We welcome international students to apply to the MA TESOL and offer special services and activities for international students who are accepted to study at UMBC.
Length of the program at UMBC
The basic program requires 12 courses to complete. Full-time students can complete the program by taking 3 courses each fall and spring and 1 or 2 courses in the summer. This would enable them to finish in a year and a half. Part-time students taking 2 courses per semester would need 2 and a half years to complete the program. Students interested in taking the certification option should expect to take at least an additional semester to complete the program. The internship experience requires a full academic year, and course loads in addition to the internship should not be too demanding. Students choosing the thesis option should plan on taking an additional semester to complete the program.
Special Assistance
To help international students adjust to the new academic environment, an experienced graduate student will act as an International Student Liason between international students and the MA TESOL to assist students with concerns they might have, including:
- logistical concerns: housing, transportation, communication with professors, weekend events, etc.
- academic concerns: special study sessions for various courses, individual study and review sessions, an American English pronunciation course and other academic support as deemed appropriate.
Housing
Although housing is ultimately the responsibility of each individual student, the TESOL Office will work with and assist international students in finding roommates and housing both before they leave their home countries and after they arrive at UMBC.
Information about UMBC of interest to International Students
- UMBC is approximately a ten-minute drive from the BWI Rail Station serviced by Amtrak and MARC (Maryland Area Regional Commuter) trains to Baltimore, Washington, DC., and New York among other destinations in the Northeast corridor.
- Baltimore is also about 40 minutes from UMBC by bus and a free UMBC shuttle service is also available.
- Just a few minutes from campus by UMBC shuttle is the Catonsville arts and entertainment district. Located on historic Frederick Road, the district features shops, restaurants, art, live music, and more.
- UMBC’s Student Events Board and various departments on campus sponsor special movies, lectures, discussions, trips to local and East Coast sites of interest, musical events and drama throughout the academic year. Many of these events are free or are specially discounted for UMBC students.
- The English Language Center, the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, and various international student groups sponsor special cross-cultural events on campus throughout the year.
- International Students are encouraged to participate in the TESOL club, which has activities specifically for graduate TESOL students throughout the academic year.
Applying to UMBC
General information for international applicants to UMBC is available here. See the TESOL admissions page for details about what is required by the program specifically. Support for international applicants is also provided by UMBC International Education Services. Applications are submitted online through the UMBC Graduate School.
TOEFL/IELTS
We urge you to take the TOEFL as soon as possible. Admissions decisions cannot be made until the UMBC Graduate School has received the official TOEFL score from Educational Testing Service (ETS).
NOTE: Official TOEFL examination score reports must be sent directly to the UMBC Graduate School from Educational Testing Services (ETS). Photocopied score reports are not acceptable.
The ETS code number for UMBC is 5835.
TOEFL: A minimum of 213 on the computer-based test or 80 on the internet-based test is required.
IELTS: A minimum of 6.5 is required.
Oral Proficiency for Maryland State ESOL Certification
For non-native speakers of English who are interested in working toward Maryland state ESOL certification, near-native oral proficiency in English is required. A specific application for the certification internship must be submitted.
Financial Resources
Each international student must certify that he/she has sufficient funds (exclusive of travel expenses) for university tuition, fees, books, supplies, and living expenses. For more information see the International Education Services webpage.
Official Transcripts
An official transcript from each college/university you have attended must be sent directly to the UMBC Graduate School.