Applied Linguistics, MA

Degree Requirements

All candidates are required to complete 30 graduate credits (10 courses), together with a comprehensive examination to be taken once all coursework has been completed.

The program has five components:

1. Core requirements

Students are required to take five core courses (15 credits):

2. Students choose a concentration.

Students choose a concentration from the three listed below and complete its required three courses
(9 credits):

ESL and Bilingual Studies Concentration

Foreign Language Pedagogy Concentration

3. Electives (6 credits)

The program offers more than two dozen elective courses to students in all three tracks. Students from one track may enroll in required courses from another track and count those credits toward their electives. Students also have the option to take two courses as electives in related disciplines that complement their specialization in one of the three majors.

4. Practicum and Field Experience

MA Field Experience or Massachusetts PK-12 ESL Student Teaching Practicum: Students working to obtain solely their MA degree are required to complete a Field Experience. The MA field experience requirement may be satisfied through teaching in university undergraduate ESL classes, in a public school system, or at a community agency. The field experience requirement may be waived for students with significant onsite teaching experience (paid teaching, supervised student teaching, supervised teaching in an adult social or educational agency). The student-teaching practicum is required of MA students pursuing Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) PK-12 ESL licensure in addition to their MA degree. The ESL licensure student-teaching practicum cannot be waived. Students working to obtain MA state licensure must student-teach in a PK-12 public school ESL/Sheltered English setting for one full semester.

5. Final exercise

All degree candidates must either successfully pass a four-hour long written comprehensive exam or (by invitation of the faculty only) write a thesis as their capstone experience.

Online Option

Students with a concentration in ESL or foreign language pedagogy may earn their degree online through the College of Advancing and Professional Studies (CAPS). For information about tuition and fees for CAPS courses, click here .

Admissions Requirements

Please see the general statement of admission requirements for all graduate studies programs in the Admissions section.

Please see also the description of admission requirements listed under “Professional Preparation Programs for Educators” in the Regulations, Procedures, and Degree Requirements section.

Applicants for the MA in applied linguistics must meet the following additional requirements:

Candidates must have at least a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average, preferably in a relevant field of study such as linguistics, anthropology, English, foreign language, history, political science, psychology, or sociology.
Nonnative speakers of English must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 600 on the paper-based test, 250 on the computer-based test, or 90 on the Internet-based test (IBT).
Candidates for the ESL and Bilingual Studies concentration may be asked to indicate proficiency in a language other than English at a level equivalent to two years of successful college study.
Applicants should use the 1,200-word statement accompanying the application to address directly any areas of academic weakness in the application. A discussion of the applicant’s experiences in language study, language teaching/tutoring, travel, or living in other cultural settings is also appropriate, as is a discussion of the candidate’s career goals. The statement should specify the applicant’s interest in the ESL & bilingual education, or foreign language pedagogy concentration.
GRE test scores are not required but may be submitted to strengthen the application.