Zhewei Zha (Aurora)

Did you know that any discipline at undergraduate level can kick start a career in teaching English to speakers of other languages? Our conversion programme can be completed in a single year giving you a master’s level qualification. With a strong commitment to global standards for excellence, our MSc reflects a refreshingly practical approach to acquiring expert knowledge in linguistics to flourish academically and professionally. We also run a 5-week intensive Summer Postgraduate Certification programme in TESOL.
The ability to teach English as a foreign language is a skill highly valued worldwide making native English-speaking teachers high in demand. The MSc in TESOL aims to equip you with the knowledge and practical skills required to help learners grow the confidence to speak English fluently and confidently.
Our programme offers a range of innovative courses to develop your critical and creative thinking skills while giving you a solid grounding on relevant themes in language teaching. Deepen your understanding of language teaching by exploring our optional courses in curriculum and materials development, the psychology of wellbeing in language teaching, key concepts and TESOL-orientated theories of learning and more.
You also have the option to write a dissertation that provides great preparation to study for a PhD or build a Focused Teaching Portfolio showcasing a valuable record of your growing knowledge, skills, and experience, thereby adding depth to your CV.
The programme attracts a cultural mix of students worldwide and draws upon a range of specialist knowledge from our Departments of Language, Linguistics and Education, creating a dynamic environment to appreciate different perspectives and engage in stimulating discussions.
Fee category | Cost |
---|---|
EU / International students | £23,000 |
Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | |
UK | £11,100 |
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year |
Candidates undertake the following:
This course, which is prescribed for all taught postgraduate students, is studied entirely online, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across the first 4 weeks of term.
Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.
Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Transcript as ‘Achieved’.
30 Credit Points
This course opens up new ways for students to think about language by introducing them to the fundamentals of English linguistics. Students will learn how to identify and analyse the major "building blocks" of language in phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Examples for illustration and discussion will be drawn from varieties of English spoken in the British Isles and worldwide, with lectures and tutorials geared to providing students with an active vocabulary with which to discuss language, and essential tools with which to analyse its structure and function.
15 Credit Points
This course will explore ways of collecting qualitative data in the TESOL context, including classroom observations, questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. There will also be some focus on analysing the structure of academic articles.
Plus ONE of the following:
15 Credit Points
Through a process of observation, delivery and reflection, learners will develop the ability to plan and teach coherent and structured lessons which meet stated aims and objectives. This will consolidate content covered in the TESOL methodology course.
15 Credit Points
This course is a core course for the Dissertation route and an optional course for the TESOL Focussed Teaching Portfolio route. The course will provide an introduction to the theory and practice of quantitative research in TESOL.
Select ONE of the following:
60 Credit Points
This course leads to the production of a portfolio of reflective and informed pieces analysing both the student's own and others' teaching practice in line with what has been learned throughout the programme. Students will gain hands-on teaching practice under the supervision of highly qualified personnel; the experience will then be analysed and related to relevant theory and methodology. Students will gain a sense of what planning and executing a programme of TESOL teaching will involve. This portfolio is a unique feature of the Aberdeen MSc in TESOL and gives a strongly practical flavour to the degree as a whole.
60 Credit Points
If you want to carry out in-depth research on a single topic within the field of TESOL, this is the course for you. You will be given regular support and supervision from experts in their fields on how your research should be carried out.
15 Credit Points
This course on the processes that are involved in the learning of second language vocabulary, morphosyntax, collocations, formulaic language, language functions and phonology. In addition to critical analysis of theory and research, students will have an opportunity to engage in designing EFL (English as a Foreign/Second Language) classroom activities that address areas of difficulty for English language learners from different linguistic backgrounds.
15 Credit Points
This course will focus on key concepts, hypotheses and models related TESOL-oriented theories of learning, including behaviourist, cognitive and socio-cultural perspectives. The structure of this course will facilitate development of and reflection on teaching beliefs and teaching philosophy. Strengths and weaknesses of common learning theories will be identified and their applicability to the English language teaching context will be examined.
Select TWO of the following:
15 Credit Points
In this course, students will learn about the relevance of creativity in both language teaching and learning. Students will be asked to think more deeply about what creativity means, how it relates to teaching and learning strategies and outcomes, and how they, as teachers, can better enact creativity in their classroom practices. Further, with an ever-growing emphasis on enriching creativity and thinking skills in ESL/EFL education, the course will also consider how language teaching has changed, and indeed continues to change, and the possible reasons and implications for innovations in the field that are happening around the world.
15 Credit Points
The course aims to help students develop a theoretical and practical understanding of psychological, physiological and environmental factors that influence the well-being of language teachers and learners. Course is an elective course for the MSc in TESOL.
Fee category | Cost |
---|---|
EU / International students | £23,000 |
Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | |
UK | £11,100 |
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year |
Fee category | Cost |
---|---|
EU / International students | £15,335 |
Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | |
UK | £7,385 |
Tuition Fees for 2023/24 Academic Year |
Fee category | Cost |
---|---|
EU / International students | £7,670 |
Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | |
UK | £3,700 |
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year |
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
The James Carnegie maintenance scholarship for postgraduate students is available with this degree.
All eligible self-funded international Postgraduate Masters students starting in September 2025 will receive an £8,000 scholarship. Learn more about this Aberdeen Global Scholarship here.
To see our full range of scholarships, visit our Funding Database.
You will develop the ability to apply appropriate teaching techniques and assess situations from different viewpoints with support from highly qualified and committed academic staff. Using a combination of learning methods and assessments such as experimental teaching sessions, seminars, and peer language teaching observations, you will find meaningful ways to teach as an individual.
Instead of writing an academically oriented dissertation, you can compile a Focused Teaching Portfolio as the final element in your studies, an offering unique in the field. Preparing and presenting the Portfolio involves the same research skills as producing a dissertation but with the added benefit of involving practical work aimed towards the goal of becoming a teacher of TESOL.
Assessment is by a combination of coursework, written and oral examinations and by preparation of an acceptable portfolio of documents on language acquisition and language teaching methods and practice.
Prospective students requiring a visa to study in the UK are advised to apply as early as possible to secure a place. Submitting a CV with your application is optional.
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
Students are required to have a good 2.1 degree (or its equivalent) in a related discipline, such as English or Linguistics, and/or sufficient English Language Teaching experience as approved by the admissions officer.
Please enter your country to view country-specific entry requirements.
To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 6.0; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 21; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 169; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.
Eligible self-funded Postgraduate Taught (PGT) students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Eligibility details and further information are available on our dedicated page.
Aberdeen Global ScholarshipThe English language is in ever-increasing demand throughout the world. Knowledge of the English language and the ability to use this language is a valuable global commodity.
There are opportunities to observe and engage in language teaching in the University’s well-established Language Centre and master a very marketable set of skills. A selection of students on the programme have previously taught English to real learners at local language charities, allowing them to put their skills and knowledge into practice
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
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