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Program Requirements

AA Licensure in Mississippi: A master’s degree in the endorsement area of French and Spanish qualifies for AA Licensure in Mississippi for those holding either a traditional or alternate route license. See: Mississippi Department of Education

However, students should check with their respective state departments of education to determine specific requirements.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: SACS requirements to teach at the postsecondary level are a master's degree and a total of eighteen (18) hours of graduate level coursework in the language.

 

Emphasis Requirements in Spanish and French (18 hours)
  • 15 graduate hours in the language emphasis courses
  • One course elective (due to SACS’ requirements many students do their elective in the language emphasis courses).
  • 18 hours required in courses at the 600 level
  • 3.0 GPA for graduation
  • A language proficiency requirement as determined by departmental policy
  • See the Graduate Bulletin and click on the most recent bulletin and then click on “Course Descriptions” to see a pdf file with a listing of courses under Foreign Languages-- FL, FRE, SPA and TSL regularly offered in the MATL: Graduate Bulletin

(In addition, course numbers 641 and 692 allow for flexibility as we can title and create new courses to meet student requests, needs, and professors’ special area interests.)

  • Plan of Study. Students must submit their signed, official Plan of Study Form to the Graduate Studies Office by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. The Plan of Study Forms are available at Graduate Studies.

Click on "Forms" and then the "Plan of Study."  Look up the form under masters program “Teaching of Languages”. It can also be saved as an Excel spreadsheet and sent to an advisor who can forward it to the graduate studies office.

  • A successful defense of a professional portfolio

 

Emphasis Requirements in TESOL (18 hours)

 

  • A minimum of nine (9) hours of graduate-level courses with TSL prefix. Students in the TESOL emphasis are encouraged to take courses in other departments related to the field of language education; suitable course work is regularly offered in curriculum and instruction, technology education, adult education, English, History, Anthropology, and Spanish for students who qualify.
  • TSL 612: Options in the Teaching of Grammar
  • 18 hours required in courses at the 600 level
  • 3.0 GPA for graduation
  • A language proficiency requirement of nine (9) hours of foreign language study (through 201 language courses at USM or equivalent) with an average of "B" or better for students whose first language is English.

TESOL students who have had such language study within six years of commencing MATL work are considered to have met the requirement. Significant living experience in another country may meet the requirement. Students without a background in a foreign language may take the needed language courses at any accredited university or college in the United States or at a recognized language institute in another country. A transcript or other formal documentation of study needs to be sent to the MATL coordinator or a MATL advisor.  

  • Plan of Study. Students must submit their signed, official Plan of Study Form to the Graduate Studies Office by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. The Plan of Study Forms are available at Graduate Studies

Click on "Forms" and then the "Plan of Study."  Look up the form under masters program “Teaching of Languages”. It can also be saved as an Excel spreadsheet and sent to an advisor who can forward it to the graduate studies office.

  • A successful defense of a professional portfolio

Core Course Requirements for French, Spanish, and TESOL (15 hours)
  • FL 561 Teaching Second Languages: Theory into Practice
  • FL 663 Applied Linguistics in Second and Foreign Languages
  • FL 664 Second Language Acquisition Theory and Practice
  • FL 665 Sociocultural and Sociolinguistic Perspectives in Language
  • FL 694 Practicum in Second or Foreign Language (prerequisite FL 561)

ESL Endorsement Coursework (12 hours)

  • The following program of study leads to the add-on Endorsement in ESL to a current Mississippi teaching license: FL 561, FL 663, FL 664, and CIE 600 or FL 665. In order to complete this endorsement, students will enroll as a non-degree student.
  • Please see: Graduate Admissions and click on “Non-degree enrollment.” Students must fill out and mail to the department the non-degree approval form for every course taken each semester the courses are offered.  Six hours of endorsement courses are offered per semester, 3 hours online and 3 hours in class.  Check with our course offerings to see which courses are available.
  • Courses for ESL endorsement can count towards the Master of Arts in the Teaching of Languages (TESOL emphasis) degree at USM but students must declare their intent to do the MATL before the completion of 9 endorsement hours.
  • Teachers from other states need to check with their respective state departments of education as to the requirements for an ESL endorsement.