Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Graduate Certificate

I. Contact Information

Rod Case, Ph.D.
rcase@unr.edu

II. Brief Introduction

The College of Education offers a Graduate Certificate in TESOL made up of 15 units. The certificate leads to a Nevada teaching endorsement in ESL for those holding a teaching license, or it can prepare students for teaching adults in international settings. In addition, it is also possible for students admitted to graduate programs in related fields (i.e., elementary, secondary, special education, literacy, or others) to earn the certificate while concurrently pursuing the graduate degree.

NOTE: Students who are enrolled in this program solely are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid.

III. Admission Requirements

There are no deadlines for applications. Applications are accepted year-round.

Minimum Requirements:

• An overall undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4 point scale
• Letters of recommendation from one professional qualified to judge your aptitude for teaching
• A statement of your personal goals related to TESOL
• Transcripts of previous college work
• Students already admitted to a graduate program at UNR must also submit approval for admission to the GC-TESOL from the Chair of their Advisory/Examining Committee in lieu of the letter of recommendation.
• Candidates who graduated from a non-US university and whose native language is not English must have a TOEFL score of at least 550 or 79 on the Internet Based TOEFL
• International students must have a J-1 visa or be concurrently enrolled in another graduate degree program in order to participate in the GC-TESOL

Steps to Admission:

1. Apply for admission to UNR. Please go on-line to https://www.unr.edu/grad/admissions/special-requirement-categories. At the bottom of the page is the link: Graduate Special. Print and complete this form, checking “Graduate Special” as your status. Submit the form with payment to the UNR Office of Admissions and Records.

2. Apply to the GC-TESOL program. Several forms used for this process are attached at the end of this manual. (1) The application form provides us with contact information for you and tells us which program you are interested in. (2) The Professional Dispositions form lists our values as a program and must be signed and submitted with your application. (3) The recommendation form must be completed by one person who can comment on your aptitude for teaching. If you are currently enrolled in a graduate program at UNR, the form must be completed by your Advisor. (4) A personal statement identifying goals and objectives in obtaining the graduate certificate.

IV. Program Requirements

All courses listed below are offered on at least an annual basis. You will complete a total 15 credits. Some flexibility between these options is available depending on course availability and your personal interests.

V. Total Units (15 units)