Languages, M.Ed.

Shawn Morrison, Program Director
morrisonsh@cofc.edu
843.953.4266

Alba Ortiz, Associate Program Director
ortizar@cofc.edu

Mission Statement

The mission of the M.Ed. in Languages Program is to satisfy the professional development needs and career goals of practicing language teachers and consultants (Multilingual Learners/ESOL and Spanish) by deepening their content area knowledge in second language acquisition, linguistics, and language instruction.

Program Description

The program is intended for working professionals who wish to further their understanding of language acquisition by pursuing a graduate degree. All classes are offered online and students may take courses on a full-time or part-time basis.

The core curriculum focuses on cross-cultural competencies, the linguistic, psychological and social influences that affect the acquisition of a second language, as well as advanced teaching approaches, educational research, and educational technology. There are two emphases: Spanish and Multilingual Learners/ESOL. Students in the Spanish emphasis also explore the varied literary, cultural, and linguistic dimensions of relevance to Spanish speakers throughout the world, while students in Multilingual Learners emphasis examine the cultural and linguistic aspects of language acquisition to prepare them to work more effectively with English language learners in the US and abroad.

Student also complete 6 credit hours of approved electives and a minimum of 50 hours of field experience. All master’s degree candidates complete a capstone teaching portfolio in the final semester that is aligned with the national standards for the preparation of language teachers put forth by the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). The degree must be completed within six years of the entrance date.

Although the M.Ed. in Languages is a degree in Education, it does not lead to initial teacher certification in South Carolina. However, it can lead to add-on certification in Spanish or PK12 Multilingual Learner Education.

Admission Requirements and Application Deadlines

Institutional Admissions Requirements

A completed application form with a nonrefundable application fee of $60.
Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework. An earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required.
International applicants should refer to the International Students area within the “Admissions Information” section of the catalog for information on providing appropriate documentation with the application.

Program Admissions Requirements

Applicants holding a valid teaching certificate/license from any state will be admitted as long as they have a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.500 or better on a 4.000 scale. Note that for the Spanish emphasis, a bachelor’s degree in Spanish or the equivalent is required. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required.

Please provide:

A copy of the applicant’s valid teaching certificate
Two letters of recommendation
Statement of goals
Evidence of command of English (if English is not the primary language). A TOEFL score of 79 or greater is required.

Applicants without a valid teaching certificate/license will be considered on a case-by-base basis. The program steering committee will consider a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, a GPA of 2.500 or better on a 4.000 scale, at least 30 credit hours of undergraduate coursework or an equivalent in Spanish (for the Spanish emphasis only), and other teaching experience non K-12 public schools (private settings, teaching abroad, or adult education among others).

Please provide:

Two letters of recommendation
Statement of goals
Evidence of command of English (if English is not the primary language). A TOEFL score of 79 or greater is required.

Application Deadlines

Fall: January 15, priority*; July 1, final
Spring: November 1, priority; December 1, final
Summer: January 15, priority; April 1, final

*Candidates who submit a completed application by the priority deadline will automatically be considered for Graduate School and/or graduate program funding.

Provisional Admission

Students who do not meet the requirements for admission may be admitted provisionally until the deficiencies are corrected. Conditions of provisional acceptances that lead to regular degree status will be clearly outlined for such applicants by the steering committee.

Non-Degree Status

Teachers seeking re-certification credit or other qualified individuals wishing to take coursework may be admitted as non-degree-seeking students. Advanced undergraduates may, under certain conditions, request permission to enroll in M.Ed. classes (6-hour limit). Non-degree-seeking students who later wish to be admitted to the degree program may apply up to six semester hours of credit taken in non-degree status.

Transfer Credit Policy

No program specific guidelines. Please refer to the Graduate School’s transfer credit policy .

Program Requirements

Languages, M.Ed.

Program Learning Outcomes

Languages M.Ed. (PDF)