Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Master’s Degree Programs

Earn Your TESOL Certification

Demand for teachers who are able to teach emergent bilingual students learning English continues to grow. Bank Street can help you get the credentials you need to work with students who are learning English as a new language (ENL) in pre-K, elementary school, middle school, or high school classroom settings

Bank Street offers two TESOL programs: a master’s degree teacher residency and an advanced certificate, both leading to TESOL certification. Because we offer these programs in New York City, you’ll study and practice in a public school system that has the most diverse immigrant student body in the country, where over 15 percent of the children speak over 160 languages and language acquisition begins in school.

Choosing Bank Street

Children learning a new language need nurturing environments and educators who meet them “where they are.” You’ll develop critical thinking skills and a deep understanding of applied linguistics and learn to react with flexibility, adapt instruction to suit the needs of diverse learners, and create meaningful opportunities for learning that validate students’ authentic use of language. With its reputation as one of the best teacher preparation institutions in the country, Bank Street equips you with a student-centered and culturally sustaining approach to teaching and learning that honors and responds to students’ academic, linguistic, and emotional strengths and needs.

Join our collaborative and supportive education community to earn TESOL accreditation, deepen your teaching practice, and become an advocate, critical thinker, and an effective teacher of language teaching and learning practices.

What Program Is Right for You?

With a Bank Street TESOL program, you’ll learn how to help students develop their language abilities and inspire a lifelong love of learning.

Two graduate students smiling

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Residency Program (MSEd, 41 credits)

In this teacher residency program, aspiring teachers seeking TESOL accreditation to work with English as a new language (ENL) students in grades pre-K–12 will:

  • Designed for prospective TESOL teachers seeking accreditation to work with English as a new language (ENL) students in grades pre-K–12
  • Be hired as a teacher apprentice who receives a salary while working in a public high school
  • Be eligible to be hired as a full-time teacher in their second year
  • Receive a scholarship that reduces tuition by over 50%, along with a stipend of up to $30,000
  • Second-year students are eligible to be hired as the full-time teacher of record

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Graduate student listening

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Advanced Certificate (Non-Degree, 12-21 credits)

If you’re already a certified teacher, the TESOL Advanced Certificate Program enables you to gain additional and specialized certification to teach English as a New Language (ENL) to students in grades pre-K–12

  • Acquire a rich teaching repertoire to understand the intellectual, linguistic, and emotional needs of emergent bilingual students.
  • Strengthening advocacy and program planning skills, as well as proficiency with state/national standards and assessments for ENL students
  • Adds TESOL certification to your teaching credentials

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Dual Language/Bilingual Education

  • Master’s degree and bilingual certification extension programs
  • Learn how to help students develop their language abilities and inspire a lifelong love of learning

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Our Approach

  • We’re for educators who want to spend every day face to face with the future.

    Bank Street holds a unique and highly regarded place in the world of education. We were trailblazers when we were founded in 1916—and our ideas, which were once radical, are widely practiced and accepted today. If you want to shape the future of education, this is where you start.
    Teacher smiling while two kids work

  • We’re for democracy and equity.

    Our commitment to democracy and social justice is at the heart of our innovative pedagogy and desire to help all learners, both children and adults, actively make sense of the world. Equity and equality are always in a Bank Street educator’s mind—we meet students “where they are” in their learning with strengths-based activities and socially, emotionally, and culturally appropriate support.
    Teacher and two students smiling

  • We're for sharing good ideas.

    For a small institution, our reach is broad. Our mix of graduate and continuing education coursework, research programs, and professional partnerships with school districts across the country aims to expand and improve educational opportunities for all students.
    Child smiles while painting with teacher

Financial Aid

At Bank Street, we believe education is an investment that will change your life—and the lives of the students you’ll work with. We’ll help you make it possible.

Every year, Bank Street’s Office of Financial Aid administers over $8.5 million in financial aid to students.  More than 50 percent of our students receive financial aid. Your individual financial status from the prior year is a key factor in determining your award. We encourage you to go through the financial aid process to find out what we can offer.

  • Do I qualify for financial aid based on my income?

    Your individual financial status from the prior year is a key factor in determining your award. Incoming students who earn up to $80,000 a year (or significantly more for students with families) are likely to qualify for a need-based scholarship at Bank Street. Our scholarship program makes the cost of attending Bank Street Graduate School of Education competitive with most other private schools in the New York region.

  • When should I apply for financial aid?

    You can apply for financial aid at the same time you complete your admission application. Filling out the FAFSA as early as possible is an important step for financial aid. Federal student aid, including scholarships, can significantly reduce your financial obligation without adding to student debt.

  • What types of scholarship opportunities are available for me?

    Our financial aid advisors would be happy to tell you more about the process and our many scholarship opportunities for new and continuing students, including external scholarships and program-based, diversity-oriented, public school-focused, and career changer scholarships, among others.

Why Bank Street?

Helping Students Transition

In developing your own knowledge of bilingual and English as a new language (ENL) teaching concepts, you’ll become accredited and better prepared to meet your students where they are and help them prepare for advanced learning in many core content areas.

Prepared for the Long Run

In a field that experiences high turnover rates due to underprepared teachers, Bank Street is proud that 87% of its graduates remain in the field of education and 87% feel more confident in their subject area than comparison teachers.

Advocating for New Language Learners

There is high demand nationally for TESOL and bilingual teachers and advocates who are willing to critically examine how social, political, and economic factors impact their students.

Headshot of Miki Tomaru, GSE '22
Meet our alumni
I loved that my residency was so much more than a student teaching experience. I was there almost full time for the entire school year. I was one of the staff at the school, everyone knew me, and I got to experience everything the teachers did.
Miki Tomaru - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Residency Program '22
Meet Miki Meet Our Alumni

What Program Is Right for You?

Looking for bilingual or dual language education programs? Check out our other master’s degree programs