Tomsk State University: TSU launches first online Master’s Degree in Language Education

In November 2021, the TSU Global MA in English Language Teaching (ELT) Leadership will launch on the Coursera platform, one of the largest online learning platforms in the world. Its leader is Peter Mitchell, acting head of the Department of Translation and Language Communications, at the TSU Faculty of Foreign Languages. People all over the world who want to develop as ELT professionals are eligible to apply for the first recruitment program.

The program will be of interest to those who are already working or planning to work in universities and colleges, education departments, general education and language schools, publishing, curriculum development, or other organizations with an ELT profile.

Global MA in ELT Leadership is the first online program from a Russian university to train future leaders in teaching English, hosted on Coursera. Students will be offered a wide range of modules: they will be able to create their study programs that reflect their educational interests and professional plans.

– Over the last 140 years, TSU has continually innovated to best serve their students, – said Betty Vandenbosch, Chief Content Officer at Coursera. We’re honored to expand our partnership with TSU to enable students around in the world to earn a degree from one of Russia’s best universities — entirely online. This degree offers students the flexibility to tailor their studies and develop skills to succeed in both private and public sectors.
The training will last two years (four semesters). The first semester will form the basis for subsequent modules and introduce students to current trends in education in the 21st century. From the second semester, master’s students will build their educational trajectory, helping them to specialize in one of two areas: Advanced Classroom Practitioner – for those who want to develop as an expert in a specific ELT area or ELT manager – for those who want to develop as academic leaders and administrators in ELT. Students will also be able to combine modules from each track, considering their interests and plans.

– The opening of program in linguistic education is not accidental, since language and communication skills become defining for a modern specialist at international industrial platforms and, accordingly, are extremely in demand. Experiments with the online format and network interaction are also natural for linguistic areas due to their focus on changing contexts of communication, – says TSU Rector Eduard Galazhinsky.
About 50% of the teachers in the program are international, including teachers from Oxford, Sheffield, Shanghai, and Stockholm. The entire faculty has a wealth of experience in a variety of educational areas such as school and university classrooms, curriculum development, academic and business management, leadership, marketing, and educational entrepreneurship.

– The competitiveness of master’s programs requires the involvement of the best specialists from leading universities. Our new program, which will be hosted on the Coursera platform, will pioneer online language education and networking not only in Russia but globally. After completing the online master’s degree, students will receive a master’s degree from TSU, – says program manager Peter Mitchell.
Graduates of the Global MA in ELT Leadership program will have good opportunities to work in a wide range of professions: language school director, department head, educational consultant, educational designer, ELT trainer, ELT entrepreneur, and others.

Study at the global master’s program “Leadership in Language Education” does not provide for budgetary places for applicants, however, students from the Russian Federation and the CIS countries are given a 50% discount.