Maryland stands out as offering some of the country’s most flexible graduate programming in TESOL education and ESOL teacher endorsement in the country. Its urban areas have prompted several outreach, collaborative, and alternative teacher certification programs that accelerate your pathway to high-need public ESL classrooms in the state. Master’s degree programs run the gamut of on-campus, online, hybrid, summer sessions, evening courses, and weekend institutes.
ESL Teacher Certification
According to The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and its Certification Branch, teachers can earn Maryland certification for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (PreK – 12). They must take 21 semester hours of content courses in specified areas; complete designated professional education classes totaling 18 semester hours; and complete 6 semester hours in reading methods at a secondary level that includes MSDE-approved content. The content areas are:
- ESOL Methods
- Cross-Cultural Communication
- Second Language Acquisition
- Grammar
- TESOL Assessment
- Writing for ESOL Students
Alternative Certification Options
If you seek an accelerated teacher preparation program that places you in a paid classroom position as soon as possible, review MSDE’s guide to Maryland Approved Alternative Preparation Programs. There are urban education programs, options for recent college graduates, and courses of study targeting career-changers who have relevant work experience.
Master’s in ESL Programs
The National Council on Teacher Quality recommends the graduate education programs at McDaniel College, placing it on its Honor Roll. McDaniel offers a Master of Science in TESOL and a Better Educators for Students of Tomorrow (BEST) Master’s Program with Initial Teacher Certification. The National Council on Teacher Quality in 2013 singled out University of Maryland as having multiple strong programs in education and teacher preparation. Two degrees combine K-12 Maryland certification with a master’s degree in TESOL: the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in TESOL and K-12 Certification; and the master’s certification program (MCERT) with a specialization in TESOL (an alternative teacher-training program that leads to an M.Ed. and certification). There also the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with specialization in TESOL. This is part of the college’s Teacher Leadership Program and is for educators already certified in Maryland.
