Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Online

Missouri ESOL Certification

If you already have initial teaching certification and want to add a certification in English to speakers of other languages (ESOL), this is the program for you.

To meet Missouri ESOL certification requirements, students take 21 hours of ESOL courses (which include a practicum and an approved elective).

If you are pursuing certification only, you do not need to be accepted to the degree program. You will be enrolled as a post-baccalaureate (formerly non-degree-seeking) graduate student. Anyone seeking to earn a master's degree should make that decision and be accepted into the degree program before nine hours of course work is completed. If more than nine hours of post-baccalaureate course work is accumulated, additional hours may not be eligible for transfer into the master’s degree program.

NOTE: The University of Missouri-Columbia has been approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to offer courses that lead to certification in the state of Missouri. MU provides course work for ESOL certification, but does not grant certification. DESE is the agency that certifies educators for ESOL. Courses provided for students in this program encompass all competencies required for Missouri ESOL certification. Students must provide transcripts of course work to DESE when applying for certification. For more information about Missouri ESOL certification requirements, visit DESE's educator certification web page.

Students who do not reside in Missouri: To find out if these certification courses are accepted by another state, contact the certification agency for the state in which you are seeking certification.

The ESOL certification preparation program is intended for individuals who already hold initial certification. This program does not provide the initial certification required to become a teacher.