Our degree program prepares candidates for a career as an English as a second language (ESL) classroom teacher, ESL resource teacher, or a teacher responsible for providing ESL instruction and support in the regular classroom or special settings. Candidates gain the knowledge, skills and dispositions for developing ESL skills across reading, writing, and listening, and for involving community and families as partners. They will also leave the program with a historical perspective of English learners in the U.S. Candidates will develop specific skills for assessing English learner proficiency and content area knowledge, and knowledge of various program models. They will become familiar with current research in ESL instruction, and understand how theory can be structured in classroom practice to develop the oral language and literacy skills of all students.
This program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
This program is nationally recognized by the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Our degree program prepares you for a career as an English as a second language (ESL) classroom teacher, ESL resource teacher, or a teacher responsible for providing ESL instruction and support in the regular classroom or special settings. The demand for such skills is growing across the country. You won't need to demonstrate language proficiency in a second language. However, if you decide to earn either the bilingual endorsement or the ESL endorsement, you will need to fulfill the language proficiency and teacher certification requirements of these endorsements.
To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.
You must additionally complete:
Read the full policy here.
In addition to University Requirements:
Candidates in this program of study are required to demonstrate content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and skills, and professional knowledge to enroll in the fieldwork and capstone courses.
Content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge or skills are demonstrated through candidate performance on key assessments embedded in the following courses:
| Minimum Units for Completion | 30 |
| Additional Admission Requirements | Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required. |
| Fieldwork Experience/Internship | Required |
| Arizona Endorsement | May prepare student for Arizona Endorsement. |
| Progression Plan Link | View Program of Study |
| Licensing or Certification | This program may lead to licensure or certification. |
Purpose Statement
Our degree program prepares candidates for a career as an English as a second language (ESL) classroom teacher, ESL resource teacher, or a teacher responsible for providing ESL instruction and support in the regular classroom or special settings. Candidates gain the knowledge, skills and dispositions for developing ESL skills across reading, writing, and listening, and for involving community and families as partners. They will also leave the program with a historical perspective of English learners in the U.S. Candidates will develop specific skills for assessing English learner proficiency and content area knowledge, and knowledge of various program models. They will become familiar with current research in ESL instruction, and understand how theory can be structured in classroom practice to develop the oral language and literacy skills of all students.
Student Learning Outcomes
Candidates will:
Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
Admission requirements include the following:
Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.
Ready to apply? Begin your application now.
International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.
This Master’s degree requires 30 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 30 units:
Required Courses (21 units)
Foundations (6 units)
At least 50% of your courses must be at the 600-level or above. A maximum of two 400-level courses may be taken for graduate credit in the program of study. In addition, you must be admitted to this degree program before finishing your first 12 units of graduate work.
This program includes all the coursework requirements for the Arizona ESL Endorsement. Students interested in pursuing this endorsement should choose BME 420 as an elective.
For this plan, you need not demonstrate proficiency in a second language, but you must have had some second-language learning experience. However, if you decide to apply for either the Bilingual Endorsement - Arizona Department of Education or the English as a Second Language Endorsement - Arizona Department of Education, you do need to fulfill the language proficiency and teacher certification requirements established by the Arizona Department of Education. This requirement may be met in several ways, including six (6) semester hours of study in a foreign language, passing the Spanish Proficiency exam, or Tribal documentation of proficiency in a Native Language. All endorsements are granted through the Arizona Department of Education.
All endorsements are granted through the Arizona Department of Education.
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.