PGCert in Teaching English as a Second Language - Tesl at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Canada is a postgraduate certificate in English Language Studies programme. The programme runs for 1 year, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 16,809 per year (CAD 4,039 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Postgraduate Certificate
Field:English Language Studies
Duration: 1 year
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 4,039 / year
International tuition: CAD 16,809 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) is a one-year Ontario College Graduate Certificate delivered in hybrid format at Conestoga's Waterloo campus for those preparing to teach English in Canada or abroad. Students study language acquisition theory and ESL teaching foundations along with classroom strategies for diverse learners, and complete 50 hours of supervised field placement under certified instructors. The program prepares graduates to pursue TESL Canada and TESL Ontario certifications and to teach in schools, community programs or international settings.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Conestoga's own admissions page for this Teaching English as a Second Language graduate certificate requires a completed three- or four-year bachelor's degree, master's degree or PhD from an accredited institution located in Canada, with a combined three years of in-person instruction delivered in English, or a foreign degree assessed as equivalent by a member of the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada (such as WES, ICAS or CES). Canadian citizens and permanent residents with transcripts from outside Canada must also obtain a course-by-course credential evaluation. Where the degree was not completed in English, applicants must instead demonstrate proficiency through a test taken within two years, meeting minimums of IELTS Academic 7 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking, TOEFL iBT 24/24/27/26 in the same order, CAEL 70 in each band, the Michigan English Test at 64, or ECPE Level C2. Selection also weighs a written essay on an assigned topic and a faculty interview on program suitability.
Application Details
Start Date:Intake month: September. Start dates listed by Conestoga on 6 September 2026, for domestic and international applicants alike: September 2026 at Waterloo. An individual campus intake may already be closed.
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through ontariocolleges.ca (college code CONS): for the Fall 2027 intake the online application opens 26 September 2026, the equal consideration date is 1 February 2027, offers may be issued from 1 November 2026, and accepted offers must be confirmed by 1 May 2027; most oversubscribed programs stop accepting applications after 1 February 2027, though many programs remain open afterward. Conestoga does not publish a separate equal-consideration date for its January intake. International applicants apply directly to Conestoga and are assessed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis until each program fills; no fixed international closing date is published. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
