Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Graduate Certificate

Program Details

Next Start Date: Fall 2025

Credit Hours: 15

Course Length: 8 weeks

Estimated Program Length: 12 months

The online TESOL Graduate Certificate from the University of West Florida is approved by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) and can be completed in 12 months. Licensed Florida teachers who complete this program may apply for ESOL Endorsement with FLDOE.

Why Study TESOL at UWF?

UWF's Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) graduate certificate prepares educators to teach English as an additional language in a variety of settings in the United States and overseas. This 100% online program features a curriculum grounded in the five domains of TESOL adopted by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) and based on recommendations by the International TESOL Organization.

Degree-seeking students can apply to the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction program and use these TESOL courses to meet 15 hours of the 33-hour program requirements. Students who follow this route would be required to meet all of the admission requirements of the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction.

The advantage of being a degree-seeking student is that you may be eligible for financial aid and may also be eligible to earn credit for one ESOL course if you have had previous TESOL/ESOL coursework, in-service training in TESOL/ESOL and/or experience teaching English learners.

A UWF ESOL faculty member can provide you with the process of submitting compelling evidence for earning proficiency credit for past experiences and training. Transcripts of the 15 hours of the completed ESOL coursework can be submitted to the FLDOE to apply for the addition of the ESOL endorsement to an existing Florida teaching certificate.

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What You Will Learn

Coursework is designed to provide the theory and practical knowledge needed to educate culturally and linguistically diverse students. You will study topics including cross-cultural communication, second language acquisition and components of language, methods of teaching ESOL, ESOL curriculum development and testing and evaluation.

Through a focus on research-based approaches and practical teaching strategies, UWF’s online TESOL certificate delivers specialized skills for teaching English with multilingual and multicultural issues in mind. This program is approved by the FLDOE and meets high standards for academic quality.

Successful completers of the program can apply for the ESOL endorsement to be added to their teaching certification in the state of Florida. Students seeking endorsement outside Florida will need to follow the appropriate credentialing process for that state.*

Courses

*Requirements for teacher certification differ by state. Applications should contact their state department of education to determine whether this program can be used in obtaining a TESOL certificate.

Courses & Requirements

The TESOL Graduate Certificate program requires 15 credit hours of coursework. All students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in each course and have a cumulative 3.00 GPA for courses in the certificate.

Required Courses (15 credit hours)

TSL 5142 - ESOL Curriculum and Materials Development
TSL 5250 - Applied Linguistics
TSL 5345 - Methods of Teaching ESOL
TSL 5440 - ESOL Testing and Evaluation
TSL 5525 - Cross-Cultural Communication and Understanding

This certificate is on a strict course rotation. If a course offering is missed, the program will not be able to be completed in a year.

To be considered for admission into the University of West Florida’s online Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate program, you must be admitted into the University as a degree- or non-degree-seeking graduate student.

Candidates who wish to use these 15 semester hours as part of a graduate degree program should apply to the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction as degree seeking. These applicants must meet the admission requirements for the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction.

How to Apply

To begin, interested students need to fill out either a Graduate Application or Graduate Non-degree Seeking Application.

To apply for admission to the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, interested students first need to submit a Graduate Application for graduate admission (plus a $30 application fee) and be accepted for admission into the University of West Florida.

To begin the certificate program, interested students need to fill out the Graduate Non-degree Seeking Application. Once accepted as a graduate non-degree seeking student, students should contact an SOE Adviser at soe@uwf.edu to speak about course availability and scheduling. Then, complete the online Graduate Certificate Declaration Form on MyUWF.

Have questions about this program or the admissions process? Contact our graduate admissions team at graduate@uwf.edu. If you are a current UWF student, please reach out to the department academic advisor.

Full Course Descriptions Registration Requirements

Careers & Outcomes

When you earn your TESOL certification online with UWF, you will be qualified to teach English to non-native speakers in a variety of settings in the U.S. and overseas.

Job Titles

Adult Literacy Teacher
ESL Teacher
English Language Curriculum Specialist
Private Tutor
International ESL Teacher

Career Outlook

The median pay for ESL teachers is $58,590
Florida is one of the top five states with the highest employment level in Second Language Instructors
4,200 job openings are projected each year

Source: BLS, 2024

Tuition Rate Per Credit Hour

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Online Graduate Certificate Tuition
Component	Cost	Total
Tuition	$416.50 per credit hour	$6,247.50

Time to completion varies by student, depending on individual progress and credits transferred, if applicable. Fees are charged per semester unless otherwise noted.

Refer to UWF Cost of Attendance Estimates and Financial Literacy for more information on UWF costs and financial aid.

* Tuition and fees are subject to change.

Military & Financial Aid

Military & Veterans

The UWF Military & Veterans Resource Center (MVRC) serves as the campus advocate for military, dependents and veteran students. Contact the MVRC to learn more about the various military and veteran education assistance or tuition waiver opportunities and eligibility requirements.

UWF Financial Assistance

The University of West Florida provides eligible students with an alternative to paying the full amount of tuition at the beginning of each term in the form of an installment payment plan or a short-term loan. See more about Financial Aid and Education Funding Opportunities.