School at gradschool@pdx.edu or feel free to contact the Department of Applied Linguistics at linginfo@pdx.edu.

The [Applied Linguistics Department] is a really cool environment in terms of how close everyone is here. Something that I didn't have during my undergrad is a really secure support system. The professors here take so much time to get to know all of the students that they work with. That's not something that I experienced before. It's been described as a private university with a public school cost. They do so much for the students. 

Sasha Reinwald-Albrecht, MA TESOL alum, 2019