Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL): Doctor of Education (EdD), San Diego

Program Mission, Vision and Goal

Mission: The Mission of the TESOL doctoral program at Alliant is to meet the international demand for specialists in teaching English to speakers of other languages and to prepare graduates for leadership roles in educating and empowering English language learners in a global society.

Vision: The TESOL Doctorate Program of Alliant will become nationally and internationally recognized and respected as the premier doctorate program for educating practitioner-scholars in the TESOL field with a focus on methodology, applied research, teacher training, program design and implementation, psycholinguistic and socio-cultural factors of second language acquisition, and technology-enhanced language teaching. The program will develop a community of learners through collaboration with other researchers, practitioners, and universities around the world.

Program Outcomes

All CSOE doctoral programs are aimed at preparing educational practitioners to be effective and creative educational leaders in their respective fields, providing them with a strong repertoire of knowledge and skills and professional dispositions. The Doctorate of Education in TESOL Program prepares students to:

• Acquire a strong theoretical knowledge base in TESOL, second language acquisition, and applied linguistics research.
• Acquire the ability to apply TESOL and second language acquisition theory and research to TESOL methodology.
• Acquire the ability to read, interpret, and evaluate professional literature.
• Acquire the ability to conduct and evaluate original field research and present the findings.
• Acquire a deep understanding of the role of linguistics and the impact of social and cultural factors in learning and teaching a second language.
• Acquire a strong knowledge base in TESOL program design, development, and evaluation..
• Acquire the ability to integrate technology into TESOL teaching and learning.
• Become active members and advocates of the TESOL profession.
• Acquire knowledge and skills to design, implement, and evaluate teacher training programs for ESL/ESL instructors.

Specialized Admissions Requirements

All applicants to the TESOL EdD are expected to have a strong background in TESOL methodology and second language acquisition with a master’s in TESOL or Education, or a related field. Additionally, all applicants are expected to have a minimum of two years prior EFL/ESL teaching experience.

Applicants must also satisfy the requirements stipulated in the ”Admissions and Registration” section of this catalog as well as meet the following:

GPA: Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their Master’s degree.

Interview with TESOL Admissions Committee: Upon receipt and review of all documentation, the candidate will be considered for final admission. Final admissions decision will be made by the systemwide program director and TESOL Admissions Committee.

Recommendations: Each applicant must provide two written confidential recommendations from persons who can attest to the applicant’s academic and professional abilities and proven accomplishments in education.

Goal Statement Essay: Applicants must submit an academic and professional autobiographical essay and goal statement essay.

Writing Test: All TESOL applicants will be required to take the TESOL Writing and Critical Analysis Test in which they read and write a critical analysis of a journal article. Based upon the evaluation of student’s Writing and Critical Analysis test, an additional prerequisite Graduate Academic Communications Skills course may be required.

English Language Test for International Students: International students must have a 83 Internet-Based Test Score (IELTS of 6.5 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Students who received their MA degree from a university in the United States are not required to submit a test score.

Upon receipt and review of all documentation, the candidate will be considered for final admissions. Final admissions decisions will be made by the program director and the CSOE Doctoral Admission Committee. 

Specialized Admissions Requirements: Credit for Previous Graduate Work

Transfer of credit from another institution may be awarded on the following basis:

1. A maximum of 24 semester units beyond the master’s degree may be transferred from a regionally accredited institution. All such coursework must have been earned in addition to the master’s degree required coursework.
2. The request to accept credit to be transferred must be approved by the program director.
3. Credit that has been used to complete a second master’s degree may be considered for transfer.
4. Credits must have been earned within seven years prior to the request for transfer. Waivers of this requirement may be considered by program faculty on a case by case basis. All waivers must be approved by the dean.
5. Coursework being considered for transfer must be equivalent to Alliant coursework for which it is being applied. Students are required to submit transcripts, catalog course descriptions and other documentation.
6. All coursework must be completed successfully with a grade of B or higher.

Curriculum and Degree Requirements

A minimum of 60 units are required for the doctoral degree. These units reflect a semester term system.

Once admitted to the TESOL programs, applicants must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher in all coursework. Students failing to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 at the end of any term will be placed on academic warning and must correct the deficiency by the following semester or be subject to academic dismissal from the program.

A maximum of two courses with a grade of C may be counted towards the degree. Courses with D or F grades must be repeated to obtain credit. All grades are final once submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Incomplete grades are only issue in cases of documented illnesses and deaths in the family.

Each Student is assigned a faculty mentor to assist with their professional and academic development. The TESOL Academic Advisor and faculty mentors assist students with their Master Plan of Study (MPS) and the Academic Advisor registers students in appropriate courses (per their MPS) each semester.

Curriculum Plan

These units reflect a semester term system. Courses are three units unless otherwise indicated.

TESOL Program Core Faculty

Jin-Suk Byun, PhD, Assistant Professor

Ken Kelch, EdD, Associate Professor and Program Director

James Perren, EdD, Associate Professor

For a detailed description of program faculty background and research interests, please see the alphabetical listing of Faculty  for the California School of Education.