Academic Programs
Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics
The Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics provides students with a broad theoretical grounding and research experiences in examining the nature of language and language learning. The specific goals of the program are to prepare scholars:
- to apply their understandings of the theoretical and empirical complexities of language and language learning in addressing everyday and extraordinary language-related issues
- to develop research agendas around relevant questions and appropriate investigative methods
- to apply their understandings of the scholarship of teaching and research in diverse social and institutional contexts
- Coursework
- Ph.D. students are required to complete a minimum of 45 credits beyond the M.A. degree. Course offerings accommodate a wide range of student needs and interests. Areas of study include: classroom discourse; language teaching and learning; teacher education; corpus linguistics; discourse analysis; language and cognition; language, culture, and identity; language, health, and aging; language ideology; sociocultural theory; and World Englishes. Students work closely with their faculty advisors to choose courses in their areas of study. Students also complete a sequence of courses in both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
- Roundtables and Guest Lecture Sessions
- In addition to coursework, all Ph.D. students participate in the regularly scheduled departmental roundtable sessions and guest lectures. These events bring together faculty and graduate students in settings outside of the classroom to engage in discussions of mutual interest. The sessions include presentations and discussions of research-in-progress by members of the APLNG community as well as presentations by visiting speakers. The graduate student body also organizes regularly scheduled social events that bring faculty and students together in more informal settings to share ideas and develop affiliations.
- Teaching Apprenticeships
- The purpose of the Teaching Apprenticeship is to provide Ph.D. students with an opportunity to gain direct experience in discipline-specific teaching while being mentored by a faculty mentor. The faculty mentor takes an active role in facilitating the professional development of the student as a college teacher. Apprentices work with their faculty mentors to design course materials, prepare and deliver classes and assess student learning.
- Apprentices must secure the agreement of the faculty member with whom they wish to apprentice at least one semester before the semester in which the course will be taught. They must be in good academic standing and they must register for one credit of 602 during the semester they are apprenticing. Those who have completed apprenticeships will be eligible to teach the courses to which they apprentice as opportunities arise.
- The apprentice's name will appear on the schedule of courses as co-instructor along with the faculty member. Students will complete SRTEs for both the apprentice and faculty mentor. The faculty mentor will complete an evaluation of the student's teaching apprenticeship at the end of the course. A copy will be given to the student-apprentice and one copy will be placed in the individual’s file.
- Professional Development Opportunities
- Organized by a department committee composed of faculty and graduate students, professional development opportunities are made available to students throughout the academic year that help prepare them for the various stages of PhD work, including a series of informal discussions on topics such candidacy and comprehensive examinations and dissertation writing. In addition, opportunities are made available that help students to identify and prepare for careers in the field. These include practice rehearsals for conference presentations, workshops on writing-for-publication and grant proposals, and seeking and interviewing for academic positions.
- Graduate Student Funding
- All admitted Ph.D. students are eligible for departmental funding. For more information on funding possibilities, please click here.
For more detailed information on the Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics, please view our graduate handbook.
APLNG PhD - Roadmap to Success
For information on how to apply to the Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics, please click here.