- 1.1 Graduate Program Resources
- 1.2 Academic Information
- 1.3 Program Advisors, Major Professors, & POS Committees
- 1.4 Degree Progress, Planning, and Time Limits
- 1.5 Minors and Co-majors
- 1.6 Course Policies
- 1.7 Registration
- 1.8 Graduate Assistantships
- 1.9 Graduate Student Travel and Support
- 1.10 Graduation
- 1.11 Graduate Faculty Members
- 2.1 About the MA programs
- 2.2 MA in English Degree Requirements
- 2.3 MA in Rhetoric, Composition, & Professional Communication Degree Requirements
- 2.4 MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics Degree Requirements
- 2.5 Minoring and Co-majoring in the MA Programs
- 2.6 The Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan (MA)
- 2.7 Guidelines for Thesis and Creative Component (MA)
- 3.1 About the MFA program
- 3.2 M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Environment Degree Requirements
- 3.3 The Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan (MFA)
- 3.4 Minoring and Co-majoring in the MFA Program
- 3.5 Guidelines for Thesis (MFA)
- 4.1 About the Doctoral programs
- 4.2 PhD in Applied Linguistics and Technology (ALT)
- 4.3 PhD in Rhetoric and Professional Communication (RPC)
- 4.4 Minoring and Co-majoring in the PhD Programs
- 4.5 The Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan (PhD)
- 4.6 Preliminary examination requirements and ABD Status
- 4.7 Guidelines for the Dissertation (Ph.D.)
- 5.1 About the Concurrent Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Programs
- 5.2 Concurrent BA in Linguistics/MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics Degree Requirements and Curriculum Plans (UPDATES COMING SOON)
- 5.3 Concurrent BS in Technical Communication/MA in Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Communication Degree Requirements and Curriculum Plan (UPDATES COMING SOON)
- 5.4 The Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan (Concurrent MA) (UPDATES COMING SOON)
- 5.5 Guidelines for Thesis and Creative Component (Concurrent MA)
- 6.1 About the Certificate Programs
- 6.2 Certificate in TESL/TEFL Program Requirements
- 6.3 The Certificate Academic Plan (COMING SOON)
Students admitted to graduate study in the MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics (TESL/AL) program study teaching methods and research in English language teaching.
2.4.1 Degree Requirements (Effective Fall 2024)
Requires 30 credits of coursework.
| Area of Coursework | Courses | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PRE-/CO-REQUISITES (or their equivalents) These courses do not count towards degree requirement credits. Student who have not completed prerequisites upon entry into the program must complete them as soon as possible after admission. Previous coursework that meets pre-/co-requisites must be documented by submitting the appropriate form. | ENGL/LING 2200 or passing the 2200 test-out ENGL/LING 2190 | |
| LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS AND APPLIED ASPECTS OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION | 15 | |
| ENGL/LING 5120 ENGL/LING 5190 ENGL/LING 5240 or ENGL/LING 5250 ENGL/LING 5370 Choose one of the following: ENGL/LING 5880 or ENGL 5000 or SPCM 5130 | ||
| ELECTIVES | Five (5) courses or the equivalent of 15 credits of electives | 12 |
| INDEPENDENT RESEARCH | ENGL 6990: Thesis Research or ENGL 5990: Creative Component | 3 |
| TOTAL | 30 minimum |
2.4.2 Curricular Policies and Guidelines
Language Requirement
Satisfying the MA TESL/AL Language Requirement may require additional coursework. The spirit of this requirement is that students, before they graduate, will have had a language-learning experience either in the recent past or concurrent with working toward their degree. All students are required to submit a Language Requirement Form indicating how this requirement is to be met signed by your assigned program advisor or major professor and submitted to the Graduate Program Office (englgrad@iastate.edu) for approval by the Director of Graduate Education in order to receive acknowledgement on your official academic record that a language requirement has been met.
Native speakers of English
The following are the most typical ways for native speakers of English to fulfill the requirement. Students who believe they have fulfilled the requirement in other ways should write a petition to DOGE explaining their situation. To satisfy the language requirement, students must
- have completed one year (or its equivalent) of college-level study in a single foreign language with a grade of B or higher, as shown on a transcript, no more than ten (10) years before beginning graduate work in the TESL/Applied Linguistics program; students who finished at least one year of college-level language study more than ten (10) years before beginning graduate work in TESL/Applied Linguistics must complete one semester of college-level study of any foreign language with a grade of B or higher, concurrent with working toward the degree OR
- complete one year or its equivalent of college-level study in a single foreign language, with a grade of B or higher in the second semester, concurrent with working toward the degree OR
- demonstrate proficiency in a single foreign language by means of a CLEP exam available through the College Board equivalent to one year of college-level study OR
- provide clear evidence of a bilingual background
Nonnative speakers of English
Nonnative speakers of English must pass the English Placement Test (EPT) as a graduate student or qualify for one of the EPT exemptions (see exemption information on their website); if students fail the EPT, they will be required to take and pass English classes.
All graduate students in the TESL/Applied Linguistics MA program whose first language is not English are required to pass the OECT as part of their program requirements. To pass, students must achieve a Level 1 certification or may be exempted from taking one or both of the OECT components. Check the OECT website for further information.
2.4.3 The Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan (MA)
Students will establish their POS committee according to information found in another section of this manual on these requirements and by the established deadline for forming your POS committee and submitting the Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan in Workday.
2.4.4 Final Oral Defense of the Thesis or Creative Component (Final Oral Examination)
Students should refer to Guidelines for Thesis and Creative Component (MA) as soon as they begin to establish their POS committee and share their research interests. See the section on Graduation for more details and information on finishing up as well as resources with links to very helpful information.
2.4.5 Student Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes students in this program are expected to meet include:
- Demonstrate independence, reflective practices and professionalism in teaching and assessment of English as a second language.
- Demonstrate knowledge of and confidence with the use of computer applications relevant to teaching English language teaching.
- Formulate important research questions to for guiding investigations that contribute to theory and practice in one or more areas of applied linguistics.
- Carry out research in one area of applied linguistics that will increase understanding of English language teaching.
- Evaluate research in the field to identify its contribution to theory, research and practice in applied linguistics.
- Communicate ideas, discoveries, and findings to others in a professional and creative manner.
- Collaborate with other professionals to create and investigate new knowledge, practices and products for English language teaching.