Master's in TESOL

What is the 4+1?

Like us, Biola is saying, ‘There are so many opportunities worldwide; we just need the students.’ Effectively, they’re borrowing our students, enhancing their qualifications, and then our students are going out with the contacts that Biola has and the recognition of the Biola name.” — David Catterick, PhD 

The 4+1 program takes Briercrest TESOL’s four-year Bachelor of Arts and adds Biola’s MA TESOL courses, allowing students to add a master's qualification to their bachelor’s degree in just one year.

Although grads are very well-equipped at the end of four years to teach in Canada or overseas, a master's degree can help them advance their careers and open even more doors. At any point after their undergraduate degree, Briercrest TESOL graduates of both the 4-year full degree and the 2-year After Degree have the opportunity to complete a master's degree in TESOL in as little as one year.
 

How does it work?

Biola recognizes the quality and extensiveness of Briercrest’s TESOL program, and will award our graduates advanced standing in their MA TESOL program. Briercrest graduates can begin their MA TESOL studies either on campus in La Mirada, California or online at any point following their graduation. Most recent Briercrest TESOL grads have chosen to study online while they continue their teaching work in Canada or abroad.
 

What do I study on the +1 part of the 4+1?

Because of their advanced standing, Briercrest grads get the following two graduate TESOL courses challenged:

ISTE 509 Structure of English and ISTE 525 Introduction to TESOL

They also get three of the following four graduate TESOL courses reduced:

ISTE 527 Materials Evaluation & Preparation; ISTE 614 Second Language Acquisition; ISTE 694 Practicum in TESOL; and ISTE 530 Ethics, Values & Intercultural Communicaton for TESOL Professionals.

Briercrest TESOL grads then

Take the following three core courses:

  • ISTE 614 Second Language Acquisition
  • ISTE 627 Vocabulary Learning and Teaching
  • ISTE 632 Language Testing & Assessment
  • Plus a graduation portfolio

Choose one Bible/theology elective, and

Choose three advanced and specialized courses from the following list:

  • ISTE 621 Classroom Research in TESOL
  • ISTE 635 Technology for Language Learning & Teaching
  • ISTE 648 Teaching Second Language Reading and Writing
  • ISTE 665 Course Design in TESOL
  • A specialized course from the MA TESOL program


How much does the +1 part of the 4+1 cost?

Through a special grant from Biola’s Cook School of Intercultural Studies, Briercrest grads who choose to take this master's online only pay two-thirds of the standard tuition cost (note that classes taken on campus do not qualify for the scholarship). In the 2021-22 academic year the cost of the +1 works out to around US$10,000.