Why study MSc TESOL?

MSc Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is a long-established programme which provides students with a strong grounding in foreign language education, with a particular focus on English as a foreign/additional language. It draws on a wide range of theories and methods from across the core areas of applied linguistics and encourages students to interrogate their application to educational contexts. Students on the programme benefit from our long-standing tradition of high-quality research and teaching in this area and will acquire unique skills in both TESOL pedagogy and research methods.

We are very proud of the high attainment, employability, and progression to doctoral study rates among our alumni. 

Eligible students will also have the opportunity to gain an internationally-recognised professional certificate (Cambridge English CELTA) in addition to MSc TESOL*.

Who is the programme for?

This programme is aimed at professionals in English language education at all levels (from kindergarten to university), both from the UK and overseas. Our students include teachers, educational administrators, materials and curriculum developers, assessment specialists, and policymakers. The programme is an excellent choice also for those planning to undertake doctoral study in foreign language education or Applied Linguistics in the future.  

The programme aims to:

We aim to ensure that the content of our programme is conceptually robust and practically relevant. We greatly value the professional experience that you bring to the programme, which we draw on across our units to develop you as researchers and reflective practitioners.

The programme also recognises the importance of developing research skills among our students, which we see both as a means to facilitating access to knowledge construction and a way of improving professional practice through enhanced understanding of the nature of learning and classroom processes.  

Through core and optional units and an independent dissertation project, you will explore a range of perspectives on how to teach, analyse and research language and you will have opportunities to learn about the ways TESOL provision is organised and delivered in a range of international contexts.  

*The Cambridge CELTA course is delivered by an external provider and attracts an additional fee. Entry criteria apply.