Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Ph.D.

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College of Arts and Sciences
Department: World Languages

Major Contacts, Deadlines, and Delivery Information

This major in Linguistics and Applied Language Studies is designed to train advanced students in the field in using principled, empirical approaches to address language-related issues in the 21st century. Our faculty are equipped to meet the needs of students with diverse interests in the field. Possible careers for graduates from this program include university teaching, language program administration, and industry careers involving linguistic research and analysis. By the end of the major, our students will be able to:

develop a strong knowledge base in the content areas of this field, including key topics, major lines of inquiry, current trends, and remaining questions;
develop expertise in critical thinking as well as in oral and written communication for academic and non-academic audiences;
contribute their expertise to advancing knowledge about the critical role of language(s) in a global society;
demonstrate mastery of research methods and use these methods to design and conduct independent research on various topics in this field;
contribute to the advancement of this field through scholarly publications and conference presentations;
gain experience in teaching undergraduate courses;
participate in professional activities in this field at national, regional, and local levels.

Major Research Areas:
Applied Language Studies, Applied Linguistics, Corpus linguistics, Discourse analysis, Individual differences, Intercultural communication, Language assessment, Second language acquisition, Second language learning and teaching, Second language phonology, Second language writing, and Text analysis.

Admission Information

Must meet University Admission and English Proficiency requirements as well as requirements for admission to the major, listed below.

M.A. in Applied Linguistics, Linguistics, TESOL, Second Language Studies, Foreign Languages, or a related field
Experience with an additional language(s)
GRE scores (taken within the last five years): Verbal reasoning: 153 (500, approximately 60% percentile); Quantitative reasoning: 144 (500, approximately 20% percentile); Analytical Writing: 4.00.
GPA of 3.50 or higher in the M.A. degree
Statement of research interest (maximum of two (2) pages, single-spaced)
Current curriculum vitae
A writing sample that shows evidence of research skill. This can be published or unpublished, such as an article, an M.A. thesis, or an M.A. course paper. (Please note: the writing sample must be solo authoried by the applicant)
3 academic references
Interview with program faculty
Official transcripts (must provide an official translation if transcripts are not available in English from the degree-granting university)

Curriculum Requirements

Total Minimum Hours: 55 hours Post-Masters

Core – 15 Credit Hours
Foundation courses – 6 Credit Hours
Electives – 15 Credit Hours
Directed research – 1 Credit Hour minimum
Dissertation – 18 Credit Hours minimum

Core Requirements (15 Credit Hours Minimum)

LIN 7637 Research and Writing in Applied Linguistics Credit Hours: 3
LIN 7931 Advanced Seminar in Applied Linguistics Credit Hours: 3
LIN 7635 Professional Development Credit Hours: 3
LIN 7638 Qualitative Research Methods in Applied Linguistics Credit Hours: 3
LIN 7639 Quantitative Methods in Applied Linguistics Credit Hours: 3

Foundation Courses (6 Credit Hours)

Based on student’s prior educational background, recommendations will be made by the admissions committee and implemented by the academic advisor/ pedagogical coordinator. Each student is required to take a minimum of two of the following courses:

LIN 6675 The Grammatical Structure of American English Credit Hours: 3
LIN 6720 Second Language Acquisition Credit Hours: 3
TSL 6253 Applied Linguistics for Teaching ESOL Credit Hours: 3
LIN 6081 Introduction to Graduate Study in Linguistics Credit Hours: 3
TSL 5371 Methods of Teaching English as a Second Language Credit Hours: 3
TSL 5372 ESOL Curriculum and Instruction Credit Hours: 3
TSL 5440 Language Testing Credit Hours: 3
TSL 5525 Cross-Cultural Issues in ESL Credit Hours: 3

Electives (15 Credit Hours)

Each student is required to take a minimum of five general electives. These can be from established course numbers or via the LIN 6932 Selected Topics number and include the following:

LIN 6601 Sociolinguistics Credit Hours: 3
LIN 6722 Writing Processes in Second Languages Acquisition Credit Hours: 3
LIN 6726 Individual Differences in Second Language Acquisition Credit Hours: 3
LIN 6932 Selected Topics Credit Hours: 1-4
Sample Topics include:
- Discourse Analysis
- English for Academic Purposes/English for Specific Purposes
- Task-Based Language Teaching
- Sound System of English
- Pragmatics for Language Teachers
- Bilingualism/Multilingualism
- Corpus Linguistics
- Language and Technology
Note: In special circumstances, additional courses from the “foundation course electives” group may be taken as electives.

Doctoral Qualifying Examination (1 Credit Hour minimum)

LIN 7911 Directed Research - Linguistics and Applied Language Studies Credit Hours: 1-19 (1-3 Credit Hours)
Students will complete a qualifying examination. Students must enroll in LIN 7911 the semester of writing the qualifying exam paper.

Dissertation Hours (18 Credit Hours Minimum)

LIN 7980 Dissertation - Linguistics and Applied Language Studies Credit Hours: 2-19
Students will complete 18 hours of dissertation research. The student will submit a proposal to the committee members and, once approved, will participate in an oral defense of that proposal. Finally, the student will submit a completed dissertation draft to the committee members and once approved will participate in an oral defense of the dissertation.

University of South Florida

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