The Post-baccalaureate Advanced Certificate and the Post-masters Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) are fully online, 12-credit programs that prepare teachers who hold a valid Initial, Professional or Permanent New York State classroom teaching certificate in another area to gain an Initial or Initial/Professional certificate in TESOL. The programs are grounded in evidence-based practices in the areas of language acquisition and instruction and are situated within a social justice framework that aims to assist limited English proficient students in gaining the necessary skills to increase their prospects of academic success in English-dominant school settings.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the programs require the applicant to hold a valid Initial, Professional, or Permanent NYS Teacher Certification, 12 credits in a language other than English, 3 credits in Literacy Skills, a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, and submit an official transcript of his or her bachelors and master's degree (if completed) along with a complete application. Visit the Admission page of this catalog for a full list of requirements for admission.

Please Note: The TESOL programs will be accepting students for the Fall and Summer terms only.

Program Delivery and Tuition Rate

These certificate programs are delivered through online courses and are billed at the Non-MBA rate.

Mandatory Professional Licensure Disclosure

New York State takes pride in the high quality of its licensed and certified professionals.  For the protection of its citizens, each license and certificate has requirements that individuals must meet in order to be licensed or certified in New York State.  SUNY’s academic programs leading to licensure or certification are carefully designed to meet and exceed these State requirements. This is a role SUNY plays in protecting the public.  Other states frequently have their own requirements, so if your goal is to practice in another state, this disclosure will help you check to see what that state requires.  The full details regarding this disclosure related to the applicable SUNY Empire degree programs may be found here. 

Admission 

Admission to this graduate certificate program is selective. Admission to the programs require the applicant to hold a valid Initial, Professional, or Permanent NYS Teacher Certification, 12 credits in a language other than English, 3 credits in Literacy Skills, a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, and submit an official transcript of his or her bachelors and master's degree (if completed) along with a complete application.

Application Requirements 

A complete application includes: 

• Official transcript with proof of a conferred bachelor’s degree, and master’s degree (if completed)
• Current valid Initial, Professional, or Permanent NYS Teacher Certification
• Personal Statement
• Resume

Start Terms

This program admits new students to the:

• Fall
• Summer

Deadlines 

Application deadlines do change from term to term. For specific deadlines, please see the Graduate Admissions Deadline page. 

How to Apply 

To apply, visit the SUNY Empire application portal and select Graduate: https://www.sunyempire.edu/application.html . When selecting your program in the application:

• If you hold a bachelor’s degree only: Choose Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, TESOL, Graduate Certificate
• If you hold both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree: Choose Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, TESOL, Certificate of Advanced Study

Students may begin this 12-credit program in the fall or summer terms. The required courses of these programs and the suggested enrollment sequences are as follows for Fall and Summer:

Fall Term Start

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Fall Term
EDUC 6080	Second Language Acquisition	3
EDUC 6082	Research-Based Methods for Teaching English Language Learners	3
Spring Term
EDUC 6081	Linguistics and Grammar for English Teaching	3
EDUC 6083	Teaching English Language Learners in the Content Areas	3
Total Credits		12

Summer Term Start

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Summer Term
EDUC 6081	Linguistics and Grammar for English Teaching	3
Fall Term
EDUC 6080	Second Language Acquisition	3
EDUC 6082	Research-Based Methods for Teaching English Language Learners	3
Spring Term
EDUC 6083	Teaching English Language Learners in the Content Areas	3
Total Credits		12

Program Prerequisites

Acceptance into the certificate program requires proof of teacher certification, 12 credits in a language other than English (including American Sign Language), 3 credits in Literacy Skills, and 3.0 undergraduate GPA.

Upon successful completion of these programs, students should be able to:

• Develop instructional and assessment strategies for supporting ELLs in their learning across the content areas.
• Construct meaningful learning opportunities that combine academic language development with lessons that affirm cultural and linguistic diversity.
• Evaluate divergent theories of second language acquisition while connecting them with practices.
• Evaluate how language, as a system of sounds with the purpose of making meaning, connects with disciplines of psychology, sociology, and anthropology.
• Apply the theories, principles, and practices of teaching English to speakers of other languages in the P-12 classroom.