Doctor of Philosophy in Second Language Acquisition

The program prepares its graduates to work in the academia, the education sector, government and non-profit organizations, and industry. The research agenda centers on English as a foreign language, as well as commonly and less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), including East-Asian, Middle-Eastern, and modern European languages. The program draws upon the expertise of a distinguished cadre of faculty in the SLA program and the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and in affiliate departments, such as Linguistics, Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation, Hearing and Speech, Psychology, Curriculum and Instruction, and Human Development and Quantitative Methodology. There are four areas of specialization: second language learning, second language instruction, second language assessment and second language use. Students select two courses in each of two areas (for a total of four courses), plus two electives in the area of their proposed dissertation work. In addition, all students take two courses in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods. The eight courses (total) represent the minimum coursework requirement, some students may need extra coursework prior to starting the set of eight courses and many will wish to take courses beyond the minimum eight, based on their interests.

Statement of Purpose
Transcript(s)
TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)
PROGRAM-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
Letters of Recommendation (3)
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Writing Sample: Demonstrated evidence of ability and interest in undertaking scholarly research, could be published paper or M.A. thesis. (one required, up to one more optional)
CV/Resume
Publications/Presentations
iBT TOEFL - 96 Overall (Speaking 22, Listening 24, Reading 26, Writing 24)
IELTS - 7 Overall (Listening 7, Reading 7, Writing 7, Speaking 6.5)