MSt in English Language Assessment

The MSt in English Language Assessment is aimed at English language teachers and other educational practitioners, civil servants, and other professionals seeking to enhance and consolidate their knowledge in English language assessment. The University of Cambridge offers world-class graduate education in this domain. The course is delivered jointly by Cambridge Language Sciences IRC and by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, and therefore offers a unique combination of cross-disciplinary expertise.

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Overview

Virtual Open Events

You can watch the recording of our virtual open event for the 2024-26 January start below:

MSt ELA Virtual Open Day, 28 April 2023

Please note that this recording includes the participation of Dr Roberto Sileo who no longer works on this course.

Future virtual Open Days will be advertised here later in the academic year.

This programme will provide an understanding of teaching, learning and assessment approaches to enable individuals and organisations to develop, apply and adapt language assessment tools for English. It will provide an open environment for critical approaches to learning and assessment for diverse contexts in the public and private sector in the UK and internationally. The programme will therefore be highly interactive with workshops, case studies, subject experts, and practitioners providing different perspectives on the content and method of assessment practices.

Educational aims of the programme

The course aim is to produce graduates who:

have a critical understanding of the different forms of English language assessment as seen through the lens of teaching and learning theories and theories of language assessment;
are reflective practitioners in terms of subject specialist knowledge and are prepared to consider different assessment methods for English language learners in diverse contexts;
are equipped with the advanced research skills required to actively contribute to the academic debate on language teaching and assessment, and to engage with intellectual rigor with individuals and organisations working towards the development of a range of assessment methods for individuals in diverse contexts;
are prepared to critique and evaluate current pedagogical practices in English language teaching and assessment and to conduct systematic research relevant to their professional practice;
are equipped with the knowledge and skills to design new assessment tools or strategies for learners of English.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

understand and critique the most common language assessment methods for each language skill (speaking, listening, reading, writing);
reflect upon, communicate, and integrate key notions of linguistic, psychological and computational theories in assessment practices;
recognise, appreciate, and assess multiple stakeholder perspectives in the implementation of language assessment methods;
develop and apply advanced research skills;
develop new assessment methods or tasks suitable for learners of English.

Continuing studies

The MSt is a taught degree, and successful completion of the MSt at a high grade may allow students to progress to a PhD either at the University of Cambridge or another institution.

Graduate employability and career destinations

Students will have been in employment prior to entering the course (one of the requirements is for a minimum of one year’s work experience in either the social, public or private sector). Some graduates may therefore choose to pursue (or continue) their employment within their chosen field. Predicted avenues of employment include teaching or teacher education, educational publishing, working for examination boards, assessment agencies, educational institutions, ministries, embassies, bodies such as the British Council, or multi-national companies where expertise in English language assessment is a relevant skill.

Entry requirements

Expected academic standard

Applicants are expected to have:

Achieved at least a 2.i honours degree from a UK University or an equivalent standard from an overseas institution. Applicants with international qualifications can check the equivalence guidelines for your country here.
Minimum of one year’s work experience in either the social, public or private sector.
Fluency in written and spoken English.

There is provision to accept non-standard applicants who do not satisfy the standard academic criterion. Such applicants must produce evidence of relevant and equivalent experience and their suitability for the course.

Language requirement

Language requirement for speakers of English as an additional language:

IELTS Academic: Overall score of 7.5 (a minimum of 7.0 in each individual component)
TOEFL Internet: Overall score of 110 (a minimum of 25 in each individual component)
CAE: Grade A or B (with at least 193 in each individual element) plus a Language Centre assessment
CPE: Grade A, B, or C (with at least 200 in each individual element)

Teaching & Assessment

Teaching

Pre-course and induction (online)

Before the first residential period, preliminary reading and formative assessment in a range of formats, such as multiple-choice tasks, based on core aspects of the course will be offered online through the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Module 1: Understanding speech and language and how they are learned (20 contact hours)
Module 2: Language learning in instructed contexts (20 contact hours)
Module 3: Principles of assessment; the role of assessment and how it contributes to learning (20 contact hours)
Module 4: Use of technology in language learning and assessment; how technology can be used to enhance learning (20 contact hours)
Module 5: Principles of research; mixed methods; introduction to statistical methods and statistical analysis for language assessment (20 contact hours)
Module 6: Critical view of language assessment tools (20 contact hours)

Teaching periods

There will be four teaching periods across the two years:

a) two face-to-face residential teaching periods

b) two online teaching periods

Face-to-face residential teaching

This will be delivered over two residential periods, each lasting two weeks. There will be one residential for each year of the course. Prior to each residential teaching block, students will be expected to engage for at least eight hours per week with online study materials which will include readings, videos, online forum discussions and self-assessment. Before and after the residentials, participants will be fully supported and engaged in the programme through the VLE.

The face-to-face residential periods held in Cambridge are scheduled for:

Year 1: 24 March - 4 April 2025
Year 2: 23 March - 2 April 2026

Online teaching

One module is planned to be taught online in early Lent Term 2025 and one module is planned to be taught online in early Lent Term 2026.

Assessment

Essays

In Year 1, students will complete the following assessments:

One essay per module, for Modules 1 and 3, totalling 5,000 words per module and representing 12% of the final mark each

In Year 2, students will complete the following assessments:

For Module 2, one essay totalling 5,000 words and representing 12% of the final mark
For Module 4 there will be assignments in a range of formats (such as multiple choice questions, hands-on practical exercises, and/or designing assessment tasks) representing 7% of the final mark
3,000-word essay for Module 6 representing 7% of the final mark

There is a formative preparatory assignment of between 1,500 - 2,000 words undertaken before the first module. Students may be required to give individual presentations or contribute to group presentations, on which students receive constructive feedback.

Dissertation

Dissertation: 15,000-18,000 words (including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography) representing 50% of the final mark

Marking criteria

The pass mark is 60% and a distinction is 75% or over

Fees & funding

Fees

The combined graduate fee includes College membership. Students will be expected to cover the application fee and any costs of travel and accommodation during residential sessions in Cambridge.

Home fees:

Year 1 - £7,875

Year 2 - £7,875

Overseas/ EU fees:

Year 1 - £13,500

Year 2 - £13,500

Funding

Information regarding Professional and Career Development Loans can be found here - Sources of government funding and financial support.

For information on a loan from Student Finance England for course fees and a contribution towards living costs, please see https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/info/student-loans

How to apply

Read the MSt Application Guide to find out more about the application process and what you need to do and consider as a potential applicant.

Supporting documents

You will be required to provide supporting documents as part of your application:

Undergraduate degree certificates & transcripts

Undergraduate degree certificates and transcripts
If you have other academic qualifications (i.e. postgraduate qualifications) you have the option to provide these
All documents should be translated to English if applicable

Language certificate

If applicable, speakers of English as an additional language should provide evidence of their English language proficiency

Sample of work

Applicants should provide a writing sample of between 2,000 and 5,000 words to demonstrate ability to write for a professional, academic or public audience on any topic (topics related to English language assessment or Linguistics are especially encouraged). This might be a news article, professional report, academic paper, internal report, blog post or other form of published or unpublished written communication.

You can submit an existing piece of work or write a new piece. Should you wish to create a new piece of work, you must use the following sample questions:

Please choose one of the 2 essay topics below. Your essay should contain no more than 2,000 words.

1. Language assessment of the future will be completely online. Discuss.

2. Since most people read and write predominantly in the form of short messages on social media, we should stop using essays to assess candidates’ reading and writing skills. Discuss.

Personal Statement

Applicants should provide a personal statement (500 words maximum)

CV or Resume

References

You will need to provide the details of two referees. These should be for either two academic references or one academic and one professional reference.

Employer Support Letter

You will need to provide a letter from your current employer (if applicable), confirming that they support your application for this MSt.

Partner Colleges

The partner colleges for the MSt in English Language Assessment are currently Fitzwilliam College and Homerton College. You will become a matriculated member of one of these colleges. You may state a preference for either College when you apply, but in order to create a sense of cohort and have maximum benefit from the course, students will be allocated evenly across these colleges.

When are applications considered?

All applications are considered on a gathered field after the closing date. While there is no advantage to submitting your application early, we would recommend you do not leave submission until the last minute to avoid any technical difficulties.

Interviews and offers of a place

All short-listed applicants will be invited to interview with two members of the academic team. Interviews are planned to take place in May 2024, using video conferencing tools such as Zoom. Offers will be sent to successful applicants, following interview, in summer 2024.

FAQs

Below you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions (FAQs). Please do read through these and you should find the answers to most questions. However, if you still cannot find what you are looking for then please click on, the ‘ASK A QUESTION’ link at the top right of this page to send the course team a message and we will respond as soon as possible.

Applications

When are the opening and closing dates for applications?

Applications open in October 2023 and close on 30 April 2024.

Late applications will not be considered. We encourage all applications to be submitted as early as possible, to avoid any possible technical difficulties with submission.

Are any places offered before the application deadline?

No, places will not be offered before the deadline. All applications submitted by the deadline will be considered.

I have question about my application, who should I contact?

For any queries or information about the admissions procedure, making an application or your application, please contact the admissions team (click on the link at the top right on this page)

When will I hear back about my application?

All short-listed applicants will be invited to interview with two members of the academic team. Interviews are planned to take place in May 2024, using video conferencing tools such as Zoom. Conditional offers will be sent to successful applicants, following interview, in summer 2024.

What references do I need to include in my application?

The criterion for acceptance includes letters of recommendation from two referees who can provide academic or professional references.

Only references officially evidencing the institutional affiliation of an academic referee will be accepted. Professional references should be from a person eligible using, where possible, a professional email address.

If you have been out of education for some time and you are not able to obtain an academic reference, please provide two professional references.

Eligibility

What are the entry requirements to the course?

Please see the ‘Entry Requirements’ tab above.

I am an International Student - do I have the relevant qualifications to be considered for the course?

Please check the equivalence guidelines for your country: International qualifications.

I do not meet the academic criteria - can I still apply for the course?

In addition to those with the standard entry requirement of a 2i or above in their first degree, we welcome applications from students with lower marks in the first degree than the standard requirement.

(Why) Do I need to do complete a language test?

Evidence of English language proficiency is a University requirement, and rigorously applied. Even those applicants who may have obtained previous degrees in English may be required to take a language test, as the University’s regulations are time dependent. It is imperative that applicants check in advance, and if necessary, arrange for appropriate testing, as they must comply before taking up any offer of admission. Any English language proficiency test needs to have been completed within the last 3 years.

The University's main graduate admissions office website has a language calculator, https://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international/competence-english which you may find helpful at this stage of the application process.

The Admissions team will only make a formal assessment of whether or not an applicant will be required to provide additional evidence of their current English language proficiency after they receive an academic decision to accept your application from the department. It is best to check ahead of this in order to give yourself enough time to take a test if required.

Do I need a Visa, and if so, how do I obtain one?

Please see the information on Visas from the International Student Office at Cambridge here: https://www.iso.admin.cam.ac.uk/visa-advice-service

Progression and Credits

Can I transfer credits from my current university?

We do not currently accept any transfer of credits from other universities.

Teaching delivery

Do I need to attend in person?

This is an in-person course and attendance is compulsory at each of the two Residential periods in Cambridge. The programme is delivered via a combination of face-to-face and some online teaching, delivery through a virtual learning environment [VLE] and self-directed learning. You will need to:

a. Attend, in person, all the Residential periods; and

b. Be eligible to study in the UK

There is no provision to attend the in person residentials online.

Please see the Teaching & Assessment tab for provisional residential dates.

How will I be assessed?

Please refer to the Teaching & Assessment tab above.

What happens outside of the residential sessions?

The modules are delivered using a blended learning approach. Outside of the residential teaching, there will be online one-to-one tutorials with the Course Director, online group tutorials, and online one-to-one dissertation supervisions. You will be expected to engage for at least eight hours per week with online study materials which will include readings, videos, online forum discussions and self-assessment.

Can I undertake this course whilst working?

Yes. As a part time course, the MSt in English Language Assessment enables learners to maintain personal and professional commitments while also studying.

It is important to consider all aspects of your life before you decide to study on a course, having a clear idea of how you will accommodate studying into your current routine before you apply will enable you to get as much out of the course as possible.

We recognise that studying for a part-time Master’s degree is a serious undertaking, particularly when students are balancing work and family commitments.

College questions

Do I need to pay College fees?

The course fee includes College membership fees, however there may be small additional fees payable to a College for specific services provided; further information will be provided by your College directly once you have a confirmed place.

Fees and Funding

Are there any scholarships or funding attached to the course?

There is no specific funding attached to this course. Information regarding Professional and Career Development Loans can be found here - Sources of government funding and financial support.