TESOL Studies MA

    TESOL Studies MA

    Duration12 month(s)
    Tuition Fee
    GBP 38,203 / year(s)
    Next IntakeSeptember 1, 2026

    TESOL Studies MA

    About

    Course overview

    MA TESOL Studies is specially designed for graduates who are interested in becoming teachers in the field of teaching English as a second or foreign language (TESOL), and have little or no previous experience of English language teaching.

    This course offers you an excellent step towards beginning a career in TESOL. You’ll graduate with the knowledge and skills needed to be a confident and reflective practitioner able to make informed pedagogic decisions in the classroom.

    You’ll explore the description and analysis of the English language and gain an understanding of the processes through which children and adults learn languages. A large part of the course focuses on the theory and practice of general and specialist English language teaching, and you’ll have opportunities to learn more about research and current developments in TESOL in global educational contexts.

    You’ll join a very friendly, dynamic and multinational language education team in the School of Education, who have a wide range of experience in language teaching and teacher education work in the UK and around the world.

    You’ll be taught by practitioners and researchers at the forefront of a diverse range of subjects, who have ongoing projects in areas such as second language teacher education and development, English medium instruction, learning with digital technologies, motivation in teaching and learning, and vocabulary.

    Course highlights

    • Gain valuable practical teaching experience through in-class micro-teaching to help you to be a creative, reflective and adaptive English language teaching practitioner.

    • Advance your knowledge in a range of specialist areas including EAP, digital educational technologies, teaching English to young learners.

    • Join regular TESOL Forum seminars where you can learn about and discuss current ideas, topics and research in TESOL led by experts from a range of contexts.

    • Benefit from a year-long bespoke academic literacy skills course specifically designed for MA TESOL Studies students to support their academic writing.

    • Take advantage of the many awards and competitions we encourage our students to enter, and join our alumni who have been successful in the prestigious British Council Master’s Degree Dissertation Award.

    • Experience the friendliness and support given by an academic teaching team and School who understand the challenges that studying in a new cultural and learning context may bring.

    • Be part of a dynamic and renowned Centre of Language Education, whose researchers carry out world class research and classroom-based projects. Find out more about CLER.

    Requirements

    Entry Requirements

    Applying

    Entry requirements

    A bachelor degree (hons) with a 2:1 or non-UK equivalent in a subject that shows a strong grounding in English Language and/or Education, Linguistics or Foreign Languages. High grades in these subjects are essential.

    This course is designed for students who do not have the two years of experience needed for our other TESOL courses.

    Beyond a first degree of an appropriate standard and appropriate English language skills, we have no specific requirements. However, we do prefer applicants who can demonstrate an interest in the field of language teaching, for example having been involved in tutoring.

    We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications.

    English language requirements

    IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

    Improve your English

    International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

    This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Education (6 weeks) and Language for Social Science and Arts: Education (10 weeks).

    We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional and our 10 week online pre-sessional.

    You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

    English Requirements

    • IELTSMin 7

    Career

    Career opportunities

    The majority of our students are international students, who usually return to their home countries to embark on exciting careers in English language teaching in primary, secondary or tertiary education in the private or public sectors.  

    We’re proud that many of our graduates are now teaching in university language centres, private language schools or state secondary schools in China, the Middle East, Japan, Vietnam or Korea. 

    Each year some international students find jobs in the UK teaching ESOL or do a further teaching qualification such as CELTA. We have a growing number of students each year who apply to study postgraduate research degrees in the UK or other countries.  

    The home students we have had often remain in the UK teaching ESOL or EAP, while some go abroad. 

    The methodological skills and theoretical knowledge our students develop have allowed some to move into teaching other languages, such as Chinese. 

    Fee Information

    Tuition Fee
    38,203 / year(s)

    TESOL Studies MA

    University of Leeds

    University of Leeds

    United Kingdom

    United Kingdom, Leeds