The online Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at Azusa Pacific University provides graduate students from around the world with opportunities to acquire the values, attitudes, concepts, and skills required for teaching English to diverse student populations in a variety of educational contexts locally and internationally, in a manner marked by professional innovation, intercultural sensitivity, and spiritual passion.

The 36-unit online degree program consists of 12 six-week courses which are taught sequentially in a cohort model creating a community in which the rich diversity of experiences that students bring to the class result in lively discussions involving shared learning. Although the program is entirely online, students have the opportunity to meet their classmates and professors face to face once each year when they travel to an international TESOL convention, which helps fulfill a requirement for one of the courses.

The APU online MA TESOL program:

• Blends compassionate Christian service with strong academic preparation;
• Provides practical training based on a theoretical understanding of language acquisition and learning; and
• Offers project-based coursework that engages the student in:
  • formulating a working philosophy of language learning and teaching;
  • teaching English grammar and pronunciation;
  • organizing student interactions, activities, and tasks;
  • understanding the influence of social and cultural differences in language development;
  • reflecting deeply on their own teaching and on the teaching of others;
  • planning, implementing and assessing student achievement;
  • designing instructional courses and programs; and
  • developing a teacher portfolio that demonstrates their competence in the knowledge and skills necessary to teach English as a second language.