- Academics
- Graduate Schools
- The Graduate School of Letters:
- Overview
- Program Benefits
Program Benefits
The decision to pursue graduate study is an important one and requires careful consideration of the many options available to students who wish to complete an advanced degree in TESOL.
Applicants may ask, "Why do students pursue a Master’s in TESOL at Soka University?” While degrees offered in many contexts provide students with the necessary knowledge to begin a professional career in TESOL, the International Language Education: TESOL Program offered at Soka University is unique in Japan and in comparison to programs in other countries on a number of points:
Applicants may ask, "Why do students pursue a Master’s in TESOL at Soka University?” While degrees offered in many contexts provide students with the necessary knowledge to begin a professional career in TESOL, the International Language Education: TESOL Program offered at Soka University is unique in Japan and in comparison to programs in other countries on a number of points:
- In comparison to other graduate programs in Japan, the ILE: TESOL Master’s Program is delivered fully in English.
- Upon completion of their Master’s degree, graduates of the ILE: TESOL Program are eligible to apply for one of the three-year Lecture contracts which are annually offered to ILE: TESOL graduates through the World Language Center at Soka University.
- All ILE Full-time Faculty members have extensive teaching experience in Japan and other countries where English is taught as a foreign or second language.
- All ILE Full-time Faculty members have doctoral level degrees from respected universities in English dominant countries.
- Due to a small student-faculty ratio (the ILE: TESOL Program accepts a maximum of eight applicants each academic year), ILE Faculty members are able to provide individualized support so that each student can complete their graduate studies successfully.
- Recognizing that many of the ILE: TESOL students are non-native speakers of English, the faculty members recognize this need and support is provided when necessary.
- Extensive teaching practice under the supervision of an experienced practicum supervisor (totaling approximately 45 hours of classroom instruction and an additional 22 hours of supervisor feedback) is a central component of the overall graduate program.
- Students considering their data collection for their research thesis have many options, including collecting data from their home contexts or through the English language courses regularly provided to undergraduate students at the university.
Employment after graduation
There are many employment opportunities available to the graduates of the ILE: TESOL Program. All ILE: TESOL graduates have been employed in contexts of their choice, including private or public high schools, junior high schools, elementary schools or kindergartens. Some of our graduates are now university faculty members at other universities, and others are pursuing doctoral study.
Assistant Lecturer positions at Soka University
For each graduating class, there are Assistant Lecturer positions available at Soka University for ILE: TESOL Program graduates.These three-year teaching positions provide an opportunity for our graduates to make a smooth transition into their professional careers while gaining invaluable experience which can strengthen their applications to future positions.
For each graduating class, there are Assistant Lecturer positions available at Soka University for ILE: TESOL Program graduates.These three-year teaching positions provide an opportunity for our graduates to make a smooth transition into their professional careers while gaining invaluable experience which can strengthen their applications to future positions.
While there is no formalized job placement system at the university for graduate students, the ILE: TESOL faculty works in coordination with local institutions to support program graduates as they consider different employment or continuing education opportunities.