Teaching English as an Additional Language: Master of Arts (MA) is a master's degree in Education & Teaching programme offered by Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada. The programme is delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 2,193 per semester (CAD 2,193 per semester for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Master's Degree
Field:Education & Teaching
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 2,193 / semester
International tuition: CAD 2,193 / semester
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The MA stream of SFU's Teaching English as an Additional Language program pairs core seminars -- covering second-language teaching, second-language learning, and sociocultural perspectives on education and identity -- with one further elective, a research-methods course, and a 10-unit thesis investigating an original question in EAL practice. Because it centres on independent research, the MA typically takes nine or more terms to complete, longer than the coursework-based MEd offered within the same program. Classes run in the late afternoon or evening on the Burnaby campus so that working teachers can attend, and most applicants -- domestic or international -- have at least two years of full-time teaching or equivalent experience with English-language learners.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.00 / 4.33
Admission Requirements: The program's application page follows SFU's general master's admission standard (a bachelor's degree, a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4.33 scale, or 3.33 on the last 60 units, and references from qualified referees) and adds program-specific conditions: a relevant undergraduate degree in education or linguistics with upper-level coursework in language arts, reading, language acquisition, syntax, phonology, or semantics, and normally two years of full-time classroom teaching or equivalent related experience. Non-native English speakers must meet SFU's general proficiency standard: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no section below 6.0, TOEFL iBT 90 overall with no section below 20, Duolingo English Test 125 overall with no section below 105, PTE Academic 65 overall with no section below 60, or CAEL 70 overall with no section below 60. Required materials are three reference letters (at least two academic), unofficial transcripts, an academic writing sample of five or more pages written within the past five years, a CV of up to three pages, and a letter of intent of up to 1,000 words.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC, with one set of dates per applicant type rather than by citizenship. Fall 2027 entry: high-school-route applications open 1 October 2026 and close 31 January 2027, while transfer applications open 1 March 2027 and close 15 April 2027 (Education and Contemporary Arts transfer applicants may apply from 1 October 2026). Spring 2027 entry runs 1 July to 15 September 2026, and Summer 2027 entry runs 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027. Admission documents are generally due 28 February 2027 (Fall) and offers must be accepted by 1 May. International applicants use the same EducationPlannerBC dates and portal; SFU publishes no separate international deadline. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
