You can download these instructions.
Apply Online
Please use the online application. (MA applicants only. Non-degree applicants see below.) Application materials submitted via the online application need not be sent under separate cover.
General Information
Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree (or equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree) from a regionally-accredited college or university.
Application Requirements
Most of your application materials will be submitted as part of the online application. For materials that must be mailed separately (transcripts, for example), use the Materials Cover Sheet. Please collect all materials being mailed (keeping original transcripts in sealed, stamped envelopes) and submit in one packet with a Materials Cover Sheet to
The New School
Office of Admission-Graduate Programs
72 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY, 10011
All MA TESOL applicants must submit:
- The completed, signed, and dated application (submit online)
- The non-refundable $50 application fee (submit online)
- Your statement of purpose (submit online)
- A résumé or curriculum vitae (submit online)
- Two academic/professional letters of recommendation (submit online or have your recommendations mailed directly to the Office of Admission with a Materials Cover Sheet)
- Official sealed transcripts from every college/university you have attended for undergraduate and graduate studies. Note: Applicants with foreign credentials see below for additional requirements.
- International applicants see additional requirements below.
Once your application is completed and the Office of Admission has forwarded it to the School of Languages admission committee for review, you will be contacted for a required admission interview, which will help the faculty gather additional information to determine your suitability for the MATESOL program. A final admission decision will be made after the required interview has occurred.
Applicants for the Curriculum Development concentration must submit in addition to all items listed above:
- An official copy of your ELT Certificate (see below)
- A sample lesson plan and corresponding teaching materials (see below)
- An essay about your philosophy of teaching (see below)
- One of your two letters of recommendation must be from a teaching supervisor (description follows)
Non-degree Applications
You cannot apply online. To apply, please contact the Office of Admission for an application and mail them the following, along with a Materials Cover Sheet:
- The completed, signed, and dated application form
- The non-refundable $50 application fee
- A statement of purpose
- A résumé/curriculum vitae
- Official sealed transcripts from every college/university you have attended for undergraduate and graduate studies. Note: applicants with foreign credentials see below for additional requirements.
- International applicants see additional requirements below.
Description of Required Application Materials
1. Statement of Purpose: In approximately 1,000 words explain your interest in and preparation for graduate work in TESOL. Your name and the date should appear on every page. Discuss in detail how the New School program will help you attain your professional and personal goals. Briefly describe your interest in a blended on-campus/online or online only master's degree program. (Non-degree applicants: be sure to indicate your specific reasons for wanting to study on a non-degree/non-matriculated basis.)
2. Résumé: A one-page résumé or curriculum vitae summarizing your education, work/volunteer experience, and/or published writing.
3. Letters of Recommendation: Recommendation letters should be written by individuals who have personal knowledge of your work. Whenever possible, letters should come from faculty members who have taught you in a recent course. If one of your letters is a professional recommendation, it should address skills relevant to your academic qualifications for graduate schools. If you are applying to the Curriculum Development concentration, one of the recommendations must be from a teaching supervisor who can speak to your abilities as a teacher.
4. Lesson Plan and Philosophy of Teaching Essay (Curriculum Development Applicants Only)
- Submit a one- to two-page ESOL lesson plan that you have created and the corresponding teaching materials.
- Explain in an essay of 500 words how the Lesson Plan reflects your philosophy of ESOL teaching.
Information for Applicants to the Curriculum Development Concentration
Teaching Experience Requirement: Applicants must submit proof of having taught an English as a second language (ESL) or English as a foreign language (EFL) class for at least four semesters (a minimum of 600 hours for university-level teaching and 720 hours for all other teaching). Please note that tutoring does not fulfill this requirement.
Teacher Training Requirement: The New School Certificate in Teaching English or an equivalent credential. The minimum requirement for acceptance of the certificate is
- 100 hours of classroom or online instruction at an accredited school
- Completion of a teaching practicum in which you taught ESOL students in a real class
- Acceptable certificates other than the New School Certificate in Teaching English include the CELTA, RSA, and CTEFLA. The certificate or transcript, including evaluation materials, especially teaching evaluations if available, must be submitted. If you do not have a certificate, other teacher training will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the English Language Studies department.
International Applicants and U.S. Applicants with Foreign Credentials
All applicants with international transcripts are required to submit an original transcript from each institution attended outside the United States along with a certified English language translation. Applicants who wish to transfer academic credits earned at non-U.S. institutions must also have their transcript(s) evaluated by World Education Services (WES; our preferred provider) or by another member of the National Association of Credit Evaluation Services (NACES). A course-by-course evaluation report must be prepared for each transcript. Please start the evaluation process as early as possible, including the submission of all required documents to WES (or another provider) in order to ensure the timely completion of the evaluation report. Instruct the evaluation service provider to send the report to
The New School
Office of Admission–Graduate Programs
72 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
If you request the transcript evaluation online, search for "New School Graduate" when selecting our institution. If your provider is unable to send the evaluation directly to The New School, you must obtain the report and mail it to the address above along with the Materials Cover Sheet.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score report administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) is required of all applicants who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents, with the exception of citizens of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa whose native language is English. The TOEFL score report must be submitted directly to The New School by ETS. The institution code for The New School is 2521; the department code is 83. A minimum score of 100 on the iBT, 250 on the computer-based exam, or 600 on the paper-based exam is required for admission to graduate study.
Acceptable alternatives to the TOEFL are the Cambridge Advanced Certificate of Proficiency in English (minimum score of C or better) or the Cambridge International English Language Testing System, IELTS (minimum score of 7.0 or better).
International students who will need the I-20 or DS-2019 form to obtain a visa to study in the United States will receive a link to the online International Student Application Packet in their acceptance letters, and they can also access the link via the Accepted Student tab in MyNewSchool. The Web page includes information about applying for the I-20 or DS-2019, guidelines for providing financial documents, instructions and procedures for F-1 transfer students, and other important forms and information. Go to International Student Services for more information.
