MASTER’S DEGREE IN TEACHING ENGLISH
Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language
Institutional program
Language Department
Duration: 4 semesters
Total credits: 90
Participating Institutions:
Autonomous University of the State of Mexico
University of North Texas
OBJECTIVES
Formation of professionals able to propose creative solutions for problems that
arise in the professional practice of higher education English language teaching
in different contexts.
Other specific objectives:
To prepare professionals that have an in-depth knowledge of the theories that
comprise the teaching-learning process in order to carry out he multiple
functions of an English Language facilitator, including the planning, selection
and design of didactic material, as well as educational programs and projects
that show their reflection on the higher education teaching practice.
The formation of professionals that critically handle conception, structure,
functioning and use of the language, regarding its phonology and syntax in
order to improve the quality of the learning facilitation process of the English
language.
To educate professionals that are aware of the multiplicity and interrelation of
their principle science with other areas of knowledge.
ADMISSION PROFILE
The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics, preferably oriented
towards higher education teaching. If he/she comes from a bachelor’s degree
background in another area, then he/she must have certified experience of at
least three years of teaching of a foreign language in officially recognized
institutions. The candidate shall be at a C1 level on the ALTE scale of linguistic
competence in English if his/her mother tongue is Spanish. In the case that the
candidate’s primary language not be Spanish, it is necessary for him/her to be
at an A1 level of this same scale for Spanish.
In addition, it is recommendable for the student coming from the Mexican
educational system to have a minimum overall grade point average of 8.0 in
his/her bachelor’s degree studies. Since this is an on-site full-time master’s
degree, it is also recommendable for students not to have any additional
professional activity besides his/her studies during the development of these.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The students of the syllabus that reside permanently in Mexico shall go through
the process of admission to this syllabus of the UAEM Language Department.
The candidates for the syllabus who reside in the United States shall go through
preadmission and admission at the UNT (University of North Texas), by means
of a similar process. It should be mentioned that the admission requirements
are the same for both institutions.
The enrollment process is divided into two stages: preadmission and admission
In order to precede to the preadmission stage the candidate must meet the
following requirements:
- To hold a bachelor’s degree in the area of Linguistics, preferably oriented
towards higher education teaching.
- If the candidate’s bachelor’s degree is from another area of study he/she must
have experience in higher education teaching of a foreign language of at least
three or more years at an officially recognized institution, which has to be
certified by the institution where said experience was gain.
- To submit the required documents within the timeframe and in the manner
indicated in the invitation to apply for admission.
- To pay the preadmission fees.
To meet the requirements:
1. Application for admission to graduate studies.
2. Professional degree. If needed, duly legalized before the SEP or document
of the professional exam, accompanied by a letter of commitment, where the
student commits to submitting the document at the end of the first semester.
3. To take the admission exam: The Graduate Record Examination de
Princeton, New Jersey, EL GRE (Graduate Record Examination, Educational
Testing Service, 2007) measures student’s verbal, mathematical and analytical
knowledge that is not related to a concrete area of studies.
4. Official score obtained in TOEFL (231st or higher in the computer versions or
570 in the printed version or 79 or higher on the iBT).
5. Academic background résumé(s) of the previous bachelor’s degree studies (if
that be the case).
6. Statement of purpose, showing the candidate’s interests, his/her professional
plans and the reasons for seeking admission to a master’s degree.
7. Updated Curriculum Vitae/Résumé with documents giving proof.
Incomplete files shall not be analyzed.
For the admission phase, the candidate must integrate a file with the following
requirements:
1. Interview with the Academic committee, obtaining a favorable opinion.
2. To pass the admission exam: Graduate Record Examination of the
Educational Testing Service at Princeton, New Jersey.
The English
department considers only the section of verbal reasoning 50% (=470) y
analytical reasoning (=4).
The UNT requires a minimum grade point
average/average score in order to accept any student into a graduate program.
3. To attend and to pass the course “Principles of Linguistics” at UNT (distance
learning option is offered during summer prior to admission into the master’s
program).
4. To abide by the selection and admission procedures determined by the
Honorable Academic Councils and the Ruling body of the Department, in
accordance with the regulations of the participating institutions.
5. To pay the admission fees.
6. In addition some selection criteria to be taken into account are included in
Annex 2:
GRADUATE PROFILE
The master’s degree shall mold in the graduate the ability to innovate in
curricular matters and an awareness of what it jeans to work in the field of
English teaching with a broader vision that is neither restricted to a class room
nor limited by the main field of study. Thus, the master’s degree graduates
should:
+ Possess a sophisticated vision of the use and acquisition of languages.
+ Understand the relevance of the language sciences theory for their
professional practice.
+ Face the problems arising during his professional practice in a critical and
creative manner from different disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives.
+ Possess a critical and idea-oriented attitude with respect to the design and
evaluation of teaching programs and curricular structures in the area of English
language teaching.
+ Perform innovative applications in educational matters, didactic material and
evaluation in the area of English language teaching.
+ Be able to present the results of innovative application projects.
Language Department
I. I. S. Manuel Garduño Oropeza
Department head
Jesús Carranza s/n casi esquina con Venustiano Carranza
Tel. (01-722) 219 – 5990 y 212 - 9344
Entity: Toluca, Mexico State
M. L. A. Pauline Marion D. Moore Hanna
Graduate Studies Coordinator
morep69@hotmail.com