FLE General FAQ

Is FLE right for me?

1. My application may not be complete by the deadline date. Will it automatically be denied?
2. Is FLE a graduate program within the department of Curriculum & Instruction?
3. I am interested in teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language. Should I apply to the Department of Curriculum & Instruction or to Foreign Language Education?
4. I am interested in teaching English or another language to adults either in the US or abroad, is the M.A. program in FLE appropriate for me?
5. Must I be certified to teach in order to apply to the FLE program?
6. Can I work full-time and complete the program in the evenings?
7. Can I complete some or all of the program online?
8. What are the required tuition and fees?
9. Will I receive financial aid?
10. Does the M.A. program in FLE include teacher certification to teach in American public schools?

How long is the program?

1. How long does it take to complete the Ph.D. program?
2. How long does it take to complete the M.A. program?
3. How many credits do students typically take each semester?

My application may not be complete by the deadline date. Will it automatically be denied?

No. Those applications completed shortly after the deadline will still be considered. If there is space remaining in the program or area of interest, the application will be reviewed. If not, the application may be marked “No Action”.

Is FLE a graduate program within the department of Curriculum & Instruction?

No, FLE and Curriculum & Instruction are separate graduate programs. FLE houses M.A. programs in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language and the Teaching of other languages (Spanish, French, Arabic, German, etc.) as well as Ph.D. programs in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language, the Teaching of other languages (Spanish, French, Arabic, German, etc.).

If you wish to apply to FLE, be certain to select the major code for FLE (632335).

I am interested in teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language. Should I apply to the Department of Curriculum & Instruction or to Foreign Language Education?

FLE and Curriculum & Instruction are separate graduate programs. FLE houses the M.A. program in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language as well as a Ph.D. program in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language. Therefore, if you are interested in ESL/EFL, you should probably select the FLE program.

Depending on their interests, some students also consider the graduate programs in Language and Literacy Studies and/or Bilingual/Bicultural Education housed in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction.

I am interested in teaching English or another language to adults either in the US or abroad, is the M.A. program in FLE appropriate for me?

Yes, many of our students are interested in teaching adults abroad or in the US.

Must I be certified to teach in order to apply to the FLE program?

No, the program does not require teacher certification.

Can I work full-time and complete the program in the evenings?

Generally no. Most FLE students are full time students. In addition, since the program is interdisciplinary courses are offered at different times during the day. Please contact the Graduate Adviser to discuss your particular situation.

Can I complete some or all of the program online?

No, the FLE program is a residence program. None of our courses are offered online.

What are the required tuition and fees?

The University of Texas website has information about tuition and fees for Texas residents and non-residents. Please consult the Graduate School tuition and fees webpage.

Will I receive financial aid?

FLE has very little financial aid to offer, and students should seek additional means to fund their studies in FLE. All applicants to the FLE program are automatically considered for a small number of Graduate School Recruitment Fellowships including the Donald D. Harrington Endowment Fellowships. Eligibility is restricted to incoming applicants to graduate study who are ranked in the top 10% nationally in the applicant's discipline. After being admitted to the program, advanced students in FLE are eligible to apply for a University Continuing Fellowship. Selection is based on major accomplishments since entering the program in FLE such as professional presentations and publications. Other Financial Aid includes short-term loans, tuition assistance loans, conventional student loans, work-study programs, and other assistance based upon need. Information for other financial aid is available from the Office of Student Financial Services.

Since FLE is an inter-disciplinary program rather than a department, it does not have any teaching assistantship positions, but limited assistantship positions are available to qualified FLE students in various departments across the university. Applications and supporting documents should be sent directly to the hiring department (for example, apply to the department of Spanish and Portuguese for a position teaching those languages or to Asian studies for a position teaching Chinese, Korean or Japanese). It is especially unusual for M.A. students to be hired for teaching assistantships because departments often require the completion of a minumum of 30 graduate hours before someone may be hired as an assistant.

Applicants with at least 3 years of public school teaching experience may apply to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction for assistantships supervising student teachers. Students with experience teaching English as a Second Language may want to apply to ESL Services at the University of Texas, the Texas Intensive English Program, or to other ESL programs in the Austin area. A small number of assistantships are also available to teach Spanish to nursing students.

Does the M.A. program in FLE include teacher certification to teach in American public schools?

The M.A. program in FLE does not include teacher certification. If a student wishes to teach in American public schools K-12, additional certification courses are required. Students should be aware that public school certification requirements vary from state-to-state. Please check the Teacher Certification website.

How long does it take to complete the Ph.D. program?

It is difficult to estimate how long it will take an individual student to complete the PhD program because the amount of time depends on many factors including courses completed in the M.A. program and dissertation topic. Many students complete the Ph.D. program in 3 or 4 years.

How long does it take to complete the M.A. program?

Most students complete the program in 3 semesters and a summer or 4 semesters.

How many credits do students typically take each semester?

Most students take between 9 and 12 credits each semester.