Master of Applied Linguistics and TESOL

2 Year On Campus Masters Program

Macquarie University

Program Overview

Macquarie University’s Master of Applied Linguistics and TESOL prepares students for professional roles in language teaching and applied linguistics, combining theories of language and language learning with practical teaching experience. It suits aspiring and practising language professionals who want to develop advanced skills in TESOL, language analysis, curriculum design, assessment and language research.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish a foundation in language teaching through APPL8200 – Linguistics and Language Teaching, APPL8001 – TESOL Methodologies, and APPL8250 – Second Language Acquisition. They also undertake APPL8220 – Practicum in TESOL, connecting theoretical learning with practical classroom experience.

Year 2: Students develop advanced knowledge through units such as APPL8020 – Research Methods in Language Study, APPL8240 – Language Testing and Evaluation, and APPL8230 – Language Curriculum in Context. Elective options such as APPL8420 – Teaching English for Academic Purposes, APPL8400 – Language for Specific Purposes, and APPL8010 – Genre, Discourse and Multimodality allow students to specialise according to their professional interests.

Focus Areas

Applied linguistics, TESOL, second-language acquisition, language teaching methodologies, pronunciation, literacies, language assessment, curriculum development, intercultural communication, discourse, multimodality, English for academic purposes and language research.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates develop advanced knowledge of language, language learning and teaching, critically analyse linguistic research and data, communicate effectively in professional TESOL settings, and apply research-informed approaches to language teaching and learning.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The program is endorsed as an English Language Teaching qualification by NEAS (National ELICOS Accreditation Scheme), a recognised quality-assurance organisation for the English-language teaching sector.

Reputation (Employability & Rankings)

Macquarie University’s Faculty of Arts is ranked among the world's top 150 for Education in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. Macquarie is also ranked #11 in Australia and #126 globally in the QS World University Rankings 2027, and within Australia's top 10 for graduate outcomes and employer reputation.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Macquarie University’s Master of Applied Linguistics and TESOL has a strong work-integrated learning component, connecting academic study with authentic language-teaching environments. Students can develop practical teaching skills through classroom observation, supervised teaching, lesson and materials preparation, reflective practice and professional feedback from experienced TESOL practitioners.

Key experiential learning opportunities include:

TESOL practicum: APPL8220 – Practicum in TESOL places students in an external language-teaching institution, where they observe classes, undertake supervised teaching and prepare lessons and teaching materials.
Teaching portfolio: Students create a professional teaching portfolio and receive feedback through a TESOL-qualified mentor teacher report.
Industry exposure: The course includes industry visits and placement activities within Foundation and Core units, giving students exposure to professional English-language teaching environments.
Group and collaborative activities: Units incorporate individual, group and class activities, collaborative discussions and problem-solving, with external students participating through online discussion boards.
Digital learning tools: Students use online reflection activities, self-assessment quizzes, recorded lectures/podcasts, written course materials and online discussion boards as part of the course's learning model.
Language-teaching practice: APPL8290 – Evaluating Language Classroom Practice and APPL8230 – Language Curriculum in Context develop practical skills in evaluating teaching and designing language curricula.
Research skills: APPL8020 – Research Methods in Language Study develops students' ability to engage with and analyse research and empirical data in applied linguistics and TESOL.
Departmental support: The program is delivered by Macquarie's Department of Linguistics, which coordinates the TESOL practicum and its professional learning activities

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of Macquarie University’s Master of Applied Linguistics and TESOL can pursue language-teaching and language-professional careers in Australia and internationally, including ELICOS, migrant English programs, overseas language colleges and private English-language training. The degree can also support broader communication-focused roles where advanced language knowledge is valuable.

Typical career roles: TESOL Teacher, English Language Teacher, ELICOS Teacher, Language Program Coordinator, Language Consultant.

Career support: Macquarie’s Careers and Employment Service helps students with career planning, job searching, CV preparation, employability seminars and connections with employers and industry professionals.
Employment outcomes: In Macquarie’s Graduate Outcomes Survey, 87% of graduates who were looking for work were employed within four months, while 7 in 10 employed graduates were working as managers or professionals. These are university-wide figures, not specific to the TESOL program.
Program-specific destinations: Graduates can work in Adult Migrant English Programs (AMEP), ELICOS providers, overseas language colleges, overseas schools as teacher assistants, and private companies offering English for Specific Purposes programs.
Industry and workplace experience: The course connects students with workplace partners through authentic work-integrated learning activities, including the TESOL practicum, helping students build professional networks and practical teaching experience.
Professional recognition: The qualification is endorsed by NEAS (National ELICOS Accreditation Scheme) as an English Language Teaching qualification, providing recognised professional value within the English-language teaching sector.
Salary: Macquarie does not publish a specific graduate salary figure for this program, so a program-specific salary should not be quoted without an external salary source.
Long-term opportunities: The qualification can support progression from classroom teaching into language-program coordination, leadership, curriculum development, language education and broader communication-focused roles.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into higher-degree research, such as a Master of Research or PhD in Applied Linguistics, Linguistics, TESOL, Language Education or a related field. The research and methodology components of the master's provide a foundation for students interested in moving from professional language teaching into academic research and university-level careers.