Majors and Minors
Undergraduate
Majors
Develop multilingual communicative skills, oral and written language ability, and broaden your cultural awareness with a major in the Modern Languages department.
- Adolescence Education: Spanish (7-12)
- Spanish
- Teaching English as a Second Language (Grades K-12)
- Teaching English as a Second Language (non-certification) (for those not planning on teaching in U.S. public schools)
Minors
Add a minor in Modern Languages to strengthen your skills and make you more marketable after graduation.
Microcredential (available spring 2026)
This option can be a good fit for undergraduate students who:
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are current SUNY Cortland undergraduate students in any teacher education program who would like to pursue an additional NYS certificate in TESOL on their own after they have earned their initial certificate affiliated with their B.A. or B.S. program
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are not in a teacher education program, but would like to teach English abroad
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are education majors who intend to teach in NYS then pursue a master’s degree in an area other than TESOL; the undergraduate microcredential can enable teachers to pursue additional NYS certifications
- are interested in learning about TESOL but planning to move to a state where a master's degree isn't required
The TESOL Microcredential is open to undergraduate students in any program seeking to teach English as a foreign language overseas after graduation. Undergraduate courses are delivered in person on the SUNY Cortland campus.
Visit the SUNY Cortland Microcredential site for more information.
Graduate Program
M.S.Ed. TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
Graduate students are prepared to teach English to non-native speakers in a variety of U.S. and international settings, including general classrooms with multilingual learners, private schools, or adult education classes. Those with NYS initial teaching certification can pursue additional TESOL certification.
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- See the Frequently Asked Questions document for important information about the graduate program.
Microcredential (available spring 2026)
This option can be a good fit for graduate students who:
- have initial or professional teacher certification and are seeking to obtain an additional initial classroom teaching certificate in TESOL, but don't need or want a master's degree
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are current SUNY Cortland graduate students in any teacher education program who would like to pursue an additional NYS certificate in TESOL (as long as they have an initial certificate in another area)
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are interested in learning about TESOL but are planning to move to a state where a master's degree isn't required
Graduate-level TESOL Microcredential courses are offered asynchronously online in the fall or spring semesters.
Visit the SUNY Cortland Microcredential site for more information.