It is estimated that over 700 million people around the world use English as a second language. This trend is expected to continue to grow, generating more job opportunities for teachers of English both in the United States and abroad. If you would like to teach at the university level this will generally require a master's degree in TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages).

American University, Washington, D.C.
American University offers an MA in TESOL that was one of the first in the United States and was established in the mid-1960s. Courses include, the structure of English, second language acquisition or language acquisition, language assessment and teaching grammar and pronunciation. There is a joint program with the Peace Corps in which you can serve 27 months as a volunteer and study at American University for two semesters. However, you must apply to each program separately. An average cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 is required, along with passing all the requirements to be admitted into the Peace Corps, including U.S. citizenship. Non-native speakers should have at least a 600 TOEFL score (250 CBT/150 iBT) or higher to be admitted. If you do the program without joining the Peace Corps it typically takes four semesters to complete the course of study.

Arizona State University, Arizona
The program at ASU generally takes three to four semesters to complete and requires 30 hours of approved graduate level course work. Some of the courses required to complete the degree include applied project, methods of teaching English as a second language, research methods , theories underlying the acquisition of English as a second language, phonetics and phonology, and grammar for TESL. The program focuses on practical application of teaching methodology and language acquisition rather than learning about theories. As such, two of the requirements are the development of a curriculum and a portfolio of teaching materials. The program was established in 1969 and has students from around the world. A GPA of 3.0 plus three letters of recommendation and a letter of purpose are needed for admission. Non-native speakers should have at least a 600 TOEFL score (250 CBT/150 iBT) or higher to be admitted.

Manhattanville College, New York
Manhattanville College offers the Masters of Professional Studies in TESOL. This program requires 39 credits with 100 hours of teaching experience. It is a 20-month program and focuses on learning practical skills over pedagogical theory. Some of the courses included are the principles of language learning, the structure of English and the foundations of bilingual education. In addition to practical teaching the program requires a written thesis or a comprehensive examination to be completed. The program is focused on teaching at the K-12 level. The college also offers a post master's certification program (for those who already possess a master's and would like to become TESOL certified as well) and a masters of professional studies in TESOL for international and adult settings.

California State University, Los Angeles
California State University at Los Angeles offers a master's degree in TESOL as well as an ESL certificate program. The program focus is on language acquisition, teaching methodology and curriculum development. Applicants need a GPA of 2.75 or higher and must have taken an introductory course in linguistics. To complete the program you must complete 45 units and either take a comprehensive exam or submit a final thesis. Some of the courses covered are modern English grammar, methods for teaching second languages, teaching ESL for academic purposes, theories of teaching and learning second languages. The program is designed to help prepare students to teach in both the United States and abroad and is also good preparation for those wishing to pursue further studies in applied linguistics.