TESOL
Fluency in a global world
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certificate Description
Program Retirement
Thank you for your interest in the TESOL program. You are invited to enroll in any open course and pick up the practical skills you need. Please note, however, that we are no longer accepting new candidates for this program due to its pending retirement on Aug. 31, 2024.
Take the next step: Transfer to a master's program
- Notre Dame de Namur University Master of Arts TESOL
You can transfer whatever credits you have. - Hawai'i Pacific University Master's Degree of Arts in TESOL
The equivalent of 15 semester credit units - University of San Francisco Master's Degree in TESOL
English for a global world
A specialized sequence of courses in linguistics and education prepares you to teach English to immigrants and foreign nationals and prepares you to travel abroad to learn to teach English. In this program, you will learn best practices to teach English to non-native speakers at all stages of language acquisition, as well as how to communicate effectively with a diverse audience, in terms of culture and nationality. Empower your students—and ultimately yourself.
TESOL curriculum for home and abroad
- Teach English to school-aged and adult learners in the U.S.
- Teach English in your home country.
- Update your current TESOL teaching methods.
- Improve your online strategies for teaching English.
- Launch your English teaching career abroad.
TESOL certificate program objectives
- Identify current language acquisition learning theories
- Compare leading methodologies and techniques for teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing English-as-second-language skills.
- Evaluate the impact of linguistic principles on learners of English as a second language.
- Formulate effective teaching objectives, lesson plans, and assessments for English learners of all levels
- Master key principles of teaching English grammar.
- Integrate current instructional technology for English as a second language acquisition and assessment.
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Program Overview
Estimated Cost: Starting at $5,425. (You pay only for courses you enroll in.) | International Tuition Cost
Program Requirements: 9–11 courses (minimum 27 quarter units). Take 7 required courses (23 quarter units) and 2-4 elective courses (minimum 4 quarter units). End with certificate review.
Minimum Hours of Instruction: 270 hours of instruction.
Estimated Duration: A full-time student can complete the certificate in 9–12 months.
Special Programs: None
Courses
1. Required Course(s):
2. Electives:
3. Capstone Course:
4. Completion Review:
Meet Our Instructors
Certificate Inquiry Form
Recommended Course Sequence
Flexible course sequence
Courses may be taken in any order provided the prerequisites are met.
Substitutions
To receive your certificate
Upon completion of the course sequence you may request your TESOL Certificate Completion Review.
Professional Development
Transfer Your TESOL Certificate Units to a Master's Program
Notre Dame de Namur University Master's Degree in TESOL
Completion of the UCSC Silicon Valley Extension TESOL program counts towards one year toward the Master of Arts TESOL program at Notre Dame de Namur University.
And, now you can transfer whatever TESOL credits you've earned to date toward a master's degree at NDNU.
The NDNU TESOL Master's program is fully online. UCSC Extension students with a TESOL certificate would have to take five courses (15 units) to complete the Master of Arts.
Contact NDNU TESOL Program Director Caryl Hodges directly for details.
University of San Francisco Master's Degree in TESOL
Completion of the UCSC Silicon Valley Extension TESOL program counts towards one year of the Master of Arts TESOL program at University of San Francisco.
Hawai‘i Pacific University Master's Degree in TESOL
Completion of the UCSC Silicon Valley Extension TESOL program counts towards one year (15 semester credits) of the Master of Arts TESOL Program at Hawai‘i Pacific University, subject to approval by HPU TESOL’s faculty. Transfer students from UCSC Silicon Valley Extension TESOL Certificate program will be required to complete the remaining 21 semester credits (7 courses) and capstone components of the HPU TESOL degree.
Requisite Knowledge
Please review the course descriptions to ensure that you have taken necessary prerequisites or meet the requirements through job experience or previous education.
Advisory Board
Certificate Program Chair
JAMES DINWIDDIE, M.A.Ed., has more than 12 years of ESL classroom teaching experience in the U.S. and abroad. He obtained his TESOL certificate from the UCSC Silicon Valley Extension. Dinwiddie is also an adjunct faculty member at Menlo College and works as a professional tutor and instructor through Language Pacifica. He has served as TESOL program chair since 2021.
Establish Candidacy
Who should establish candidacy?
- People who are pursuing a certificate (and have enrolled in a course in the program).
- People who want to lock in the current requirements of a certificate or specialization.
4 Simple Steps to a Certificate or Specialization
- Complete a course in your selected program.
- Establish candidacy. Click on the Establish Candidacy button on your program page.
- Take all required courses for certificate completion.
- Once your grades are posted on your final course, enroll in the certificate review fee.
A Benefit of Establishing Candidacy
Program requirements may change. Once you commit to a program by establish your candidacy, you will not have to change your plans to meet new requirements. They are locked in for you. Timeline: 4 years to get it done (or 3 for a specialization) You must complete all the necessary units in a certificate within a four-year window. The clock begins on the first day of your first course in the certificate program. For example, if you started a course on Sept. 5, 2023, you would have to finish by Sept. 4, 2027.
Note: Establishing candidacy does not trigger the beginning of the four-year window. It begins the first day of the first course in your chosen certificate program. The Certificate Completion Review process does not have to occur within the four-year timeframe.
Exceptions to the four-year requirement
- If you Established candidacy prior to Jan. 1, 2024, you will have five years to complete a program.
- Students participating in a special program, such as workforce, international, or our curriculum partner programs, such as the Legal Studies courses (CLS by Barbri) and sales and business courses (Ziplines Education) have shorter completion requirements.
Grade Requirements
Please note that only letter grades of C or higher may be applied to a certificate, and in some programs, students may have more stringent requirements. Students in most employer- and government-sponsored payment programs, such as workforce development, as well as international students on F-1 visas, need to maintain a B average to meet their requirements. Personal Financial Planning students have additional grade requirements for individual courses to attain a certificate.
See Grading and Credits Policy for further information.