Students must successfully complete thirty-six credits (36) as follows:
Required Courses (28 cr.)
Capstone Paper
The Capstone Paper, which has replaced the Oral Exit Examination, is for students who do not do the Thesis Option (see below).
The Capstone Paper gives you the opportunity to formally articulate your teaching philosophy. Your paper will be written in the first person and follow the usual conventions for an academic paper. It will include references and citations according to the APA guidelines. Your courses will provide opportunities and guidance in writing reflectively about your growth, particularly in Practicum I and II, and we have additional web resources to assist you. For ESL PK-12 Initial Teacher Licensure students, the portfolio replaces the Capstone Paper.
Thesis Option
Students who desire the MATESOL degree with a thesis will be required to complete a total of 36 credits which must include GSL 690, Thesis Research Seminar (2 credits), and GLS 691, Thesis (2-4 credits).
A thesis is a work of original research on a topic pertinent to the field of TESOL/Applied Linguistics and must be written under the direct supervision of an MATESOL faculty member, who is the thesis advisor. In addition to the thesis advisor, one additional member, selected by the student in consultation with the advisor, must approve the thesis. The additional committee member must be from the MATESOL faculty. thesis options students will be required to defend their thesis before their committee.
A grade of “XT” (Extended for Thesis Work) is given at the end of the semester to a student enrolled in a thesis course when work on the thesis will continue into the following semester. In addition to the semester following enrollment in the course, the student may petition for continuance of the “XT” to the program director. Students who do not pass or withdraw from GSL 691 may write the Capstone Paper and receive the MATESOL degree without thesis, if they have completed a total of 36 credits.
Practical Training
In order for international students to have practical training in the United States after graduation, they must notify Brenda Rousselle, Immigration Officer, brousselle@smcvt.edu, 802.654.2657, early in their studies.
For more information on program requirements, Capstone, or Thesis, contact:
Dr. Elizabeth O'Dowd, Director
eodowd@smcvt.edu
802.654.2276
or
Deni Bergne, Administrative Assistant
dbergne@smcvt.edu
802.654.2684