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I am currently completing my M.Ed Curriculum & Instruction: ESOL degree and will be done August 2016. I start in July of 2016. I have to agree that some professors are not very engaged, and others are awesome! Because it is online, a lot of the weight is put on your shoulders to pull your own weight, but almost every professor that I've had so far (in my 9th class) has been extremely helpful, resourceful, and willing to answer all my questions. One thing that I do not like about the online program... Read More is that it is nearly $700 per credit so it is very costly and because it is online, there is A LOT of reading. Some classes has videos to watch in place of reading, but other courses just have a ton of reading. If you are not self disciplined, their online program is not for you. YES their M.Ed program is legit, and yes the professors are real people. I have noticed that one or two professors do not live in the U.S., but used to and moved out of the country for an experience of a life time. The best part about having an online program is that you have no idea who will be in your cohort, but I have learned so much from my cohort because we are all over the country. You get to learn from people that have so many unique and different experiences. A lot of people say that you just pay for a degree, but this is definitely not true. There are people in my cohort that failed various classes from lack of effort. I have done fairly well on most of my assignments, but I also put in hard work. Some professors are easier graders than others, but they always give great feedback on how to improve. I already am a certified teacher, but the only thing I truly wish is that I had some actual teaching experience throughout the course. In some of the classes we had to record ourselves teaching ESOL students, but the student teacher experience would have made me feel a little more confident. FYI: Check your state's requirements because not everyone can receive their M.Ed in ESOL and will be certified to teach ESOL or to teach at all. You must be a certified teacher already and in many states there are additional tests that must be completed to add ESOL to your teacher certificate. Here in MD I have to take the ESOL Praxis. I think only Oregon residents can complete the program and add ESOL to their certificate.

By pursuing a master's degree in TESOL at the New School, I feel there are many advantages. This program is respected by ESL professors and teachers worldwide. I am already using what is being taught in our courses in the classroom with my own students. Being able to apply what I am learning in real-life situations is what sets the New School's graduate TESOL program apart from others. Even though I teach in South Korea, all courses are available online which makes learning much more convenient and... Read More appealing. The only negative aspect to this program is that I am unable to personally meet my professors and fellow classmates while taking these courses. I highly recommend the MA TESOL program at the New School. The pros far outweigh the cons.

Although Canisius College is a private school and viewed as a pricey college to attend, it really does provide convenience when furthering your education. For example, I wanted to continue working full time while receiving my master's. I did not want to apply to the cliche online institutions because I just didn't feel it was the right path for me. When I found out about Canisius' online master's programs, I immediately started researching the possible options I could take in order to benefit my... Read More career. I chose TESOL. I am so happy with this decision. I am honestly so enthused in what I am learning and excited to learn more in my field. The professors are so personable- and this is all online! I feel like I have a sense of direction and I can easily connect with the professors as well as me classmates! I would strongly recommend Canisius College to any student, especially a student looking to earn their master's and especially for those going for education.

Online advantages: The ability to do my work before, after, and between other life responsibilities. That worked for me - a full time teacher, wife, mother, church volunteer, and writer. The comment posting process forced me to participate which is something I may not have done otherwise. I caught up with current technology (almost) and learned how to use the internet more for real world purposes. Online disadvantages: I missed a warm bodied professor telling stories to help me learn a concept. During... Read More the 18 month program, I discovered how much I need the teacher's verbal interaction in order to retain my learning. I struggled to overcome difficulties in using the internet for research and for class assignments.

The program for MAT in Teaching English to Students of Other Languages at Bridgewater State University has given me the opportunity to follow my passion. Since immigrating to the United States from Peru, where I worked as a Spanish teacher, I have lived in three states and I have been searching for the right school where I know that I matter. Upon moving to the Boston area, while I was doing my research on the right school, someone pointed me to Bridgewater State University because of its array of... Read More well-developed programs, the university is welcoming to other cultures and is proud of its diversity as an institution. I attended one of the universitys information session and when I voiced my confusion between programs they have available, personnel at the Graduate Department went out of their way to find the right person to answer my questions and guide me based on needs and hopes. I felt confident in the decisions I made afterwards; with their guidance, I prepared myself for the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure and submitted the requirements for the program and I was delighted when after many years of searching I was on the right path. Today, when I sit in class and listen to the professor and interact with my classmates, I know I am in the right program, place and that my dream of becoming a teacher in the United States is more attainable than ever.

This school enables anxiety and triggers depression. I was initially excited to move from Texas to Oregon to pursue a master's degree and begin a new chapter in my life! The professors (at least the ones in my program were, for the most part, great. My problem derives from the corrupt, administrative side of things. I applied for graduation in summer 2017, and it was approved by two (2) advisors (they fired one advisor and got a new one on my last term), and it was submitted to the registrars office.... Read More I presented my final project and turned in my final paperwork. When my degree did not arrive by mail, I contacted my advisor who assured it would mail in the next couple of weeks. Come Thanksgiving, I still had no degree, so I contacted my advisor once more who told me it would arrive early December. By January, after Christmas break, my advisor called me and let me know that I was one (1) credit short of graduating. On top of that, I had to pay for this class because it was, as they said, my fault. And let me just say that this school does not give its students the authority to register for classes; it is required for students to to set-up an appointment with their advisor--who is the only authorized figure to register students. Supposedly, this is for our benefit; however, two (2) advisors overlooked that I was one (1) credit short and the registrars office was one semester behind on catching a mistake they were supposed to catch when I applied for graduation two semesters before (Fall 2016). When I conducted my undergrad, I was in charge of registering for classes and had authority to look at offered courses throughout the year, and I was on top of things--able to print and accommodate my schedule. Concordia made me look bad in front of my employers, family, and friends because I had said I had graduated in summer 2017 when it turned out it was not true. Thus, it enabled my anxiety, as I struggled to balance a part-time job, an additional class, and the burden of paying for my school because I did not qualify for financial aid (since it was only one class). I was depressed because of extreme budgeting. Now, a year later, I finally got my degree and can, wholeheartedly, say that Concordia is the garbage that litters your sanity.

Merrimack's Education graduate program is awful. The instructors are not the problem, but with the administration. Although, they should try to hire more instructors, so that students learn from different teachers. In the year that I have been attending Merrimack, I have had three different academic advisers, all of which do not know anything about the program. The woman in charge of licensing is all over the place and it is tough to contact. Just about everyone in my program has had an issue, and... Read More students who are not fellows have a harder time graduating because the advising is so terrible. I do not know a single person in the Education graduate program who would recommend attending this school. In fact, Merrimack has gained a reputation around the public schools for being disorganized and luring students into the program with false pretenses. Stay away from this school. There are better options for the same price.