Notre Dame of Maryland University- School of Education

About this program

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who taught English abroad may continue their studies in the ESOL field in our Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program (MA in TESOL). Students in our nationally-accredited and Maryland-approved program will earn a master’s degree and initial teaching certification in ESOL grades PreK-12.

We award Returned Peace Corps Volunteers with a TEFL Certificate 12 credits based on their Peace Corps experience. The credit based on prior experience allows Coverdell Fellows to reduce the cost of the degree and complete the program in just one year by taking classes in four semesters (fall, winter, spring, and summer). Students have the option of starting the program in January, March, May, June, July or September.

We also provide a certification and master’s degree track for those Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who did not complete the TEFL certificate during their Peace Corps experience. Those without the TEFL certificate will be granted 6 credits based on their Peace Corps experience. They may still complete the program in just one year by taking classes in four semesters (fall, winter, spring and summer). Students have the option of starting the program in January, March, May, June, July or September.

Coverdell Fellows may apply for employment with one of our school district partners. Our TESOL program has extensive connections for nine different school districts in the State of Maryland and Catholic Schools in two local Archdioceses. Coverdell Fellows may be employed as full-time “conditionally certified teachers” in the local schools, giving the Fellows the salary and benefits of full-time teachers. The estimated cost of the program for TEFL certificate holders is $ 14,600 including all tuition and fees which represents a 40% discount. The estimated cost of the program for non-TEFL certificate holders is $18,080 which represents a 25% discount.

• Year partnership began: 2017
• Fellowships awarded per year (average): 10 to 25

Application requirements

Admissions requirements include:

• College of Graduate Studies application
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Admissions essay
• Peace Corps Description of Service
• Peace Corps  TEFL Certificate (if earned)  Returned Peace Corps Volunteers without the TEFL certificate are also welcome to apply

Admissions process

Applicants with completed applications will interview with the Director of Admission and Advising for Graduate Initial Certification. This interview may be conducted in person or over Zoom. The applicants are evaluated based on academic background from official transcripts, writing skills demonstrated in the essay, and demonstration of educator dispositions during the interview. Within a few weeks of the interview, we will mail a letter to the applicant notifying them about acceptance to the MATESOL program and acceptance as a Coverdell Fellow.

Degrees awarded

Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA in TESOL)

Benefits and opportunities

Net cost is equal to tuition/fees minus fellowship value. For some universities, the fellowship value includes non-tuition/fee benefits such as health insurance or housing. See cost savings details for more.

Estimated annual cost of living: $16,978

Cost savings details

12 credits granted for prior experience as well as 3 credits waived for a reduction of 15 credits of tuition. Reduced student fees by completing the program in fewer semesters.

Internship

All Coverdell Fellows will have a placement in a local school, either as a “resident teacher” working as a full time ESOL teacher in a local school, or as an intern in a local school. All placements for Coverdell Fellows will be in Title I schools, i.e., in impoverished, high-need communities. Our school system partners include Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore County Public Schools, other Maryland public school systems and Catholic schools. Fellows are not obliged to additional years of commitment to the school district in which they will complete their residency, although they will be well-positioned to be offered continued employment upon completion of the program if they wish to continue to work for the school district.

Fellows who are employed as conditionally certified teachers will work full-time as an ESOL teacher in one of the local school districts from September until June. Fellows who are not employed as conditionally certified teachers will complete an internship that is part-time in the first semester (8 hours per week) and full-time in the second semester (40 hours per week).

Other opportunities

Coverdell Fellows may apply for employment with one of our school district partners, including public school systems and Baltimore and Washington, DC area Catholic schools. Coverdell Fellows may be employed as full-time “conditionally certified teachers” in the local schools, giving the Fellows the salary and benefits of full-time teachers. Local school systems can provide tuition reimbursement as a benefit offered to their full-time teachers, and those employed by Catholic schools can receive discounted tuition.

Jobs for alumni

• ESOL teacher in K-12 schools (public and private schools)
• Assistant Professor of ESL at community college
• Coordinator of ESL at community college
• Fulbright Scholarship to teach abroad
• Moved on to study in PhD programs at Georgetown University and Indiana University among others
• After earning teaching experience, our alums have been promoted into administrative positions including:
• Public school system ESOL Director
• Director of English Language Institute at community college
• College and University Professor (after earning Ph.D.)

Nontraditional options

All classes are offered in the evenings since students will be teaching or interning in local schools during the day. Some classes will also be available online.