Peace Corps Volunteers Studying TESOL

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 (MATESOL). Students in the MATESOL program will earn a master’s degree and Maryland teaching certification in ESOL grades PreK-12.

Credit for Experience

We grant 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 four semesters (fall, winter, spring, and summer). 

We also provide a certification and master’s degree track for those Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who did not complete the Peace Corps 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, May or September. 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.

Accreditation

Our 36-credit MATESOL program is a nationally-accredited and Maryland-state approved program for ESOL initial teaching certification. The teaching certification is recognized by other US states through reciprocity agreements due to our national accreditation.