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Index Of Questions
- What are your admissions requirements?
- What kind of job will I be prepared for with the M.A. in Applied Linguistics/TESL from USF?
- What kind of students are enrolled in the program?
- I'm not a native speaker of English. Can I fit in?
- Can you tell me details about the coursework?
- How long does it take to complete the M.A. degree?
- That's a long time! Don't you have a program that I can finish faster?
- Can I get financial aid or an assistantship?
- How can I apply for admission?
- How long does it take to apply?
- How can I find out more about USF?
- What if I have a question that's not on this page?
Questions and Answers
- What are your admissions requirements?
- The Graduate School requires that applicants have completed a bachelor's degree. Our program does not require that this degree be in Linguistics.
The Linguistics Faculty Admissions Committee bases its decisions on four sources of data, both objective and subjective:
- test scores,
- undergraduate GPA,
- recommendation letters, and
- statement of purpose/writing sample.
GRE scores (earned within five years preceding application) are required. GRE
may be waived for applicants who have already received a master's degree. Scores
at or above 430 Verbal and 4 Analytical Writing are generally considered acceptable.
Non-native speakers of English must score 250 or higher on the computer-based
TOEFL (or, 600 or higher on the paper-and-pencil test).
The criterion for GPA is for the last two years of undergraduate work . For those years, the GPA must be 3.0 or higher on a 0-4 scale.
The Linguistics Faculty Admissions Committee also require that three letters of recommendation be submitted in the application packet. The Committee is particularly interested in hearing from persons who can comment on the applicant's learning ability.
Applicants also submit a Statement of Purpose with the application packet. The Linguistics Faculty Admissions Committee finds it informative to learn more about the applicant and to examine a writing sample. The Statement of Purpose should introduce the applicant to the committee. It is helpful to include background information, reasons for interest in the field, for selecting this program, and intended career goals. The statement should be about two pages (double-spaced, 1-inch margins).
Be aware that an applicant who falls short in one or more area(s) is less likely to be accepted into the program. Experience made it evident that applicants who are below our standards or are marginal tend to struggle in our program.
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- What kind of job will I be prepared for with the M.A. in Applied Linguistics/TESL from USF?
- Our Master's program is appropriate if you are interested in teaching adult second language learners. This program will prepare you for a career in private institutes or in university-affilitated programs. You would be prepared for positions in teaching or administration in these settings. In a competitive job market, your master's degree will make you a desirable candidate. This is true for positions in the United States as well as abroad.
The M.A. program is also appropriate if you are interested in teaching in public schools in this state. You would earn Florida State Certification in ESOL by completing our M.A. and then successfully passing the Florida Teacher Certification Examination in ESOL.
Finally, several of our graduates have pursued doctoral studies and found our M.A. program to be excellent preparation for careers in academia.
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- What kind of students are enrolled in the program?
- Our graduate students come from the United States and many other countries. Most of our students have had some English language teaching background; many of them have worked in international contexts. In our program, you will likely find many shared experiences with the other students.
Some students enter our program directly after completing the undergraduate degree. Many of our students enter this field at a later stage in life as a second career. A wide age range is represented in our student population. We have had students in their 20s and we have had students in their 50s, even 60s.
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- I'm not a native speaker of English. Can I fit in?
- Yes, absolutely. Our program welcomes both native and non-native speakers of English. In fact, international, non-native English speakers are an important part of our student population. We do require sufficient English proficiency for academic success as our classes are conducted in English.
Native speakers of English are required to demonstrate proficiency of a second language before graduating. In other words, all of our M.A. students will have personally experienced the second language acquisition process.
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- Can you tell me details about the coursework?
- Our Master of Arts in Linguistics / TESL comprises 39 credit hours of coursework. This includes two semesters of supervised internship.
Our program blends applied linguistics and ESL teaching. Most students find the combination of theory and practice helpful and illuminating.
The courses are taught on the Tampa campus, in a face-to-face mode. We are developing some web-enhanced courses and considering distance delivery for others; at present, however, we have no plans to make our program distance only.
All courses are delivered in evening hours, with classes meeting once a week. Students generally find this allows them to work while completing their M.A.
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- How long does it take to complete the M.A. degree?
- The length of time depends on whether you attend full-time or part-time. Most students complete the program in two years, though part-time students might need more time.
The program duration also depends on how well the course sequence is planned. Most courses are not offered every semester, but on a yearly basis. Every student should ask the Advisor for help in planning the program of study.
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- That's a long time! Don't you have a program that I can finish faster?
- We realize that some prospective students might prefer a brief course of study. However, please consider this -- that the value of an educational degree is related to how much the student invests in it, in terms of time, effort, attention, finances, etc.
We recognize that graduate students make sacrifices in order to earn the degree. Based on our graduates' experiences, we are confident that our M.A. in Linguistics / TESL is valuable for our students' professional and personal development.
Will our program suit your needs? Well, we recommend that prospective students carefully analyze their career and personal goals when choosing among the numerous programs in this field. As well, prospective students should attempt to assess the quality of a program before making a commitment. Finally, we advise prospective students to examine whether there is a good match between the student and the program.
If you are considering the M.A. in Applied Linguistics at USF, you are welcome to call the Advisor to discuss these important matters.
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- Can I get financial aid or an assistantship?
- Funding at the master's level is, unfortunately, extremely problematical. Most M.A. students rely on loans and/or working their way through school. If you are interested in applying for a loan, contact the Financial Aid office.
An assistantship in our department, World Languages, is a possibility for Linguistics students. For example, students who are native or proficient speakers of world languages might be hired to teach an undergraduate language course.
Most of our M.A. students teach in the English Language Institute during their second internship. This position generally provides a tuition waiver and a stipend. Other than the internship, teaching in our ELI is not possible without an earned M.A. degree in the field.
Another support possibility is a research assistantship. Faculty research occasionally supports second-year M.A. students with research assistantships.
There are other work-study programs that might be of interest to prospective students. You should contact the Financial Aid Office, who coordinates scholarships and work-study programs. Their web address is
http://usfweb2.usf.edu//finaid/grad.htm. Also, please be sure to note your interest in financial aid in your application, so that you will receive further information.
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- How can I apply for admission?
- You can begin the application process by downloading the Graduate School admissions application. The URL for all students (domestic & international) is http://www.grad.usf.edu/newsite/admissions/main.asp.
Your application packet must include official transcripts from your university, test score reports, and three letters of recommendation. Also write a two-page Statement of Purpose and append this to the packet. Include the $30 application fee.
Submit the entire packet to Graduate School Admissions. They will forward it to Linguistics after their initial processing.
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- How long does it take to apply?
- Prospective students are strongly encouraged to start as soon as possible. The application form is short, but completing an application can take a surprising amount of time. You might need to take the GRE or TOEFL, or even study before taking the test. You will also need to order official transcripts, and you'll need letters of recommendation. For many applicants, getting these documents takes a long time. You should know that a complete application packet is given processing priority: it is better for you to submit everything together in a complete packet.
To check the calendar for application deadlines, go tohttp://www.grad.usf.edu/programs/programs.asp and search for “Linguistics: English as a Second Language”.
Once you've sent in your application and fee, you can track your application via the Graduate School's website. Go to http://www.grad.usf.edu/newsite/admissions/main.asp and click on the "Check Your Application Status" link.
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- How can I find out more about USF?
- There are some great web sites where you can explore this university. For example, you can read the Oracle (the student newspaper). You can even take a virtual tour. Check out the page of links.
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- What if I have a question that's not on this page?
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