TESOL/Linguistics

In support of the LaGuardia’s mission to educate and graduate its students to become critical thinkers and socially responsible citizens, the College has undertaken a team approach toward advising, designed to support you in your major from orientation through graduation.

Your Advising Team is made up of faculty, professional and peer advisors. They will guide you at every step during your college career. They are ready to help you:

• Explore your major
• Select introductory and advanced courses
• Connect you with campus support services
• Prepare an educational and career plan

Visit the Advising page to learn more about when to get advised and how to prepare for an advising appointment, and check out the Advising Calendar for information sessions, events and more.

Career Profile

The option is designed for students interested in pursuing teaching English as a New Language (also called English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language) in private and public-school contexts, both in the United States and abroad. The program adheres to New York State Teacher Education requirements, preparing students for an Initial Certificate to teach in New York State public schools (all grades). A degree in TESOL can also lead to careers in language testing, materials design and publishing, program administration and more.

Transfer Opportunities

Students graduating from LaGuardia with an AA in TESOL/Linguistics will be able to transfer and enroll in the Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Linguistics: TESOL at our partner institution, Queens College. Students eligible for transfer to Queens College need an overall GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. Students must demonstrate written academic English proficiency by passing the program’s English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) or by providing proof of one of the following external test results: a New York State ELA Regents grade of 85 or greater, a Writing and Language SAT score of 550 or greater, or an English ACT score of 11 or greater.

Visit the Articulation Agreements page to learn more about transfer opportunities.

Current Students
Log in to My LaGuardia to review your Degree Audit to find out what classes to take. Have questions about using Degree Audit? Visit LaGuardia's Degree Audit page for tutorials and how-to guides.

Please note: Students will be held to the program and degree requirements of the year that they enter the College, unless the student changes their major in a different academic year. In that case, the student will be held to the current year requirements as listed in the catalog. Learn more.

Degree Map
Use the Degree Map and DegreeWorks to assist in academic planning and creating your own graduation plan in ePortfolio. See a full list of Flexible Core courses on the Pathways page.

For information about this program’s retention and graduation rate visit the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment website page.

Learning Communities are groupings of two or more courses, often surrounding a common theme. There are two types of Learning Communities, Clusters (consisting of three or more classes) and Pairs (consisting of two classes).

Learning Communities can help you:

• Make connections among courses
• Form a community with your classmates
• Work closely with faculty
• Be more successful in your courses
• Be more likely to stay in school and graduate

Continuing students are encouraged to select a Cluster or Pair in their second semester.

Recent Learning Community Themes include:

• American Cultural Identities in Poetry, Prose, Beats and Rhymes
• Technology, Power and Freedom: Building your Digital Identity
• Truth, Lies and Video
• Alienation and Inquiry

Review Liberal Arts Learning Communities for the current semester.

This course invites you to consider a topic in an interdisciplinary manner, drawing on the various courses you have taken as well as experiences outside of college; therefore, it is recommended that this capstone course be taken in your last semester. The themes available for this class the course varies from semester to semester—previous themes include "American Museum," "Epidemics," "Genocide," "Modern Medical Practice," and "Performance and Disability." Review LIB200 themes for the current semester.

All Education and TESOL students at LaGuardia Community College must be registered in the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) Personnel Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) database specifically for LaGuardia Community College students and Fingerprinted by the NYCDOE before registering for an education course. Click here for New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) Fingerprint Verification and Security Clearance Requirements.