It is required that Bridge online course trainees are at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma, or equivalent. Trainees must also have sufficient English language ability (see chart below).

	Fluency Requirement	IELTS	TOEIC	TOEFL IBT	Cambridge	BULATS	EU Framework	BL English Test
IDELT/CELTA/Onsite TEFL	Mastery	8.0	950	110	CPE	89	C2 (Mastery)	95
IDELTOnline™	Advanced	7.0	845	95	CEA	75	C1 (Proficiency)	85
Bridge Online Courses	Intermediate	5.0	650	64	PET	59	B1 (Threshold)	69

The 120-hour Master Certificate is the most complete self-study online teacher-certification course we offer, including the core curriculum, tutor support, video tutorials, and Grammar Advisor, as well as two specialized endorsements: Teaching Business English Endorsement, and Teaching Young Learners Endorsement. The Master Certificate also includes access to a comprehensive library of lesson plans! This course is for people who want the complete TEFL package and the best value!

The 150-Hour IDELTOnline™ The Bridge International Diploma in English Language Teaching (IDELTOnline™) is a popular choice for people who are serious about their career teaching English a Foreign Language and want the highest-level online certification. It is an interactive course in which you’ll join a group of trainees who work through content together, week-by-week, under the guidance of a master’s-level instructor. This 12-week, university-level training not only qualifies graduates for the best jobs, but can be taken for college credit.

• While any of our International online courses meet TEFL requirements of 100+ hours for most teaching jobs abroad, the IDELTOnline is a more advanced, university-affiliated training. In fact, qualified IDELTOnline students can earn graduate-credit and take the course as a pathway to an MA TESOL with our university partners.

• The IDELTOnline is a 12-week course with a textbook and weekly due dates for assignments, while the other courses require no outside materials and are self-paced over 3 months.

• The IDELTOnline is more focused on teaching methodology, while our other online courses focus on practical classroom skills such as lesson planning and grammar.

• In the IDELTOnline, trainees progress through the course as a group (or “cohort”), collaborating with classmates and the instructor. In TEFLOnline.com, trainees work individually with the guidance of a personal tutor.

• The IDELTOnline has set start dates, since it is a 12-week, structured course. You may start our self-paced online courses at any time.

• The 100-hour Professional and 120 hour-hour Master certificates provide standard TEFL certification to meet hiring standards for jobs abroad, while the 150-hour IDELTOnline exceeds those standards and can also be taken for graduate-level university credit.

Most of our online TEFL courses do not require you to purchase a textbook. The tuition for Bridge Online Courses, including Specialized Certificates, is comprehensive and entirely online; nothing else needs to be purchased to complete them.

The IDELTOnline course tuition includes everything except the textbook, The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th Ed. with DVD), by Jeremy Harmer. This book costs about USD $50 and can be purchased from any bookseller before the start of the class.

Yes! If you would like to add an in-person teaching component to any of our online TEFL courses, you can sign up for our 20-hour Specialized Certificate: Guided Teaching Practicum.

Online Bridge certifications are recognized and accepted worldwide, particularly in regions such as Asia and Latin America. Keep in mind that TEFL certification is often just one of the typical requirements to teach English as a foreign language, and some schools may also require a bachelor’s degree or teaching experience. For more information on country-specific requirements for teaching English abroad, please review our Jobs at a Glance chart or contact a program advisor teaching experience. Successful completion of a TEFL certification does not guarantee employment in any country.

Each state has its own requirements for becoming a certified ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher, but generally TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) in the U.S. is an occupation that requires a minimum of a four-year university degree and, more commonly, a Master's in TESOL. Instructors in accredited Intensive English Programs (IEPs) in the US typically must have at least a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 6 months of full-time ESL or foreign language classroom teaching experience, or a bachelor’s degree along with a certificate in teaching ESL or EFL that include a practice teaching component.

Bridge Online certification can serve as a supplemental certificate to someone who meets the aforementioned standards.

Absolutely! You may upgrade your Bridge Online course from 40 to 60, 100 or120 hours at any time by clicking on the "Upgrade" button from inside your course. If you are a student in the IDELTOnline, you may upgrade your course by adding Specialized Certificates or a Teaching Practicum.

You may access your certificate after you have completed and passed all of the components of your course. You will be assigned a unique certificate code which may be entered into our secure Certificate Verification System by you or any employer you share it with. There, it is possible to download and print your certificate as well as read a summary of each course component's content, and see the grade that you received for each component. Click here to visit the certificate system.

You may also order a hard copy of your certificate (notarized or with apostille authentication) on that same page or from inside your course.

No, your TEFL certificate does not expire. However, some employers may be wary of certificates that were earned too far in the past, so if you are applying to your first teaching jobs a year or more after getting certified, you may want to consider adding an upgrade in order to freshen up your skills.