University of Birmingham - College of Arts and Law

MA Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (Distance Learning)

Discover why we are the UK university most targeted by top graduate employers ('Graduate Market in 2024' and 'Graduate Market in 2025' High Fliers reports) at our on-campus Postgraduate Open Day.

Please visit the course webpage below for up-to-date information on modules.

A world Top 30 department for English Language and Literature (QS World University Rankings 2025).

By studying a postgraduate degree in the Department of Linguistics and Communication at Birmingham, you’ll develop transferable skills suited to a range of career paths. These skills include strong written and verbal communication, organisation skills, time management and analysing information.

Linguistics and Communication graduates enter many roles, including:

• Secondary School Teacher
• Digital Communications Officer
• TESOL Tutor or Language Tutor

Employers our Linguistics and Communication graduates have worked for include:

• Regional councils/schools in the UK and worldwide
• Further Education colleges

Join a global community and discover a course that matches your interests and aspirations with our huge range of postgraduate programmes in the College of Arts and Law.

Study options

We offer full time or part time study for many of our courses. We're proud to offer many courses by distance learning so you can access our exceptional teaching and resources from anywhere in the world.

Looking to study for a shorter period? Some of our courses offer PGCert and PGDip qualifications.

Innovative postgraduate degrees

Benefit from our interdisciplinary approach with opportunities to develop your skills. Whichever programme you pick, you’ll expand your knowledge and be ready for your next career step.

The University of Birmingham is the top choice for the UK's major employers searching for graduate recruits, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 and 2025, High Fliers report.

Ways you can enhance your career prospects include:

• Placement opportunities on the MA Film and Television: Research and Production
• Optional public history placement module on our MA History courses
• Practice-based dissertation options on MA International Law, Ethics and Politics

First-class facilities

Take your learning to the next level at Birmingham. Benefit from our incredible facilities available to College of Arts and Law students including:

• The Film Editing Suite: Access content creation and podcasting studios, professional cameras, and filming equipment with beginner friendly training by media technicians.
• The Barber Institute of Fine Arts: Our on-campus art gallery with paintings spanning seven centuries, from Botticelli to Monet and Van Gogh. The History of Art and Art History and Curating programmes are taught in the Barber for direct access to artwork. [The galleries of the Barber Institute are currently closed due to essential building works. Teaching will recommence in the galleries from autumn 2027.]
• Bramall Music Building and our Music Hub offering state-of-the-art performance, concert and rehearsal spaces.
• Shakespeare Institute: Our Shakespeare Studies students access a wealth of resources and a dedicated library at our Shakespeare Institute, based in Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon.
• Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology Museum including over 2,000 archaeological objects and an environmental archaeology collection.

Experts in distance learning

You don’t need to be in Birmingham to make the most of our outstanding teaching and research. Study from anywhere in the world through our range of distance learning options.

With over 25 years’ experience delivering distance learning courses, we’ll make sure you’re supported from day one.

You won’t be alone in your studies – on our taught programmes you’ll connect with your peers through our Virtual Learning Environment. If you choose a postgraduate research degree by distance learning, you’ll access remote research supervision meetings.

“I studied International Heritage Management as a distance learning student. My time at the University of Birmingham had a profound impact on my life, both personally and professionally. From start to finish, the experience was exceptional.” – Josh, MA International Heritage Management by Distance Learning alumnus and Senior Operations and Events Executive at Historic Royal Palaces.

Birmingham Law School

For almost a century Birmingham Law School has led the way in legal education and research. Today, we continue to provide our students with innovative, challenging, and research-driven education.

We are a truly global, civic and diverse community reflected through our staff and students who have important impacts around the world through research, teaching and enterprise.

The Shakespeare Institute

An internationally renowned research institution based in the heart of Shakespeare's beautiful Stratford-upon-Avon. Established in 1951 to push the boundaries of knowledge about Shakespeare studies and Renaissance drama. Study in Stratford-upon-Avon or online.

The University of Birmingham is engaged in an exciting collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). This pioneering project is the result of the longstanding relationship between the RSC and the University of Birmingham which amongst other things has seen the reinstatement of the iconic RSC studio theatre, The Other Place.

Our study materials are produced by academic staff in our department, and are available online through the University's 'virtual learning environment'. They contain aims and objectives, reading lists, summaries of readings, activities and commentaries, discussion and reflection tasks, indexes, and details of assignments required. On joining you are provided with a course handbook that introduces you to the team, provides details of their roles and expertise, and gives all the contact information you will need so that if you have any difficulties or questions you will know who to contact for help and guidance.

Although much of the course is delivered through the virtual learning environment, support is always available. You will have a personal tutor and dissertation supervisor to guide you and answer any questions, and you will be able to consult academic staff in Birmingham via video calling software such as Zoom or Teams.

We also run week-long face-to-face seminars in the summer. These are free, and open to all distance TESOL students.

Each module represents up to 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, assignment preparation, and independent study.