Second language education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) will prepare you to teach English language learners in schools, community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities, local community centers and abroad.
The program is called "non-certification" because it does not automatically lead to New York State K-12 certification, which is required to teach in public K-12 schools. If you already have New York State certification in any teaching area, you will be eligible to apply for additional certification in TESOL. If you are not a New York State-certified teacher, our program will prepare you to teach in settings outside of public K-12 schools.
Applying for additional certification
You may apply for additional certification in TESOL before completing your master's degree. The process of getting your additional certification is very similar to getting initial certification. However, when applying for additional certification, you are responsible for requesting and submitting all documents (proof of coursework, workshops, initial certification, test scores, etc.) to NYSED. Please see NYSED's certification from start to finish page for more information.
Please see the NYSED certification requirements tool for current requirements for additional certification.
For more information on additional certification, please contact Career Services.
Foreign language requirement
NYSED requires a total of 12 credit hours of college-level foreign language coursework for additional certification in TESOL. Foreign languages courses do not need to be taken in the same language. You may combine languages and levels (Spanish 102, ASL 101, Chinese 201, Italian 101, etc.).
For example, if you took SPA 101 and 102 for your undergraduate degree, you would need to take two more foreign language courses (or 6 more credit hours) at the undergraduate college level. Those two courses could be in any language at any level except for SPA 101 or 102.
Foreign language courses do not need to be taken at SUNY Cortland; they may be taken at community colleges or other institutions. Cortland offers Spanish 101 through 202 online during the summer and winter semesters.
Note: You will need to provide transcripts of foreign language courses from the institution where you have taken them and submit the transcript(s) to NYS Ed when you apply for additional certification in TESOL. We recommend you keep your transcripts in a folder that is easily identifiable.
Resources
- GPA requirements for additional certification
- NYSED Certification Requirements tool
- Certification from start to finish
Please contact Career Services for more information on additional certification.