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Prospective Students

The College of New Jersey’s Teaching English as a Second Language program offers graduate level ESL and Bilingual certification and M.Ed. in TESL programs both on its Ewing campus and at TCNJ’s global sites in Mallorca, Spain and Bangkok, Thailand during the summer:

  • ESL Endorsement Certification (ESLA_SCT01)
  • Bilingual Certification (ESLA_SCT02)
  • ESL Certification (ESLA_SCT03, Global)
  • ESL Initial Certification (ESLA_SCT05)
  • Ed. in TESL (ESLA_MED01, Global)
  • Ed. in TESL (ESLA_MED02)

Global Program

The global program runs in the summer from June to July. You can take three courses in five weeks. The tuition is lower than courses offered on the NJ campus. Please visit Offsite Program’s website for more information at http://offsitegrad.tcnj.edu/programs/.

If you seek for ESL certification as an undergraduate student, contact Dr. Tabitha Dell’Angelo, Urban Education Coordinator, at dellange@tcnj.edu. The Urban Education program, in collaboration with TESL program, offers a five-year program in which you earn a bachelor’s and master’s degrees with P–3 or K–6 and ESL certifications.

Professional Development Grant

Sponsored by the Professional Development Grant, we offer limited scholarships to new students enrolled in on-campus certification programs. For each on-campus certification course students can receive a scholarship of $500 upon completion of their certification program. Contact Graduate Studies at graduate@tcnj.edu for more information.

Program Details

 

 Program Intended for: Total
Credits
M.Ed. Cert. Admission Requirements Required tests to obtain certification Student
Teaching
ESL Endorsement Certification

(ESLA_SCT01)

Candidates with NJ CEAS/Standard Certification 15 NJ CEAS/Standard Certification

 

Advanced Low or above on ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) & Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) in English
Bilingual Certification

(ESLA_SCT02)

Certified teacher with NJ CEAS/Standard Certification 12 NJ CEAS/Standard Certification Advanced Low or above on ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) & Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) in English and a target language
ESL

Certification

(ESLA_SCT03)

Candidates in Global programs 15-24 NJ CEAS/Standard Certification (For Endorsement)

For Initial certification see ESL Initial Certification

(ESLA_SCT05) below.

 

Advanced Low or above on ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) & Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) in English

For Initial certification see ESL Initial Certification (ESLA_SCT05) below.

ESL Initial Certification

(ESLA_SCT05)

Candidates without NJ CEAS/Standard Certification 21-24 Bachelor’s Degree from an Accredited Institution

Undergraduate course requirements: two in English, Math, Science, Social Studies (one in U.S. History)

Praxis Core Test scores:156 on Reading #5712, 162 on Writing #5722 and 150 on Math #5732 (Waived with SAT: Verbal 560, Math 540 (Test taken  4/1/1995-2/28/2016); Verbal 610, Math 570 (Test taken on or after 3/1/2016)); or ACT scores: English 23 on Math 23; or GRE 310 (prior to July 2011); 139 (after August 2011) with 4.0 on writing.

Advanced Low or above on ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) & Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) in English

Pass an examination in physiology, hygiene and substance abuse issues pursuant to N.J.A.C 6A:9-5.9

Completion of an online training in HIB (harassment, intimidation, and bullying)

 

One Semester

in a K-12 school

M.Ed. in TESL (ESLA_MED01) Candidates in Global programs 30 Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited Institution

GRE (See waivers in notes below.)

M.Ed. in TESL (ESLA_MED02) Candidates on Campus 30 Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited Institution

GRE (See waivers in notes below.)

 

  • Notes
    • Ed. in TESL program consists of course work leading to ESL/Bilingual certification. If you seek both ESL/Bilingual certification AND a master’s degree, you must check with the program coordinator for certification requirements. We recommend that you take the certification program first, and then go for your master’s program or you can only get your certification after completion of the Master’s program.
    • Candidates can be full-time (9 credits per semester) or part-time and have six years to complete their program.
    • All courses for certification programs can be used toward M.Ed. in TESL program.
    • NJ certifications are only issued to American citizens or U.S. permanent residents. For candidates of other nations, they can receive a Certification of Qualification (CQ) which is internationally recognized. The CQ does not requires the following tests: ACTFL tests, Praxis, HIB, and examination in physiology, hygiene and substance abuse issues as well as specific undergraduate course requirements.
    • GRE is waived for those who hold a graduate level degree, or a bachelor’s degree with 3.0 cumulative GPA from TCNJ or 3.2 GPA form another regionally accredited college/university.

     

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you offer any scholarships or financial aid?

Yes. Supported by the new Federal Professional Development Grant, the TESL program is able to offer tuition incentives to new students accepted into on-campus certification programs after December 31, 2016. For each on-campus certification course, students can receive $500 upon completion of their certification program by August 1, 2021. There are assistantships available for full-time graduate students through Graduate Studies. Contact Graduate Studies at graduate@tcnj.edu for more information.

How long does it take to complete ESL/Bilingual certification program or Master’s in TESL program at TCNJ?

That depends on whether you want to attend full, half, or part time. Certification Programs can be completed in two semesters, and M.Ed. in TESL program can be completed in a year and a half or two years.

What grade level can I teach with NJ ESL certification?

With NJ ESL and Bilingual Certification, you are qualified to teach PK-12 ESL as well as ESL at the college level, or in an adult setting. NJ certifications are permanent and no renewal is required.

I have other questions about certification. Who should I ask?

For specific information about certification, please consult Jennifer Pirone of the Certification Office: pironeJ@tcnj.edu.

How many credits may I transfer from another institution?

You may transfer a maximum of 3 credits into a certification program and 6 credits into the master’s program.  The courses must be equivalent graduate level courses from an accredited university, a grade of B or above, and taken within the past six years. You must provide the program coordinator with a course description and syllabus of the course(s) you want to transfer; if the coordinator approves those courses, you must send official transcripts to Records and Registration for final approval.

What are the basic skills requirements for ESL Initial certification program?

Candidates (except foreign students) formally accepted into ESL Initial certification program  must demonstrate basic skills competency. Options include:

  1. Eligible scores
    1. SAT Verbal 560, Math 540 (Test taken 4/1/1995-2/28/2016); Verbal 610, Math 570 (Test taken on or after 3/1/2016)
    2. ACT scores: English 23; Math 23
    3. GRE Verbal: 310 (prior to July 2011); 139 (after August 2011) with 4.0 on writing.
    4. Praxis Core Test scores:156 on Reading #5712, 162 on Writing #5722 and 150 on Math #5732

What are the undergraduate course requirements for the ESL Initial certification program?

Candidates (except foreign students) formally accepted into ESL Initial certification program must meet NJ State undergraduate course requirements: two in English, Math, Science, Social Studies (one in U.S. History). If you miss one or more courses, you can take it/them at a community college while in your certification program.

I work full time. Will I be able to attend the program?

Yes.  You will be able to attend all of our programs except the ESL Initial Certification program while working full time. Most courses run from 5-7:30 pm once a week on weekday evenings. However, in the ESL Initial Certification program, you must complete student teaching in a school for TCNJ’s full semester. If you work full time, you will need to make special arrangements to cover that semester.

Can I take courses during the summer?

Few courses are available on campus in the summer, but we offer many courses at our global sites in Mallorca, Spain and Bangkok, Thailand. You can take three courses in five weeks. The global tuition is much lower than that on the NJ campus. Please visit Offsite Graduate program website for more information at http://offsitegrad.tcnj.edu/programs/.
For specific details on course offerings on campus please consult the summer session course catalog as well as the Offsite Graduate program website.

Do you offer courses on weekends?

No. All of our courses on campus are offered at 5-7:30 pm once a week on campus.

While I am in the program, I would like to obtain experience working with a professor on research. Are there any opportunities?

Yes. The faculty at TCNJ conduct ongoing research in several areas related to TESL. Each faculty member profile lists current interests and ongoing research projects. You can contact a faculty member to discuss any possibilities for getting involved in a research project. We offer ESLM 687 Faculty/Student Research which is designed for students to do research with faculty. You may also take ESLM 697 to conduct a research project independently.

Do you offer any program overseas or courses online?

Yes. We offer the same program at our global sites in Mallorca, Spain and Bangkok, Thailand in the summer.  You can take three courses in five weeks. The global tuition is much lower than that on the NJ campus. Please visit our website for more information at http://offsitegrad.tcnj.edu/programs/. We do not offer online programs but you may take one or two courses online through PLS 3rd Learning (Performance Learning System), TCNJ’s partner with the approval of your coordinator.

What field experiences are required for certification program?

All students are required to do classroom observations. ESLM 688 Student Teaching is only required for students in the ESL Initial Certification program; student teaching field practice is required for a full semester in a K-12 school towards the end of the program. As required by NJ DOE’s new regulation, starting in the fall of 2017, students must complete 50 hours of field practice before a full year student teaching. Detailed information will be available in the summer of 2017.

To apply to the program, visit TCNJ Graduate Studies.

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