phd english language education

English Education PhD

Doctor of philosophy (75 points).

The primary purpose of the doctoral programs in English Education at Teachers College is to advance knowledge relevant to the teaching and learning of English and to prepare expert teachers of English for careers as scholars, researchers, and teacher educators in the field of English education. ​​ The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program in English Education is open to a wide array of scholarly interests and thrives on the diversity of backgrounds and experiences students bring with them. As a Ph.D. student, you will become conversant with the principal theories, research methods, and pedagogical traditions of the field of English education. The degree program leads to an original research project culminating in the development of a scholarly dissertation that contributes to knowledge in the field. Graduates often take up research careers in universities or other educational institutions upon completion of their Ph.D. 

Experiences and Exposures: 

• World-class faculty come together with a collaborative group of students from around the world to critically engage with theoretical and pedagogical stances that underpin English Education. 
• Engagement in the scholarly community via coursework, research experiences, and opportunities to write and present at scholarly conferences. 
• Supported by faculty mentors, students take on individual exploration of enquiries and conduct original research into issues of critical importance to the field of English Education.

Final Admissions Deadline:  January 15th

The final deadline for doctoral program applications is January 15th (with a December 1st as a priority deadline).

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to a faculty member regarding the admissions process for this program.

Admissions Information

Displaying requirements for the Spring 2024, Summer 2024, and Fall 2024 terms.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Points/Credits: 75
• Entry Terms: Fall Only

Application Deadlines

Select programs remain open beyond our standard application deadlines , such as those with an extended deadline or those that are rolling (open until June or July). If your program is rolling or has an extended deadline indicated above, applications are reviewed as they are received and on a space-available basis. We recommend you complete your application as soon as possible as these programs can close earlier if full capacity has been met.

Application Requirements

Requirements from the tc catalog (ay 2023-2024).

Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 terms.

View Full Catalog Listing

Doctor of Philosophy in English Ed

The Doctor of Philosophy (75 credits) degree is designed to prepare candidates for positions in higher education as teachers and researchers whose scholarly activity is focused on the theoretical, philosophical, and pedagogical questions that define English education as a discipline for teaching and inquiry.

Required courses for ALL English Education/Teaching of English doctoral candidates:

A&HE 5510 Seminar in Foundational Texts 1 

A&HE 5504 Research Paper: Teaching of English (co-requisite with A&HE 5149)A&HE 5149 Writing Research: Methods and Assumptions (co-requisite with A&HE 5504)

A&HE 6504 Doctoral Seminar: Teaching of English

A&HE 7504 Dissertation Seminar: Teaching of English

A&HE 8904 Dissertation Advisement in the Teaching of English

A range of electives in literary and rhetorical studies

Four research methods courses for a total of at least 12 credits. It is recommended that candidates include at least two of the following:

A&HE 5150 Research in Practice

A&HE 5160 Qualitative Methodologies & Theoretical Frameworks

A&HE 6151 Narrative Research in English Education

A&HE 6152 Advanced Narrative Research in English Education

Students may also satisfy the requirement for research methods courses by completing approved courses in other programs and departments across the College.

Credit Requirements and Transfer Credits for the Ph.D. in English Education

The number of courses students take depends in part on the number of credits students transfer from previous graduate work at Teachers College. Students working toward the Ph.D. degree (75 credits) may transfer a maximum of 30 credits and will thus complete at least 45 credits while in the Ph.D. program. Approval of transfer of credits is always at the discretion of the advisor.

Coursework Restrictions

An academic advisor must approve all coursework in a student’s program plan, especially to ensure enforcement of the following College and Departmental policies:

No course that is “R” (attendance) credit or that is “P” (pass/fail) may be counted toward the Ph.D. aside from A&HE 6504 and A&HE 7504.

Students must consult their academic advisors when they undertake an independent study, an internship, fieldwork courses, or graduate courses in other colleges (usually GSAS) of Columbia University or at other universities within the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium.

Doctoral students are generally discouraged from taking 4000-level courses and must consult with their academic advisors before registering for these courses.

Candidates should take a minimum of two courses outside the English Education Program (Courses not designated A&HE).

Doctoral Program Milestones Program Plan

During their first year of study, students in consultation with their advisor should complete, and file with the Office of Doctoral Studies, a program plan (the forms are available in the English education office and in the Office of Doctoral Studies) anticipating all the courses they will need to complete within the scope of their doctoral studies. This program plan should then be reviewed annually with the student’s advisor (and revised as necessary) giving student and advisor an annual measure of the student’s progress through the program

A&HE 5504: Research Paper in the Teaching of English

Before enrolling in A&HE 5504, students must have completed at least two research methods courses, have successfully completed the Certification 1 Examination, have discovered an area or problem of interest that they wish to study for their 5504 project, and have familiarized themselves with some of the available research literature on the topic or problem they propose to investigate. The research paper completed in A&HE 5504 allows a doctoral student to demonstrate the capacity to complete independent research and produce a research paper at a level of sophistication that promises success in undertaking a doctoral research project and doctoral dissertation. The completed A&HE 5504 research paper must be approved by faculty as qualifying the student to proceed to the next milestone in the doctoral program, the Certification 2 Examination.

Certification Examinations

Certification examinations certify a student’s expertise in the foundational texts, research traditions, and theoretical perspectives that represent the history of English Education as an academic discipline and that inform research in the more specialized field of study defined by a student’s anticipated dissertation project. Doctoral students in the English Education Program must pass two separate certification examinations. Examination 1 is a take-home examination, seven days in duration, covering the history of English education with a focus on one of the major curricular strands within the discipline. Examination 2, covering a specialized disciplinary area related to the student’s dissertation topic, is a take-home written examination to be completed within a time frame (up to one semester) set by the student’s faculty advisor. The topics and texts to be covered by the two examinations and the examination questions are determined by each student’s advisor in consultation with the student who will be examined.

Foreign Language Requirement

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree in English education must demonstrate reading proficiency in at least one foreign language at a level of competence sufficient to read scholarly or professional work relevant to their own field of study. Students should contact the Office of Doctoral Studies for the current policy regarding satisfying this requirement. Courses in statistics or other past substitutes for a foreign language will not be accepted.

Dissertation Proposal (A&HE 7504)

The doctoral dissertation proposal consolidates the work candidates have done in courses, professional reading, and the two certification examinations. It is usually a 60 to 100-page document, which outlines a coherent account of the work a candidate wants to undertake for dissertation research, usually presenting drafts of early chapters for the dissertation. Typically a proposal includes an introductory chapter describing the origins and aims of the project, a fairly complete review of the literature, a chapter on research methods, and some preliminary data and data analysis. The dissertation proposal must be accepted at a formal or informal hearing where at least two faculty members function as examiners. Students may not undertake the dissertation proposal until both certification exams have been completed successfully.

Award of the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) degree

Students become eligible to apply for the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) degree upon completing 75 credits of coursework and fulfilling each of the previous doctoral program milestones. Upon being awarded the M.Phil. degree, doctoral students become “candidates” for the Ph.D. degree. Applications for the M.Phil. degree can be filed with the Office of Doctoral Studies.

Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is the culminating research project of the doctoral program and constitutes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of English Education. As candidates write their dissertations, they must enroll in A&HE 8904: Dissertation Advisement in Teaching English, which is designed to help them refine their thinking and revise their writing as they complete successive drafts of their dissertation.

The Advanced Seminar

What is known historically as the Advanced Seminar now functions as a pre-defense meeting of a portion (2-3 faculty members) of the Ph.D. candidate’s doctoral dissertation committee, which convenes to interrogate and advise the candidate on the dissertation in progress in order to ensure its successful completion. The committee may be convened at any point in a candidate’s progress toward completing the dissertation research, but is ordinarily convened for English education candidates at a point when the candidate can present a rough draft of the entire dissertation for scrutiny by the dissertation committee members. The committee is convened in response to a formal request filed with the Office of Doctoral Studies (ODS) by the candidate with the approval of the dissertation advisor. Candidates should consult the ODS early in the dissertation project to ensure that all procedural rules for convening the Advanced Seminar and reporting on its deliberations are properly observed.

Dissertation Defense

The dissertation defense offers the opportunity for members of the candidate’s dissertation committee, all of whom have carefully read the dissertation, to interrogate the candidate on any and all dimensions of the candidate’s research and the written dissertation that is the product of that research. In most cases the committee will suggest minor revisions that the candidate is expected to incorporate into the dissertation before filing the final version. A typical defense, however, is less an interrogation than it is a collegial discussion of the candidate’s research project and findings with attention to next steps in the candidate’s research agenda and possibilities for revising and publishing the dissertation or sections of it. A successful dissertation defense marks both a moment of certification and a ritual initiation. At the conclusion of a successful defense, authorized doctoral faculty officially certify a candidate’s accomplishment in completing a major research study that makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of English education broadly defined, and thereby welcome the doctoral candidate into the community of scholars.

• View Other Degrees

Program Director : Yolanda Sealey Ruiz, Limarys Caraballo

Teachers College, Columbia University 327 Horace Mann Hall

Phone: 212.678.3070 Fax: 212.678.8197

Email: pa_enged@tc.edu

Search NYU Steinhardt

Doctor of Philosophy Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Pursue scholarship that builds on your interests in language development and multilingual education. This doctoral program will advance your knowledge of language education pedagogy, intercultural communication, research methodologies and educational foundations. You’ll conduct research in language development and pedagogy and prepare for a career in academic, multilingual, and bicultural settings.

Degree Details

Official degree title.

Phd in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

What You'll Learn

You’ll combine courses on the foundation of Teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and research methods as you explore the value of multilingualism and multiliteracy, emphasizing respect for and appreciation of all languages and cultures. You’ll explore:

• Development of English as a new or foreign language, pedagogy, and research
• How to implement alternative research methodologies
• Intercultural communication
• Educational foundations

Your Academic Experience

Research opportunities.

Located in one of the most diverse urban settings in the world, NYU is an ideal facility for conducting educational research. As a doctoral student in our program, you will research and prepare your dissertation while working closely with your faculty mentor.

Doctoral Seminars

Your doctoral course work dedicated to TESOL will be supplemented with departmental content seminars and a dissertation proposal seminar. Open to doctoral students enrolled in any department or program at NYU, these seminars foster deep conversations on relevant literature and texts, and reflections on issues and research in the field. You’ll work on a paper or project, refine your scholarly voice, and define a dissertation focus.

Careers and Outcomes

Upon completion of your doctorate, you’ll be prepared for a career as a researcher or teacher educator in TESOL in colleges and universities; a curriculum specialist, developer, or evaluator in government agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

Funding for Full-Time PhD Students

If you are accepted as a full-time NYU Steinhardt PhD student without an alternate funding source, you are eligible for our competitive funding package, which includes a tuition scholarship and living stipend.  Learn more about our funding opportunities .

Online Info Session

In this session, NYU faculty share information about the PhD programs in the department of Teaching & Learning, including the PhD in Teaching & Learning, PhD in English Education, PhD in Bilingual Education, and PhD in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Faculty provide an overview of the programs and answer questions from potential applicants.

If you have any additional questions about our degree, please feel free to contact Shondel Nero at [email protected] .

Take the Next Step

Advance your personal and professional journey – apply to join our community of students.

You are using an outdated browser. This website is best viewed in IE 9 and above. You may continue using the site in this browser. However, the site may not display properly and some features may not be supported. For a better experience using this site, we recommend upgrading your version of Internet Explorer or using another browser to view this website.

- Download the latest Internet Explorer - No thanks (close this window)

• Penn GSE Environmental Justice Statement
• Philadelphia Impact
• Global Initiatives
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Catalyst @ Penn GSE
• Penn GSE Leadership
• Program Finder
• Academic Divisions & Programs
• Professional Development & Continuing Education
• Teacher Programs & Certifications
• Undergraduates
• Dual and Joint Degrees
• Faculty Directory
• Research Centers, Projects & Initiatives
• Lectures & Colloquia
• Books & Publications
• Academic Journals
• Application Requirements & Deadlines
• Tuition & Financial Aid
• Campus Visits & Events
• International Students
• Options for Undergraduates
• Non-Degree Studies
• Contact Admissions / Request Information
• Life at Penn GSE
• Penn GSE Career Paths
• Living in Philadelphia
• DE&I Resources for Students
• Student Organizations
• Career & Professional Development
• News Archive
• Events Calendar
• The Educator's Playbook
• Find an Expert
• Race, Equity & Inclusion
• Counseling & Psychology
• Education Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Education Policy & Analysis
• Higher Education
• Language, Literacy & Culture
• Teaching & Learning
• Support Penn GSE
• Contact Development & Alumni Relations
• Find a Program
• Request Info
• Make a Gift
• Current Students
• Staff & Faculty

Search form

Educational linguistics, doctor of philosophy (ph.d.), you are here, a pioneering doctoral program with an enduring legacy of research in applied linguistics, language learning, and teaching..

The Educational Linguistics Ph.D. program focuses on language learning and teaching as well as the role of language in education. Our questions and concerns are situated squarely in educational policy and practice, informing and informed by interdisciplinary theory and research in linguistics, anthropology, psychology, sociology, history, and other fields.

What Sets Us Apart

About the program.

Our program promotes the view that language must be examined within the cultural contexts and social situations in which it occurs.

3–4 courses per semester (fall/spring semesters only)

Transfer courses 8 (electives only)

Duration of program 5–7 years

Culminating experience Candidacy examination, and dissertation

Our faculty and students are involved in generating research on language and learning in areas such as:

• Linguistic, cognitive, and sociocultural aspects of (additional) language development
• Local and global perspectives on world language teaching policy and practice in K-12 and higher education
• The intersections of disability, language, school–parent partnerships, and education policy
• The historical and contemporary manifestation of raciolinguistic ideologies that frame the language practices of racialized communities
• How multilingual speakers use milimodal communication practices – such as gestures, laughter, actions, and learning materials – to resolve miscommunication
• How language, social interaction, institutions, and the Internet influence what students learn in schools
• The role of lanugage in all forms of learning

Our curriculum is designed to provide a solid foundation in linguistics and research methodology. Students customize their education by working with their advisor to choose electives from a wide range of course offerings from across the Penn campus. Introductory courses in language pedagogy and sociolinguistics are strongly encouraged for students with no background in these areas. 

For course descriptions and requirements, visit the  Educational Linguistics Ph.D. program in the University Catalog .

For a full list of courses offered at GSE, visit  Penn’s University Course Catalog .

Sample courses

• Linguistics in Education                                                                              
• Sociolinguistics in Education                                                                      
• Language Diversity and Education                                                             
• Second Language Development    
• Genealogies of Race and Language in Educational Research 
• Issues in Second Language Acquisition                                        
• Phonology I
• Citizen Sociolinguistics
• Classroom Discourse and Interaction
• Approaches to Teaching English and Other Modern Languages
• Anthropology & Education
• Theories of Reading
• Language in Culture & Society

Our Faculty

"I got to work with inspiring scholars doing cutting-edge work. I saw firsthand the process of writing, submitting, and publishing a journal article. I had so many experiences that shaped me as a scholar and that I continue to draw on in my research and academic writing."

Our Graduates

The Educational Linguistics Ph.D. program prepares candidates for teaching and research careers in colleges and universities worldwide, as well as careers in government, community, and private organizations.

Alumni Careers

• Associate Professor, Columbia Teachers College
• Assistant Professor, Indiana University
• Associate Professor, Malmö University
• Associate Professor, University of Iowa
• Associate Professor and Chair, Adelphi University
• Director of Educational Programming and Research, Center for Cultural, Art, Training and Education (CCATE)
• Senior International Baccalaureate World Schools Manager
• Assistant Professor of TESOL and Applied Linguistics in the English Department, Illinois State University
• Research and Evaluation Supervisor, William Penn School District
• Lecturer in Language Studies, Brown University
• Founder/CEO, Brilliant Bilingual
• Associate Professor of Language Education and Urban Social Justice Learning & Teaching, Rutgers University
• Associate Professor of Teaching and Learning, The Ohio State University
• Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Linguistics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne
• Assistant Professor of International Students, College of Charleston
• Assistant Professor of Linguistics, University of Louisville
• Assistant Professor, Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Education, University of Colorado, Denver
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow

Admissions & Financial Aid

Please visit our Admissions and Financial Aid pages for specific information on the application requirements , as well as information on tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships.

Contact us if you have any questions about the program.

Graduate School of Education University of Pennsylvania 3700 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 (215) 898-6415 [email protected] [email protected]

Erica Poinsett Program Assistant [email protected]

Please view information from our Admissions and Financial Aid Office for specific information on the cost of this program.

All Ph.D. students are guaranteed a full scholarship for their first four years of study, as well as a stipend and student health insurance. Penn GSE is committed to making your graduate education affordable, and we offer generous scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.

Related News & Research

Dean Katharine Strunk supports fair pay for student teachers in Pennsylvania

Education law lecture explores landmark case demanding equitable school funding for Pennsylvania

Laura Perna cites trust issues in the FAFSA overhaul for “The Atlantic”

Back Where She Began: A. Brooks Bowden's Journey from Student to Change-Maker

Working Papers in Educational Linguistics

Working Papers in Educational Linguistics  is a student-managed journal focused on the many areas of research within educational linguistics.

You May Be Interested In

Related programs.

• Educational Linguistics Ed.D.
• Intercultural Communication M.S.Ed.
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) M.S.Ed.

Related Topics

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Literacy and Language Education

Graduate Programs

The Literacy and Language doctoral program is a research-oriented program culminating with a dissertation. The program focuses on the development of a core knowledge base, with additional coursework to supplement and extend that knowledge base. Working with the advisor and advisory committee, doctoral students have the ability to create this core knowledge base by tailoring their program of study to individual interests and needs. This flexibility and individualization is an important component of the Ph.D. program.

December 1st is the deadline for consideration for Fall admission for this residential program. Applications must be fully complete, submitted, and all application fees paid prior to the deadline in order for applications to be considered and reviewed.

*Those applicants interested in being considered for any available PhD funding should submit completed applications by December 1 for the following Fall semester.

This program does not lead to licensure in the state of Indiana or elsewhere. Contact the College of Education Office of Teacher Education and Licensure (OTEL) at [email protected] before continuing with program application if you have questions regarding licensure or contact your state Department of Education about how this program may translate to licensure in your state of residence.

Here are the materials required for this application

• Transcripts (from all universities attended)
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• 3 Recommendations
• Academic Statement of Purpose
• Personal History Statement
• International Applicants must meet English Proficiency Requirements set by the Purdue Graduate School

We encourage prospective students submit an application early, even if not all required materials are uploaded. Applications are not forwarded on for faculty review until all required materials are uploaded.

When submitting your application for this program, please select the following options:

• Select a Campus: Purdue West Lafayette (PWL)
• Select your proposed graduate major: Curriculum and Instruction
• Please select an Area of Interest: Literacy and Language Education
• Please select a Degree Objective: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Primary Course Delivery: Residential

Program Requirements

Applicants with a minimum of three years teaching experience in public or private school classrooms are favorably regarded. Direct experience in the teaching of literacy at the elementary and/or secondary level is preferred.

Students entering the Literacy and Language doctoral program must have an earned master’s degree that fulfills the core requirements found in the Purdue master’s program or complete these core requirements during doctoral study.

The Literacy & Language Education doctoral program requires courses that focus on research and specific cluster areas according to students’ interests. The program typically requires a four year commitment for completion beyond the master’s degree, with a minimum of 60 hours additional credit required beyond master’s study. The following links list and describe the required coursework:

Curriculum and Instruction Foundations Core (15 credit hours)

• EDCI 50000: Foundations of Literacy
• EDCI 58000: Foundations of Curriculum
• EDCI 58500: Multicultural Education
• EDPS 53000: Advanced Educational Psychology
• EDPS 53300: Introduction to Educational Research I: Methodology

Curriculum and Instruction Research Core (minimum of 12 credit hours)

• EDCI 61500: This course provides a foundation for understanding the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings and procedures used in conducting qualitative research.
• STAT 50100 or 51100: Introduction to Statistics. This course provides a foundation for understanding and applying basic concepts of descriptive and inferential statistical research design and analysis. PSY 60000 and SOC 58100 are also acceptable research courses. Consult with your major professor to choose the course most appropriate for your program of study.
• Qualitative research courses include EDCI 61600: Advanced Qualitative Research Methods in Education, COM 58300: Research And Assessment In Organizational Communication, ANTH 51900, ANTH 56500, ANTH 60500, SOC 60900
• Quantitative research courses include STAT 50200, STAT 51200, PSY 60100
• EDPS 63000: Research Procedures in Education is taken when students are ready to write their dissertation proposal. This course focuses on the design and presentation of educational research. Seminars which focus on qualitative or quantitative studies are offered under the same course number. Students should elect the option that is most suited to their research interests.
• Theoretical or mixed methods research courses include EDCI 62000: Seminar in Mathematics Education; EDCI 67300: Issues and Methods in Educational Technology Research; ANTH 60500: Seminar in Ethnographic Analysis; ENGL 61800: Research Design; ENGL 62400: Rhetorical History and Theory; ENGL 62500: Empirical Research on Writing; ENGL 63200: Critical Theory; ENGL 68000: Qualitative Research Methods; STAT 51400: Design of Experiments

Literacy & Language Education Cluster Areas (minimum of 12 credit hours)

The Literacy and Language doctoral program is currently organized around three different cluster areas: English Language Learning (ELL), Literacy and Human Development, and English Education. Students typically focus their program of study in one cluster area, with a minimum of 12 credit hours from the selected area. However, as students develop their individual program of study with their major professor, students may take courses from any cluster area.

Cluster Area 1: English Language Learning (ELL) Required courses for the ELL Cluster:

• EDCI 51900: Teaching Learners of English as a New Language
• EDCI 52600: Language Study for Educators
• EDCI 53000: English Language Development
• EDCI 55700: Assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students
• EDCI 55900: Academic Language and Content Area Learning

Other possible courses are offered through the Second Language/ English as a Second Language Graduate Program in the Department of English. These include the following:

• ENG 51600: Teaching English as a Second Language: Theoretical Foundations
• ENG 51800: Teaching English as a Second Language: Principles and Practices
• ENG 62900: Seminar in English as a Second Language
• ENG 63000: Seminar in Second Language Writing

Cluster Area 2: Literacy and Human Development In addition to EDCI 50000 (Foundations of Literacy), three of the following courses are required for the Literacy and Human Development Cluster:

• EDCI 50100: Problems in Literacy Acquisition: Evaluation and Instruction
• EDCI 50400: Children’s Literature as Semiotic, Developmental Resource
• EDCI 61400: Literacy and the Development of Young Children (online)
• EDCI 61200: Seminar in Literacy. Possible seminar topics include: Literacy Research Methodologies, Bilingualism and Multilingualism

Cluster Area 3: English Education (Secondary) Suggested courses for the English Education Cluster:

• EDCI 50200: Reading in Middle and Secondary Schools
• EDCI 50900: Writing in Middle and Secondary Schools
• EDCI 55100: Young Adult Literature
• EDCI 59500: Advanced Studies in English Education
• EDCI 61300: Seminar in English Language Arts
• EDCI 62300: Seminar in Genre Studies

Two variable topic seminars are also offered and may be repeated for credit by graduate students during their programs.

• EDCI 61200: Seminar in Literacy. Recent topics include: The Development of Academic Language in the Content Areas; An Introduction to Systemic-Functional Linguistics; Teacher Education for Social Justice
• EDCI 61300: Seminar in English Language Arts. Recent topics include: Teacher Research; Classroom Discourse Analysis; Teaching Bodies; The Reflective Teacher; Young Adult Literature and Identity
• Ackerman Center
• Serious Games
• CnI Online Fac
• Curriculum Studies
• Education for Work and Community
• Elementary Education
• English Education
• English Language Learning
• Learning Design and Technology
• Literacy and Language Education
• Mathematics Education
• Science Education
• Social Studies Education
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Counseling and Development
• Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
• Educational Psychology and Research Methodology
• Gifted Education
• Special Education

Janet Alsup

Helen bentley, breanya hogue, tara star johnson, tiffany karalis noel, melanie kuhn, patricia morita-mullaney, jennifer renn, brenda sarmiento-quezada, ofelia castro schepers, christy wessel powell, wayne e. wright, application procedure.

Course Registration, payment, drops/withdraws, and removing holds: [email protected] Career accounts: ITaP (765) 494-4000

• Graduate School of Education
• Academic Programs
• UB Directory
• Department of Learning and Instruction >
• Academics >
• Doctoral Degrees >

Language Education and Multilingualism, PhD

VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE Thursday, Nov. 9 Event Details Register Now

Our doctoral program in language education and multilingualism focuses on preparing you for research, teaching and administrative posts in colleges and universities, and for positions of educational leadership in the schools or in state education departments. The mission of our program is to foster the development of foreign/second/bilingual language education practitioners and researchers who can understand and analyze language teaching and learning, and language policy to improve language and content teaching and learning in diverse educational contexts.

On this page:

Why language education and multilingualism at ub.

The features of our program include:

• becoming familiar with groundbreaking inquiry processes and research methodologies
• carrying out principled, meaningful and rigorous research and applying it to real-world educational challenges
• collaborating with internationally recognized scholars who mentor students to engage in research studies
• developing an understanding of language theory and an ability to thoughtfully apply this theory
• engaging in scholarship that involves participation in the exchange of ideas and advancement of the field as a whole
• preparing scholars and educational leaders to pursue careers in academia, and occupy positions of leadership in American and global universities and colleges

Program Overview

Program coursework.

Your program of study requires 72 credit hours:

• Concentration — 24 credit hours 
• Research — 28 credit hours (21 credits of courses, 6 hours of research component/practicum, 1 credit of research analysis exam)
• Dissertation — 10 credit hours
• Relevant master's degree courses — 10 credit hours

Application Requirements

If you do not already hold a master's degree, you will be considered for admission if you have completed an otherwise field-relevant and highly rigorous undergraduate degree program or a collection of graduate courses not leading to a degree.

In an effort to make the application process more equitable, the GRE/MAT is no longer required for admissions consideration. If you still plan to take the GRE/MAT exam, you can send your scores through the testing agency, and they will automatically be added to your application; however, they are not required for admission consideration to this program.

Submit your completed online application, which includes:

• Application fee:  A $50 non-refundable application fee, submitted electronically through UB's ePayment system.
• Contact information for two individuals  who will each be asked to provide an electronic recommendation letter.
• Unofficial transcripts  from all colleges attended. (UB transcripts are automatically submitted for current UB students and alumni.)
• Sample of academic writing:  A sample of your academic writing (e.g., master's thesis, professional publication).
• Statement of interest:  Statement of your educational and career goals and objectives.

Admission Interview:  An interview is required to be considered for admission to this program.

Former/Maiden Name:  Please provide us with your former/maiden name if you have one. When requesting transcripts, please ask the sending institution to indicate your current name and former/maiden name.

Admissions Decision: The admissions decision will be communicated to you as soon as review is complete. The decision is based on a number of factors and is the result of a thorough and deliberate process. All decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

In order to qualify for the in-state residency tuition rate, you are required to provide residency documentation indicating you have lived in New York State (NYS) 12 months prior to your semester start date.

If accepted, you will need to upload 3 documents to qualify for the in-state tuition rate. See Required Documents for Residency Application  for more information. 

• Official original proof of your degree
• A copy of your passport biographical page
• TOEFL minimum score is a 250 for a computer based test, 600 for a paper based test and 96 for the Internet based test 
• IELTS minimum score is 7.0 overall
• PTE minimum score is 55 overall
• Financial documentation  — International graduate applicants must document their ability to pay for all costs incurred while studying in the U.S.
• An official bank statement

All financial forms and supporting documentation with required signatures must be uploaded with your application, and must be dated within one year of your intended enrollment date.

Program Faculty

Tasha Austin

Assistant Professor Learning And Instruction

505 Baldy Hall Buffalo, NY 14260 Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-2455

Email: [email protected]

Janina Brutt-Griffler

Professor Learning And Instruction

562 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4066

Email: [email protected]

Erin Kearney

Associate Professor Learning And Instruction

554 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4058

Email: [email protected]

Lilliam M. Malave Lopez

553 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4060

Email: [email protected]

Lynne R. Yang

Clinical Associate Professor Learning And Instruction

586 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-3502

Email: [email protected]

We have a collection of frequently asked questions that may help you. If your questions are still unanswered, we are glad to help! Contact our admission office .

Questions About the Admission Process?

Office of Graduate Admission

Graduate School of Education 366 Baldy Hall, North Campus 716-645-2110 [email protected]

Chat with a Student Ambassador

English (English Education), PHD

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD English (English Education)

The PhD program in English with a concentration in English education prepares students to examine the writing and reading practices of secondary students. Students also learn about the instructional practices of secondary English language arts teachers through emphasis of the relationship between pedagogy and research methodologies used to study the teaching of secondary English.

The curriculum comprises dynamic coursework, mentoring, interdisciplinary learning opportunities and community outreach.

Possible areas for research focus within this program include young adult literature, secondary reading and writing practices, new literacies, English language learning, critical literacy, and secondary English language arts curriculum and instruction development. The program encourages students to pursue coursework in other subdisciplines within the Department of English, such as rhetoric and composition, applied linguistics and literature, and coursework in the ASU Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, such as literacy and educational research methodology.

Students benefit from the program's links to the Central Arizona Writing Project, which offers opportunities for related coursework, research, community outreach and teacher in-service programs.

The doctorate in English education prepares students to become professors of English education or to pursue other relevant opportunities in research and administration.

The PhD in English (English Education) prepares students to become national leaders in the field of English education as tenure-track faculty at research universities and teaching colleges, as well as secondary English language arts curriculum specialists for school districts, state and federal departments of education, and private education agencies. This concentration emphasizes the relationship between pedagogy and research methodologies used to study the teaching of secondary English (grades 6-12) and prepares students to examine the writing and reading practices of secondary students as well as the instructional practices of secondary English language arts teachers. Possible areas for research focus within this program include young adult literature, secondary reading and writing practices, new literacies, English language learning, and secondary English language arts curriculum and instruction development.

*Note: This degree is not TESOL, ESL, or EFL related. If interested in these fields, check out our PhD Linguistics and Applied Linguistics program.

Christina Saidy , Director

Sheila Luna , Program Manager

Faculty in English Education

Doctoral Examinations

Doctoral Procedures and Timeline

Teaching Assistantships

Degree Requirements

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (3 credit hours) ENG 501 Approaches to Research (3)

Foundational Distribution (12 credit hours)

Advanced Studies Distribution (12 credit hours)

Internships (6 credit hours) ENG 784 Internship (6)

Specialization (9 credit hours)

Electives and Research (30 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) ENG 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information Students must take 12 credit hours at the 500 level, selected from a list of approved courses in education, English, linguistics and applied linguistics for the foundational distribution.

Students must take at least three courses in the area of specialization.

When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree. If not approved, the 30 credit hours of coursework will be made up of electives and research.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's and master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants with master's degrees in English education and related fields, such as English literature, applied linguistics, education, and rhetoric and composition will be considered. A minimum of three years of full-time teaching or volunteer work in secondary English language arts classrooms or in literate-rich settings is required.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• statement of purpose
• resume or curriculum vitae
• three letters of recommendation
• academic writing sample
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English and has not graduated from an institution of higher learning in the United States must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. Applications will not be processed without valid proof of English proficiency; official scores must be sent to ASU in order for the application to be processed.

The one- to two-page statement should explain the applicant's interest in the program and how the applicant's background and preparation led to the specific career and research goals. Although applicants will not be expected to have a definite research topic, the statement should articulate the specific domain or research area the applicant hopes to pursue and possible research questions. Letters of recommendation should be from individuals familiar with the applicant's promise in English education, including one letter from a school principal and two letters from university professors. Applicants applying for funding must also submit a statement of teaching philosophy.

Courses and Electives

The Graduate College requires a grade point average of “B” (3.0) or better in the last two years of work leading to the bachelor’s degree. The Admissions Committee will consider applicants with master’s degrees in English education and related fields such as English literature, applied linguistics, education, and rhetoric and composition. A minimum of three years full-time teaching or volunteer work in secondary English language arts classrooms or in literate-rich settings (i.e. Peace Corps, community organizations, and libraries) is preferred. Students seeking advice should consult with the graduate program manager and/or the program director.

The PhD consists of 84 hours of graduate work. A student with a master’s degree must complete a minimum of 54 semester hours of approved graduate work, which includes 12 hours of dissertation. Students will complete all courses on their Program of Study (POS) with a grade of B or better and maintain a GPA of 3.2 or higher. Required coursework for PhD (English Education) must include the following:

• Approaches to Research (3 hours): Students will complete ENG 501: Approaches to Research in English Education.
• Foundational Distribution (12 hours) : Students must take 12 hours at the 500 level selected from a list of approved courses in education, English, linguistics, and applied linguistics.
• Advanced Studies Distribution (12 hours) : Students must take 12 hours at the 600 level from a list of approved courses in education, English, indigenous studies, linguistics, and applied linguistics.
• Internships (6 hours) : Students will complete two internships (ENG 784). Each internship will focus on either the supervision of secondary English language arts teachers, research in collaboration with her/his advisor in a secondary English language arts classroom setting, or assisting in the teaching of an under-graduate English education methods course (i.e. young adult literature, methods of teaching secondary writing, or teaching the interpretation of texts of various genres in the secondary English language arts classroom).
• Specialization : Students will complete at least three courses focused on their area of specialization, which will provide them with intensive background in their selected area of expertise in English education.
• PhD Examinations : The examination includes a portfolio, an oral or written exam, and a colloquy on the dissertation prospectus
• Dissertation : Students must include 12 hours of 799 on the doctoral plan of study. An oral defense of the dissertation is required.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, learning outcomes.

• Produce written article-length work of publishable quality.
• Write a comprehensive book-length research study with theory, literature review, methods, analysis, and findings based on one's own research.
• Design and conduct original research in the field of English Education.

Career Opportunities

Careers for English education graduates include professions related to the field of language arts and literacy education in secondary schools.

Career examples include:

• curriculum developer
• department chair
• district level research specialist
• dual enrollment teacher
• faculty member (college, university)
• instructional leader
• literacy coach
• middle or high school English teacher
• state level curriculum specialist

Global Opportunities

Global experience.

With over 250 programs in more than 65 countries (ranging from one week to one year), study abroad is possible for all ASU students wishing to gain global skills and knowledge in preparation for a 21st-century career. Students earn ASU credit for completed courses, while staying on track for graduation, and may apply financial aid and scholarships toward program costs. https://mystudyabroad.asu.edu

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

• [email protected]
• 480/965-3194

Ph.D. Program

The Stanford English department has a long tradition of training the next generation of scholars to become leaders in academia and related fields. Our Ph.D. program encourages the production of ambitious, groundbreaking dissertation work across the diverse field interests of our prestigious faculty.

Fusing deep attention to literary history with newer approaches to media, technology, and performance, our department carefully mentors students in both scholarship and pedagogy through close interaction with faculty. Our location on the edge of the Pacific and at the heart of Silicon Valley encourages expansive, entrepreneurial thinking about the interpenetration of arts and sciences.

Program Overview

The English Department seeks to teach and promote an understanding of both the significance and the history of British and American literature (broadly defined) and to foster an appreciation of the richness and variety of texts in the language. It offers rigorous training in interpretive thinking and precise expression. Our English graduate program features the study of what imaginative language, rhetoric, and narrative art has done, can do, and will do in life, and it focuses on the roles creative writing and representations play in almost every aspect of modern experience. Completing the Ph.D. program prepares a student for full participation as a scholar and literary critic in the profession.

Financial Support

We offer an identical five-year funding package to all admitted students with competitive funding available for a sixth year. Funding covers applicable tuition costs, Stanford Cardinal Care health insurance, and living expenses in the form of direct stipend, teaching assistantships or pre-doctoral research assistantships. The department, in conjunction with the School of Humanities and Sciences, is also committed to supporting students' involvement in professional activities and funds many of the expenses for research travel, summer language study, and participation in academic conferences. Student housing is not included in the funding package.

In addition to our standard doctoral funding package, the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE) provides competitive funding to support individual doctoral students, student groups, and department-based projects. VPGE funding opportunities promote innovation, diversity, and excellence in graduate education. Explore their doctoral  fellowship  and other student  funding  opportunities.

The  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  program cultivates and supports a highly-engaged, multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University, and delivers a diverse collection of educational experiences, preparing graduates to address complex challenges facing the world. Knight-Hennessy Scholars participate in an experiential leadership development program known as the King Global Leadership Program and receive funding for up to three years of graduate study at Stanford. Two applications must be submitted separately; one to Knight-Hennessy and one to the Stanford English graduate degree program by its deadline. Please refer to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program page to learn more and apply.

Teaching Requirements

One pedagogical seminar and four quarters of supervised teaching. Typically a student will teach three times as a teaching assistant in a literature course. For the fourth course, students will have the option of applying to design and teach a Writing Intensive Seminar in English (WISE) for undergraduate English majors or teaching a fourth quarter as a T.A..

• 1st year: One quarter as T.A. (leading 1-2 discussion sections of undergraduate literature)
• 2nd year: One quarter as T.A. (leading 1-2 discussion sections of undergraduate literature)
• 3rd/4th/5th years: Two quarters of teaching, including the possibility of TA'ing or teaching a WISE course.

Language requirements

All candidates for the Ph.D. degree must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two foreign languages. One language requirement must be completed during the first year of study. The second language must be completed before the oral examination in the third year.

Candidates in the earlier periods must offer Latin and one of the following languages: French, German, Greek, Italian or Spanish. Candidates in the later period (that is, after the Renaissance) must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two languages for which  Stanford’s Language Center  regularly offers a reading course, administers a competency exam, or facilitates the administration of an American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Reading Proficiency Test (ACTFL RPT). In all cases, the choice of languages offered must be relevant to the student’s field of study and must have the approval of the candidate's adviser. Any substitution of a language other than one for which Stanford offers a competency exam must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Other requirements

All candidates for the Ph.D. must satisfactorily complete the following:

• 135 units, at least 70 of which (normally 14 courses) must be graded course work
• Qualifying examination, based on a reading guide of approximately 70-90 works, to be taken orally at the end of the summer after the first year of graduate work.
• University oral examination covering the field of concentration taken no later than the winter quarter of the third year of study.
• Submission of the dissertation prospectus
• First chapter review with the dissertation advisor and the members of the dissertation reading committee.
• Dissertation, which should be an original work of literary criticism demonstrating the student's ability to participate fully as a scholar and literary critic in the profession.
• Closing colloquium designed to look forward toward the next steps; identify the major accomplishments of the dissertation and the major questions/issues/problems that remain; consider possibilities for revision, book or article publication, etc.

PhD Program in English Language and Literature

The department enrolls an average of ten PhD students each year. Our small size allows us to offer a generous financial support package. We also offer a large and diverse graduate faculty with competence in a wide range of literary, theoretical and cultural fields. Each student chooses a special committee that works closely along side the student to design a course of study within the very broad framework established by the department. The program is extremely flexible in regard to course selection, the design of examinations and the election of minor subjects of concentration outside the department. English PhD students pursuing interdisciplinary research may include on their special committees faculty members from related fields such as comparative literature, medieval studies, Romance studies, German studies, history, classics, women’s studies, linguistics, theatre and performing arts, government, philosophy, and film and video studies.

The PhD candidate is normally expected to complete six or seven one-semester courses for credit in the first year of residence and a total of six or seven more in the second and third years. The program of any doctoral candidate’s formal and informal study, whatever his or her particular interests, should be comprehensive enough to ensure familiarity with:

• The authors and works that have been the most influential in determining the course of English, American, and related literatures
• The theory and criticism of literature, and the relations between literature and other disciplines
• Concerns and tools of literary and cultural history such as textual criticism, study of genre, source, and influence as well as wider issues of cultural production and historical and social contexts that bear on literature

Areas in which students may have major or minor concentrations include African-American literature, American literature to 1865, American literature after 1865, American studies (a joint program with the field of history), colonial and postcolonial literatures, cultural studies, dramatic literature, English poetry, the English Renaissance to 1660, lesbian, bisexual and gay literary studies, literary criticism and theory, the nineteenth century, Old and Middle English, prose fiction, the Restoration and the eighteenth century, the twentieth century, and women's literature.

By the time a doctoral candidate enters the fourth semester of graduate study, the special committee must decide whether he or she is qualified to proceed toward the PhD. Students are required to pass their Advancement to Candidacy Examination before their fourth year of study, prior to the dissertation.

PhD Program specifics can be viewed here: PhD Timeline PhD Procedural Guide

Special Committee

Every graduate student selects a special committee of faculty advisors who work intensively with the student in selecting courses and preparing and revising the dissertation. The committee is comprised of at least three Cornell faculty members: a chair, and typically two minor members usually from the English department, but very often representing an interdisciplinary field. The university system of special committees allows students to design their own courses of study within a broad framework established by the department, and it encourages a close working relationship between professors and students, promoting freedom and flexibility in the pursuit of the graduate degree. The special committee for each student guides and supervises all academic work and assesses progress in a series of meetings with the students.

At Cornell, teaching is considered an integral part of training in academia. The field requires a carefully supervised teaching experience of at least one year for every doctoral candidate as part of the program requirements. The Department of English, in conjunction with the  John S. Knight Institute for Writing  in the Disciplines, offers excellent training for beginning teachers and varied and interesting teaching in the university-wide First-Year Writing Program. The courses are writing-intensive and may fall under such general rubrics as “Portraits of the Self,” “American Literature and Culture,” “Shakespeare,” and “Cultural Studies,” among others. A graduate student may also serve as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate lecture course taught by a member of the Department of English faculty.

Language Requirements

Each student and special committee will decide what work in foreign language is most appropriate for a student’s graduate program and scholarly interests. Some students’ doctoral programs require extensive knowledge of a single foreign language and literature; others require reading ability in two or more foreign languages. A student may be asked to demonstrate competence in foreign languages by presenting the undergraduate record, taking additional courses in foreign languages and literature, or translating and discussing documents related to the student’s work. Students are also normally expected to provide evidence of having studied the English language through courses in Old English, the history of the English language, grammatical analysis or the application of linguistic study to metrics or to literary criticism. Several departments at Cornell offer pertinent courses in such subjects as descriptive linguistics, psycholinguistics and the philosophy of language.

All PhD degree candidates are guaranteed five years of funding (including a stipend , a full tuition fellowship and student health insurance):

• A first-year non-teaching fellowship
• Two years of teaching assistantships
• A fourth-year non-teaching fellowship for the dissertation writing year
• A fifth-year teaching assistantship
• Summer support for four years, including a first-year summer teaching assistantship, linked to a teachers’ training program at the Knight Institute. Summer residency in Ithaca is required.

Students have also successfully competed for Buttrick-Crippen Fellowship, Society for the Humanities Fellowships, American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), Shin Yong-Jin Graduate Fellowships, Provost’s Diversity Fellowships, fellowships in recognition of excellence in teaching, and grants from the Graduate School to help with the cost of travel to scholarly conferences and research collections.

Admission & Application Procedures

The application for Fall 2024 admission will open on September 15, 2023 and close at 11:59pm EST on December 1, 2023.

Our application process reflects the field’s commitment to considering the whole person and their potential to contribute to our scholarly community.  Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of academic preparation (e.g., performance in relevant courses, completion of substantive, independent research project). An applicant’s critical and creative potential will be considered: applicants should demonstrate interest in extensive research and writing and include a writing sample that reveals a capacity to argue persuasively, demonstrate the ability to synthesize a broad range of materials, as well as offer fresh insights into a problem or text. The committee will also consider whether an applicant demonstrates a commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity and offers a substantive explanation for why study at Cornell is especially compelling (e.g., a discussion of faculty research and foci). Admissions committees will consider the entire application carefully, including statements and critical writing, as well as transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a resume/cv (if provided). Please view the requirements and procedures listed below, if you are interested in being considered for our PhD in English Language and Literature program.

Eligibility: Applicants must currently have, or expect to have, at least a BA or BS (or the equivalent) in any field before matriculation. International students, please verify degree equivalency here . Applicants are not required to meet a specified GPA minimum.

To Apply: All applications and supplemental materials must be submitted online through the Graduate School application system . While completing your application, you may save and edit your data. Once you click submit, your application will be closed for changes. Please proofread your materials carefully. Once you pay and click submit, you will not be able to make any changes or revisions.

Deadline: December 1st, 11:59pm EST.  This deadline is firm. No applications, additional materials, or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

PhD Program Application Requirements Checklist

• Academic Statement of Purpose Please describe (within 1000 words) in detail the substantive research questions you are interested in pursuing during your graduate studies and why they are significant. Additionally, make sure to include information about any training or research experience that you believe has prepared you for our program. You should also identify specific faculty members whose research interests align with your own specific questions.  Note that the identification of faculty is important; you would be well advised to read selected faculty’s recent scholarship so that you can explain why you wish to study with them. Do not rely on the courses they teach.  Please refrain from contacting individual faculty prior to receiving an offer of admission.
• Personal Statement Please describe (within 1000 words) how your personal background and experiences influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree and the research you wish to conduct.  Explain, for example the meaning and purpose of the PhD in the context of your personal history and future aspirations.  Please note that we will pay additional attention to candidates who identify substantial reasons to obtain a PhD beyond the pursuit of an academic position. Additionally, provide insight into your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn (productively and positively) together.
• Critical Writing Sample Your academic writing sample must be between 3,000 and 7,500 words (12-30 pages), typed and double-spaced. We accept excerpts from longer works, or a combination of shorter works.
• Three Letters of Recommendation We require 3 letters of recommendation.  At the time of application, you will be allowed to enter up to 4 recommenders in the system.  Your application will be considered “Complete” when we have received at least 3 letters of recommendation.   Letters of recommendation are due December 1 . Please select three people who best know you and your work. Submitting additional letters will not enhance your application. In the recommendation section of the application, you must include the email address of each recommender. After you save the information (and before you pay/submit), the application system will automatically generate a recommendation request email to your recommender with instructions for submitting the letter electronically. If your letters are stored with a credential service such as Interfolio, please use their Online Application Delivery feature and input the email address assigned to your stored document, rather than that of your recommender’s. The electronic files will be attached to your application when they are received and will not require the letter of recommendation cover page.
• Transcripts Scan transcripts from each institution you have attended, or are currently attending, and upload into the academic information section of the application. Be sure to remove your social security number from all documents prior to scanning. Please do not send paper copies of your transcripts. If you are subsequently admitted and accept, the Graduate School will require an official paper transcript from your degree-awarding institution prior to matriculation.
• English Language Proficiency Requirement All applicants must provide proof of English language proficiency. For more information, please view the  Graduate School’s English Language Requirement .
• GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test are NO LONGER REQUIRED, effective starting with the 2019 application In March 2019, the faculty of English voted overwhelmingly to eliminate all GRE requirements (both general and subject test) for application to the PhD program in English. GRE scores are not good predictors of success or failure in a PhD program in English, and the uncertain predictive value of the GRE exam is far outweighed by the toll it takes on student diversity. For many applicants the cost of preparing for and taking the exam is prohibitively expensive, and the exam is not globally accessible. Requiring the exam narrows our applicant pool at precisely the moment we should be creating bigger pipelines into higher education. We need the strength of a diverse community in order to pursue the English Department’s larger mission: to direct the force of language toward large and small acts of learning, alliance, imagination, and justice.

General Information for All Applicants

Application Fee: Visit the Graduate School for information regarding application fees, payment options, and fee waivers .

Document Identification: Please do not put your social security number on any documents.

Status Inquiries:  Once you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email. You will also be able to check the completion status of your application in your account. If vital sections of your application are missing, we will notify you via email after the Dec. 1 deadline and allow you ample time to provide the missing materials. Please do not inquire about the status of your application.

Credential/Application Assessments:  The Admission Review Committee members are unable to review application materials or applicant credentials prior to official application submission. Once the committee has reviewed applications and made admissions decisions, they will not discuss the results or make any recommendations for improving the strength of an applicant’s credentials. Applicants looking for feedback are advised to consult with their undergraduate advisor or someone else who knows them and their work.

Review Process:  Application review begins after the submission deadline. Notification of admissions decisions will be made by email by the end of February.

Connecting with Faculty and/or Students: Unfortunately, due to the volume of inquiries we receive, faculty and current students are not available to correspond with potential applicants prior to an offer of admission. Applicants who are offered admission will have the opportunity to meet faculty and students to have their questions answered prior to accepting. Staff and faculty are also not able to pre-assess potential applicant’s work outside of the formal application process. Please email [email protected] instead, if you have questions.

Visiting: The department does not offer pre-admission visits or interviews. Admitted applicants will be invited to visit the department, attend graduate seminars and meet with faculty and students before making the decision to enroll.

Transfer Credits:  Students matriculating with an MA degree may, at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies, receive credit for up to two courses once they begin our program.

For Further Information

Contact [email protected]

Study Postgraduate

Mphil/phd in english language teaching (2024 entry).

Course code

30 September 2024

3-4 years full-time; Up to 7 years part-time

Qualification

Applied Linguistics

University of Warwick

Find out more about our English Language Teaching MPhil/PhD.

Study any aspect of English language teaching on our MPhil/PhD in English Language Teaching at Warwick's Department of Applied Linguistics, ranked 3rd in The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022. Enhance your knowledge of teaching, learning, assessment and teacher development through research, under the supervision of field experts.

Course overview

Working under the expert guidance of a supervisor, PhD students design and pursue an individual research project shaped by their own personal, academic, or professional needs and interests. They participate in seminars and other activities in a diverse and vibrant research community, and disseminate their work through conference presentations and publications to both academic and non-academic audiences.

Teaching and learning

PhD researchers are individually mentored by academic supervisors from the beginning of their journey. They also participate in weekly research seminars in Year One to develop their skills and understanding in relation to research issues and approaches, methods of data collection and analysis, and research ethics.

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements.

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in ELT/TESOL, English, Education, Linguistics, Languages or a relevant discipline and a Master’s degree in ELT/TESOL, Applied Linguistics or a relevant discipline.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirements Link opens in a new window . This course requires the following:

• IELTS overall score of 7.0 (with a 7.0 in Writing).

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements page Link opens in a new window .

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Our research

We are committed to interdisciplinary research that can make a real difference to society and people’s lives by informing policy, changing practice, and challenging perceptions. Current research strengths in the department are:

• Language learning and teaching
• Working, relating, and adapting across cultures
• Language teacher education and development
• Professional and workplace communication
• Language structure, variation and change

Full details of our research interests  are listed on the Applied Linguistics web pages .

You can also read our general University research proposal guidance.

Find a supervisor

There are two ways to find a supervisor. The second way is our preferred way of handling initial communications with prospective applicants, in order to ensure that you can be matched with a potential supervisor, and in order to avoid the confusion that can arise if prospective applicants write simultaneously to several members of staff in the department.

1. Find your supervisor using the link below and discuss with them the area you'd like to research.

Explore our Applied Linguistics Staff Directory to see if you can identify someone whose research interests and publications relate closely to your research topic. Of course, it is very possible that you already have someone in mind because you have read their work, met them at a conference, or indeed were a student of theirs in the past. In such cases, you may wish to write informally to this person to discuss your plans for doing a PhD, and they may invite you to send a research proposal.

2. If you cannot identify a potential supervisor or are not sure exactly who to approach, the alternative way is for you to write to the Postgraduate Research Studies Admission Tutor, Professor Neil Murray [email protected] and send him your draft research proposal and CV. He can then follow things up and, if appropriate, pass on your inquiry to a potential supervisor.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your research course fees

Fee Status Guidance

The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website .

Additional course costs

Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

• Core text books
• Printer credits
• Dissertation binding
• Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Applied Linguistics at Warwick

Apply your learning from day one.

With a history dating back to 1983, Applied Linguistics at Warwick has diversified over the years from a main focus on English language teaching and teacher education to include expertise in areas such as: intercultural communication, professional communication, the sociolinguistics of language use, the teaching and learning of languages other than English.

Find out more about us on our website.

Our Postgraduate Taught courses

• Intercultural Communication for Business and the Professions (MSc)
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (MA)

Our Postgraduate Research courses

• Applied Linguistics (MPhil/PhD)
• Discourse Studies (MPhil/PhD)
• English Language Teaching (MPhil/PhD)
• English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics (MPhil/PhD)
• Intercultural Communication (MPhil/PhD)
• Linguistics (MPhil/PhD)

How to apply

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2024 will open on 2 October 2023.

For research courses that start in September and October 2024 the application deadline for students who require a visa to study in the UK is 2 August 2024. This should allow sufficient time to complete the admissions process and to obtain a visa to study in the UK.

How to apply for a postgraduate research course  

After you’ve applied

Find out how we process your application.

Applicant Portal

Track your application and update your details.

Admissions statement

See Warwick’s postgraduate admissions policy.

Join a live chat

Ask questions and engage with Warwick.

Warwick Hosted Events Link opens in a new window

Postgraduate fairs.

Throughout the year we attend exhibitions and fairs online and in-person around the UK. These events give you the chance to explore our range of postgraduate courses, and find out what it’s like studying at Warwick. You’ll also be able to speak directly with our student recruitment team, who will be able to help answer your questions.

Join a live chat with our staff and students, who are here to answer your questions and help you learn more about postgraduate life at Warwick. You can join our general drop-in sessions or talk to your prospective department and student services.

Departmental events

Some academic departments hold events for specific postgraduate programmes, these are fantastic opportunities to learn more about Warwick and your chosen department and course.

See our online departmental events

Warwick Talk and Tours

A Warwick talk and tour lasts around two hours and consists of an overview presentation from one of our Recruitment Officers covering the key features, facilities and activities that make Warwick a leading institution. The talk is followed by a campus tour which is the perfect way to view campus, with a current student guiding you around the key areas on campus.

Connect with us

Learn more about Postgraduate study at the University of Warwick.

Page updates

We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history .

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

9th in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2024) Link opens in a new window

67th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024) Link opens in a new window

6th most targeted university by the UK's top 100 graduate employers Link opens in a new window

(The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd. Link opens in a new window )

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2024 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

English Ph.D.

The Ph.D. program in English at the University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest and best doctoral programs of its kind. Ranked in the top 20 English Graduate Programs by U.S. News & World Report , our program offers students intensive research mentoring and pedagogical training in the vibrant setting that is Austin, Texas. In addition, all admitted English PhD students receive six years of full funding .

Drawing on the resources of two units, the Department of English and the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, our program has at its center a dynamic and dedicated faculty of over 60 .

While the Ph.D. program is housed in and administered by the Department of English , the Department of Rhetoric and Writing is a crucial partner in helping to educate our shared students. The make-up of each cohort of students mirrors our unusual interdepartmental collaboration: each year we accept 10-12 students in literature and 4 in rhetoric and digital literacies.

One of the distinguishing features of our program is its collegiality and sense of shared purpose. Students and faculty work collaboratively on a number of departmental and university-wide committees, participate actively in reading and writing groups, and treat one another with respect.

Our program is engaged not only in meeting the challenges of a complex, rapidly changing academic discipline but also in helping to shape it. Our graduate courses examine relationships between writing and other cultural practices and explore the social, historical, rhetorical, and technological processes by which literature and other discourses are constituted. While we take seriously our responsibility to help train the next generation of the professoriate—that is, to cultivate scholarship, effective teaching, and collegiality—we also encourage our students to think of their training and their futures in the broadest terms possible.

Requirements

• Foreign Language Requirement
• Tab Option 4
• Tab Option 5

All students, regardless of whether they enter with a BA or MA, are required to complete 39 hours of formal graduate coursework taken for a grade before the end of their third year. These 39 hours must include:

• E384K Disciplinary Inquiries, which is taken in the first semester. It may not include other courses under the E384 course number.
• At least one 3-hour seminar on pre-1800 material
• At least one 3-hour seminar on post-1800 material
• At least 3 hours, but no more than 9 hours, taken out of department. Out-of-department courses include: undergraduate English courses taken for graduate credit, creative writing workshops or Literature for Writers courses with the New Writers Project, and supervised study conference courses arranged with individual faculty members.

These curricular requirements ensure that students encounter a wide range of courses, faculty, and texts during their time at UT, extending well beyond their specialized area of interest. Students choose coursework in consultation with the Associate Graduate Advisor, who may allow substitutions for English courses in cases where alternate coursework is needed to supplement departmental offerings. This alternate coursework could take the form of the out-of-department courses listed above. Such substitutions may be warranted in cases where a student is pursuing a portfolio in an interdisciplinary unit such as CWGS, MALS, or AADS; where the English department offers few courses in the student’s area of interest; or where the student needs to pursue a foreign language for research purposes. We encourage students to investigate portfolio options early in their career so they can integrate those courses as soon as possible. Some portfolios require 12 hours of coursework; in those cases, the Associate Graduate Advisor will grant an exception to the 9-hour limit on out-of-department courses.

Students who hold the position of AI are also required to take RHE398T, which is usually taken during the fall semester of their third year, or when a graduate student teaches RHE306 for the first time. RHE398T does not count toward the required 39 hours of formal graduate coursework.

Beginning in their third year of the program, students have the option of enrolling in additional seminars inside or outside the department, choosing whether to take these courses for a grade or for Credit/No Credit.  They can also enroll in E384L Scholarly Publication (usually taken in or after the third year) and E384M Professional Outcomes (usually taken in or after the fourth year). Students take these two courses for Credit/No Credit. The graduate program encourages students to continue enrolling in optional courses throughout their years as a PhD student, while they are reading for exams and planning and writing a dissertation.

In the spring of year three, students must pass the  Third-Year Examination , which tests their knowledge of and engagement with chosen fields of specialization. Students will be examined on either a fixed reading list or a reading list developed by three faculty members in collaboration with the student. The list will contain 60-80 primary and/or secondary texts. The Third-Year Examination consists of a written and an oral component. The written component consists of: 1) a 1000- to 2000-word intellectual rationale for the list; 2) an annotated version of the list (at least 1/3 of the texts with an annotation of 100 words or more each); and 3) two syllabi based on the list—the first for a survey course, the second for an upper-division seminar. Students will then sit for a two-hour oral examination during which the committee will ask questions about both the written materials and the students’ comprehension of the reading list.

The  Prospectus Examination  grants students an opportunity to receive formal feedback from three faculty members on their proposed dissertation project. Students work closely with faculty to write and revise a 15- to 20-page prospectus. Once the faculty members are ready to sign off on the document, an oral Prospectus Examination is scheduled. Students are encouraged to pass the Prospectus Examination by the end of the fall semester of their fourth year in the program.

Doctoral Candidacy  is achieved when students have successfully completed the Third-Year and Prospectus Examinations; fulfilled the foreign language requirement (see below); and identified a dissertation committee of at least four faculty members, one of whom needs to be from another graduate program or institution. All students must spend at least two long semesters, or one long semester and one summer, in candidacy before earning their degree.

The last milestone for the Ph.D. is the  Final Oral Defense , otherwise known as the dissertation defense.  In general, faculty will not schedule a defense until the dissertation is completed and ready for critical engagement.

Students working toward a Ph.D. in English at UT Austin are expected to pursue courses of language study relevant to their individual professional trajectories, as determined in consultation between students themselves; their faculty mentors; and graduate program advisor(s).

Student progress toward appropriate levels of competence will be assessed by means of a four-part  Foreign Language Audit  according to the following schedule:

Fall semester of the first year: Foreign Language Interview with the associate graduate advisor to review prior training, assess current levels of expertise, and, if necessary, begin developing an appropriate language study agenda.

Spring semester of the second year: as part of the Second-Year Reflection, students complete a first Language Study Check-in with the graduate advisor(s) and their faculty sponsor, to ensure that appropriate progress has been made toward execution of the agenda with alteration or addition in light of subfield expectations and project directions.

Spring semester of the third year (in most cases): as part of the Third-Year Exam, students will complete a second Language Study Check-in, this time with their exam committee, to determine whether satisfactory progress has been achieved on their language study agenda, again with alteration or addition in light of subfield expectations and project directions.

Fourth year (in most cases): as part of the Prospectus Exam, students will finalize their Foreign Language Audit. This will involve discussion with the exam committee, along with presentation of all necessary evidence to demonstrate that the language study agenda has been fulfilled. If, in the judgment of the committee, requisite levels of language competence have not been achieved, student and committee will agree upon a binding plan for fulfillment, during which period the student shall remain on probationary status with regard to the Foreign Language Requirement. Successful fulfillment of the Foreign Language Audit must be achieved before the student advances to Ph.D. candidacy.

Notes: Some students will enter the program with sufficient foreign language skills for their course of study (e.g. either compelling evidence of literate knowledge of a language other than English, such as a high school degree from a school in a non-English speaking country, or four or more semesters at the college level of a language other than English with a grade of B or better in the last semester, or its equivalent). These students will not need to complete the final three steps of the FLA.

Program Administration

Associate Chair & Graduate Adviser: Gretchen Murphy

Associate Graduate Adviser (Literature):  Julie Minich

Associate Graduate Adviser (Rhetoric): Scott Graham

Graduate Studies Chair: Tanya Clement

Graduate Program Administrator:  Patricia Schaub

• Graduate School
• Prospective Students
• Graduate Degree Programs

Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching English as a Second Language (PhD)

Canadian immigration updates.

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

Go to programs search

Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) examines the social, linguistic, educational, cognitive, cultural and political processes affecting the teaching, learning, assessment, and use of English as an additional language locally and globally. TESL graduate students gain experience and understanding in such areas as: current issues in TESL theory and practice; second language acquisition, second language reading and writing, language socialization, language and identity, second language assessment, discourse analysis, critical applied linguistics, and research methods.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

The program faculty have expertise in TESL methods, applied linguistics, second language acquisition and socialization, content-based language education, pedagogical and functional grammar, second language writing, issues of language and identity, language in education, multilingual literacies, language policy, and English in immigrant and international communities. The program also jointly sponsors the UBC/Ritsumeikan Joint Academic Exchange Program.

Quick Facts

Program enquiries, admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 92

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 7.0

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Prior degree requirements.

Master’s degree with high standing in a relevant educational discipline

Document Requirements

• Master’s degree with high standing in a relevant educational discipline.
• Sample of work demonstrating an ability to undertake research and scholarly writing (max. 30 pages).
• CV or resume outlining work experience and academic history.
• Well-written 500 word (maximum) Statement of Intent to describe your proposed doctoral research. Be sure to indicate how your previous education, professional experience, and research have prepared you to undertake your proposed research, and note which people in the department have expertise in your intended area of study.
• The support of three referees including an assessment by at least two university instructors, preferably one of whom is the supervisor of the masters thesis. 
• Scanned copies all official transcripts (including a key to transcript grades and symbols) and degree certificates from all post-secondary institutions attended outside UBC.

Other Requirements

Awards; fellowships; scholarships; and distinctions.

Relevant professional and academic experience including conference presentations, professional workshops, and publications.

At least two years of successful teaching experience or equivalent.

Applicants who received a degree from a North American university are not required to submit their English test scores. Similarly, applicants who completed their degree outside North America from an institution in which English was the primary language of instruction of the entire university (not just a program) are not required to provide English test scores as part of their application.

Please note that we can only accept your English test scores if the test has been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of the application. An official test score report ordered from the testing agency has to be sent to UBC. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to UBC Grad School are:

TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language, minimum score 580 (paper-based) or 237 (computer based), or new minimum TOEFL score of 92 (with a minimum of 22 for each component).

MELAB – Michigan English Language Assessment Battery. Minimum overall score 85.

IELTS – International English Language Testing System – Academic. Minimum overall band score 7, with no component less than 6.5.

2) Meet Deadlines

3) prepare application, transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching English as a Second Language (PhD)

There is no need to find a supervisor prior to applying for the program. If you are successful in the application process, you will be assigned a pro-tem supervisor whose research is closest to your area of interest. However, if you are interested in working with a particular faculty member, you can indicate it in your statement of interest or in the application form.

Citizenship Verification

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Research Information

Research highlights.

TESL methods; Applied linguistics; Critical applied linguistics; Discourse analysis; Intercultural communication; Second language acquisition and socialization; Content-based language education; Pedagogical and functional grammar; Second language writing; Issues of language and identity; Language in education; Multilingual literacies; Language policy; English in immigrant and international communities.

Research Focus

Program components.

The program consists of 18 to 24 credits of course work (including the LLED 601 Doctoral Seminar), comprehensive exam followed by an oral examination, a dissertation proposal, and a doctoral dissertation.

Geographic Restrictions

The TESL/TEFL program accepts well-qualified students from around the globe into a richly international and multicultural academic community.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

All full-time students who begin a UBC-Vancouver PhD program in September 2024 will be provided with a funding package of $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships.

Average Funding

• 3 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 3 students was $6,036.
• 5 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 5 students was $10,150.
• 1 student received Academic Assistantships valued at $7,664.
• 6 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 6 students was $25,441.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

Career options.

Integrating research and practice, the graduate programs in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) offer professional development to teachers of ESL and prepare researchers and leaders in applied linguistics.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching English as a Second Language (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion rates & times.

• Research Supervisors

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Ahmed, Anwar (Languages and literature)
• Duff, Patricia (applied linguistics and sociolinguistics, multilingualism and work, sociocultural and sociopolitical aspects of languages in education, Adolescent issues, adult education issues, English and French as second languages, international perspecives)
• Early, Margaret (Adolescent issues, English as a second Language, language education, literacy, teacher research)
• Gunderson, Lee Paul (Languages and literature; reading-research; immigrant-achievement; home literacy environment)
• Kubota, Ryuko (Specialized studies in education; critical applied linguistics; culture and language; Language Rights and Policies; language education; language ideologies; multicultural education; race and language teaching)
• Li, Guofang (longitudinal studies of immigrant children)
• Norton, Bonny (education, ESL, international perspectives, literacy, teacher research)
• Talmy, Steven (ESL, TESOL, LOTE and sign language curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; teacher education)
• Wernicke, Meike (Specialized studies in education; Intercultural Education; Language Planning and Policy; Multi-/Plurilingualism; Second Language Education (French); teacher education)
• Zappa, Sandra (academic discourse socialization of (international) English language learners in higher education, examining the literacy socialization trajectories and the role their individual networks of practice (INoPs, a concept I coined) in becoming aware of the host culture values and expectations; projects examining the intercultural competence development of foreign language teachers studying abroad; foreign language-learning through peer exchange programs; academic English coaching for university-level English language learners; collaboration between language and subject specialists; and student perceptions of academic English language development in CBI courses.)

Doctoral Citations

Sample thesis submissions.

• Transcultural identity and Bangla heritage language teaching
• Pandemic transformations and settler discourse stabilities in Canadian English-language teacher identity

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language (MA)
• Master of Education in Teaching English as a Second Language (MEd)

Same Academic Unit

• Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD)
• Master of Arts in Literacy Education (MA)
• Master of Arts in Modern Languages Education (MA)
• Master of Education in Literacy Education (MEd)
• Master of Education in Modern Languages Education (MEd)

Further Information

Specialization.

Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) examines the social, linguistic, educational, cognitive, cultural and political processes affecting the teaching, learning, assessment, and use of English as an additional language locally and globally. The program faculty have expertise in TESL methods, applied linguistics, second language acquisition and socialization, content-based language education, pedagogical and functional grammar, second language writing, issues of language and identity, language in education, multilingual literacies, language policy, and English in immigrant and international communities

UBC Calendar

Program website, faculty overview, academic unit, program identifier, classification, social media channels, supervisor search.

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

Considering Vancouver as your next home?

This city won’t disappoint. It has it all: sea, parks, mountains, beaches and all four seasons, including beautiful summers and mild, wet winters with snow.

• Why Grad School at UBC?
• Application & Admission
• Info Sessions
• Research Projects
• Indigenous Students
• International Students
• Tuition, Fees & Cost of Living
• Newly Admitted
• Student Status & Classification
• Student Responsibilities
• Supervision & Advising
• Managing your Program
• Health, Wellbeing and Safety
• Professional Development
• Dissertation & Thesis Preparation
• Final Doctoral Exam
• Final Dissertation & Thesis Submission
• Life in Vancouver
• Vancouver Campus
• Graduate Student Spaces
• Graduate Life Centre
• Life as a Grad Student
• Graduate Student Ambassadors
• Meet our Students
• Award Opportunities
• Award Guidelines
• Minimum Funding Policy for PhD Students
• Killam Awards & Fellowships
• Policies & Procedures
• Information for Supervisors
• Dean's Message
• Leadership Team
• Strategic Plan & Priorities
• Vision & Mission
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
• Initiatives, Plans & Reports
• Graduate Education Analysis & Research
• Media Enquiries
• Newsletters
• Giving to Graduate Studies

Strategic Priorities

• Strategic Plan 2019-2024
• Improving Student Funding
• Promoting Excellence in Graduate Programs
• Enhancing Graduate Supervision
• Advancing Indigenous Inclusion
• Supporting Student Development and Success
• Reimagining Graduate Education
• Enriching the Student Experience

Initiatives

• Public Scholars Initiative
• 3 Minute Thesis (3MT)
• PhD Career Outcomes
• Great Supervisor Week

Recommended pages

• Undergraduate open days
• Postgraduate open days
• Accommodation
• Information for teachers
• Maps and directions
• Sport and fitness

Join our Postgraduate Open Day - Saturday 22 June

PhD English Language and Applied Linguistics (On-Campus or by Distance Learning)/ MA by Research

On campus: Annual tuition fee 2024 entry: UK: £4,778 full-time; £2,389 part-time International: £21,840 full-time Distance learning PhD: Annual tuition fee 2024/25: £12,330 part-time  More detail .

• Visit an Open Day
• Request a prospectus
• Course details
• Entry Requirements
• Employability

Carry out your research with one of the UK’s leading English Language departments, renowned for its expertise in Corpus Research, Cognitive Linguistics and Psycholinguistics, and Discourse Analysis and Stylistics, from anywhere in the world. 

We offer both and campus-based and distance learning PhD courses. There are two distance learning PhD programmes in English Language and Applied Linguistics: a standard programme and a modular programme. There is no assessed taught component, but students follow online research training modules. Both distance learning options are part-time, while the campus programme can be either full-time or part-time.

All programmes have regular contact with your supervisor. On the distance learning programmes, this contact is by email and/or video conference and allow you to remain in your resident country while pursuing your research. This is particularly beneficial if you are interested in relating your research to your current work. 

The Standard PhD

The standard programme requires a traditional 80,000-word thesis. The work is examined at the end of the programme, as with other PhD programmes. Students identify and refine a thesis topic and research design in consultation with their supervisor and send drafts of the various chapters for comment as they work through the programme. As with all PhDs, progress is monitored throughout the registration period.

Distance Modular PhD

The modular programme requires three modules: two shorter research papers (Module 1 - 12,000 words, Module 2 - 20,000 words) and a final thesis of 50,000 words (Module 3). The work is examined in three phases, at the end of each module. The final product (in terms of total quantity and quality of work) is therefore similar to the standard PhD; however the modular option provides an incremental, continuously assessed route allowing students to progress through explicitly marked stages to a PhD. Students identify a topic they wish to work on and to which all their written work should be related; the nature of the assessment means however that the topic may not be as tightly focused as that in a traditional PhD.

Virtual Open Day: Postgraduate opportunities in English Language and Applied Linguistics - 28 April 2020, 14:00-15:00

Join us online to watch a range of staff and student videos, and take part in our online chat where staff from the Department will be answering your questions about postgraduate study.

Find out more and register

AHRC funding for PhD students

The University of Birmingham is part of the Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership (M4C), offering Arts and Humanities Research Council PhD studentships for campus-based programmes. These include a number of Collaborative Doctoral Award opportunities. Each studentship includes research fees, a substantial maintenance grant and additional research training support. Applications are open until 12:00 (noon), 13 January 2021.

Find out more

Scholarships for 2024 entry

The University of Birmingham is proud to offer a range of scholarships for our postgraduate programmes. With a scholarship pot worth over £2 million, we are committed to alleviating financial barriers to support you in taking your next steps.

Each scholarship has its own specific deadlines and eligibility criteria. Please familiarise yourself with the information on individual scholarship webpages prior to submitting an application.

Explore our scholarships

Postgraduate scholarships available

The College of Arts and Law is offering a range of scholarships for our postgraduate taught and research programmes to ensure that the very best talent is nurtured and supported.

Learn more about our scholarships

At Birmingham, Postgraduate Taught and Postgraduate Research students also have the opportunity to learn graduate academic languages free of charge, to support your studies.

• Graduate School Language Skills

The staff are extremely friendly and approachable which makes for a really productive atmosphere in the department. I also really value the range of expertise across the department. Helena

Why study this course?

• World-leading research : The University of Birmingham is ranked equal 10th in the UK amongst Russell Group universities in the Research Excellence Framework exercise 2021 according to the Times Higher Education. Additionally, the University of Birmingham is ranked in the top 50 for the study of English Language and Literature in the 2023 QS World University Rankings. These rankings are compiled annually to help prospective students identify the leading universities worldwide in a particular subject.
• Distance learning experience : The Department has many years of experience in delivering high quality distance learning programmes at postgraduate level. Staff also have expertise in supervising doctoral research at a distance. Through the University library, you will have electronic access to a wide range of applied linguistic research journals and e-books.
• Exceptional student support : While the programmes are rigorous in their standards and expectations, they also provide excellent support and a high degree of flexibility. You will receive the same level of support and supervision as our on-campus students.
• Research resources :  Our English Language programmes benefit from the 450 million-word Bank of English corpus, an invaluable collection of authentic language data. All students and researchers working within English Language also have free access a variety of language corpora, and, where necessary, training in how to use them. Additionally, the Main Library houses an extensive collection of books on English language and linguistics, including English language teaching, and subscribes to 250 periodicals in the fields of English language and literature.

The postgraduate experience

The College of Arts and Law offers excellent support to its postgraduates, from libraries and research spaces, to careers support and funding opportunities. Learn more about your postgraduate experience .

Content and assessment for the Modular PhD

Module 1 - Subject-focused work, to include some research training and preparation related to the subject, such as empirical work, literature searches, and research methodology.

The 12,000-word assessment may be divided into 3 x 4,000 papers or combinations amounting to the total (60 credits). Pass/Fail.

Module 2 - Structured research and writing on the research topic. It may be linked in a linear way to Module 1, or the connection may be looser.

The 20,000-word assessment may be divided into one or two papers amounting to the total (120 credits). Pass/Fail

Module 3 - The thesis (maximum 50,000 words - 360 credits). Pass/Fail

The assessed work from Modules 2 and 3 should be of publishable quality.

Each assessment (i.e. each module) is submitted and passed before the student can proceed to the next. One re-submission of each module is permitted. The external examiner is consulted when each module is completed. Like all PhD theses at Birmingham, a Modular PhD is examined in a viva voce examination which takes place after the submission of Module 3.

We charge an annual tuition fee:

On campus PhD/MA by Research: Annual tuition fee 2024 entry:

• UK: £4,778 full-time; £2,389 part-time *
• International: £21,840 full-time

The above fees quoted are for one year only; for those studying over two or more years, tuition fees will also be payable in subsequent years of your programme.

* For UK postgraduate research students the University fee level is set at Research Council rates and as such is subject to change. The final fee will be announced by Research Councils UK in spring 2024.

Distance learning PhD:

• Fees for students joining between September 2023 and August 2024 are as follows: £11,730 part-time
• Fees for students joining between September 2024 and August 2025 are as follows: £12,330 part-time

Tuition fees will be payable each year for between four years (minimum registration) and six years (maximum registration). Students who go into Writing Up after four or five years will pay a nominal continuation fee (the same as for the full-time PhD).

Eligibility for UK or international fees can be verified with Admissions. Learn more about  fees for international students .

Paying your fees

Tuition fees can either be paid in full or by instalments. Learn more about  postgraduate tuition fees and funding .

How To Apply

Application deadlines.

Postgraduate research can start at any time during the year, but it is important to allow time for us to review your application and communicate a decision. If you wish to start in September, we would recommend that you aim to submit your application and supporting documents by 1 June 2024.

Additional guidance for applicants to the PhD Distance Learning study mode.

Before you make your application

Please refer to our six-step process on applying for PhD, MA by Research and MRes opportunities for Arts subject areas, which includes detailed advice on research proposals and how to write them.

Making your application

• How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate research programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page . Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Our Standard Requirements

Our requirements for postgraduate research are dependent on the type of programme you are applying for:

• For MRes and MA by Research programmes, entry to our programmes usually requires a good (normally a 2:1 or above) Honours degree, or an equivalent qualification if you were educated outside the UK, usually in a relevant area.
• Applicants for a PhD will also need to hold a Masters qualification at Merit level or above (or its international equivalent), usually in a relevant area.

Any academic and professional qualifications or relevant professional experience you may have are normally taken into account, and in some cases, form an integral part of the entrance requirements.

If you are applying for distance learning research programmes, you will also be required to demonstrate that you have the time, commitment, facilities and experience to study by distance learning.

If your qualifications are non-standard or different from the entry requirements stated here, please contact the admissions tutor.

International students

IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band is equivalent to:

• TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 21 Listening, 22 Speaking and 21 in Writing
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): Academic 59 in all four skills
• Cambridge English (exams taken from 2015): Advanced - minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component

Learn more about international entry requirements

International Requirements

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 14/20 from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Argentinian university, with a promedio of at least 7.5, may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent

Applicants who hold a Masters degree will be considered for admission to PhD study.

Holders of a good four-year Diplomstudium/Magister or a Masters degree from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a good 5-year Specialist Diploma or 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan, with a minimum GPA of 4/5 or 80% will be considered for entry to postgraduate taught programmes at the University of Birmingham.

For postgraduate research programmes applicants should have a good 5-year Specialist Diploma (completed after 1991), with a minimum grade point average of 4/5 or 80%, from a recognised higher education institution or a Masters or “Magistr Diplomu” or “Kandidat Nauk” from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0-3.3/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold a Masters degree from the University of Botswana with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (70%/B/'very good') will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Please note 4-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a Diploma of Higher Education. 5-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a British Bachelor (Ordinary) degree.

Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

A Licenciatura or Bacharelado degree from a recognised Brazilian university:

• A grade of 7.5/10 for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement
• A grade of 6.5/10for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement

Holders of a good Bachelors degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good post-2001 Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a minimum average of 14 out of 20 (or 70%) on a 4-year Licence, Bachelor degree or Diplôme d'Etudes Superieures de Commerce (DESC) or Diplôme d'Ingénieur or a Maîtrise will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Holders of a bachelor degree with honours from a recognised Canadian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A GPA of 3.0/4, 7.0/9 or 75% is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1.

Holders of the Licenciado or equivalent Professional Title from a recognised Chilean university will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD study will preferably hold a Magister degree or equivalent.

Students with a bachelor’s degree (4 years minimum) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. However please note that we will only consider students who meet the entry guidance below.  Please note: for the subject areas below we use the Shanghai Ranking 2022 (full table)  ,  Shanghai Ranking 2023 (full table) , and Shanghai Ranking of Chinese Art Universities 2023 .

需要具备学士学位（4年制）的申请人可申请研究生课程。请根据所申请的课程查看相应的入学要求。 请注意，中国院校名单参考 软科中国大学排名2022（总榜） ，  软科中国大学排名2023（总榜） ，以及 软科中国艺术类高校名单2023 。  

Business School    - MSc programmes (excluding MBA)  

商学院硕士课程（MBA除外）入学要求

School of Computer Science – all MSc programmes 计算机学院硕士课程入学要求

College of Social Sciences – courses listed below 社会科学 学院部分硕士课程入学要求 MA Education  (including all pathways) MSc TESOL Education MSc Public Management MA Global Public Policy MA Social Policy MA Sociology Department of Political Science and International Studies  全部硕士课程 International Development Department  全部硕士课程

  All other programmes (including MBA)   所有其他 硕士课程（包括 MBA）入学要求

Please note:

• Borderline cases: We may consider students with lower average score (within 5%) on a case-by-case basis if you have a relevant degree and very excellent grades in relevant subjects and/or relevant work experience. 如申请人均分低于相应录取要求（5%以内），但具有出色学术背景，优异的专业成绩，以及（或）相关的工作经验，部分课程将有可能单独酌情考虑。
• Please contact the China Recruitment Team for any questions on the above entry requirements. 如果您对录取要求有疑问，请联系伯明翰大学中国办公室   [email protected]

Holders of the Licenciado/Professional Title from a recognised Colombian university will be considered for our Postgraduate Diploma and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent.

Holders of a good bachelor degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Bacclaureus (Bachelors) from a recognised Croatian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 4.0 out of 5.0, vrlo dobar ‘very good’, or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree(from the University of the West Indies or the University of Technology) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A Class II Upper Division degree is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1. For further details on particular institutions please refer to the list below.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Masters degree or Mphil from the University of the West Indies.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, or a GPA of 3 out of 4, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalár from a recognised Czech Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, velmi dobre ‘very good’ (post-2004) or 2, velmi dobre ‘good’ (pre-2004), or a good post-2002 Magistr (Masters), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 7-10 out of 12 (or 8 out of 13) or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters/ Magisterkonfereus/Magister Artium degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Ecuadorian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 70% or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Magister/Masterado or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Licenciado with excellent grades can be considered.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalaurusekraad from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 4/5 or B, or a good one- or two-year Magistrikraad from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with very good grades (grade B, 3.5/4 GPA or 85%) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

Holders of a good Kandidaatti / Kandidat (old system), a professional title such as Ekonomi, Diplomi-insinööri, Arkkitehti, Lisensiaatti (in Medicine, Dentistry and Vetinary Medicine), or a Maisteri / Magister (new system), Lisensiaatti / Licenciat, Oikeustieteen Kandidaatti / Juris Kandidat (new system) or Proviisori / Provisor from a recognised Finnish Higher Education institution, with a minimum overall grade of 2/3 or 4/5, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters/Maîtrise with a minimum overall grade of 13 out of 20, or a Magistère / Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies / Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Specialisées / Mastère Specialis, from a recognised French university or Grande École to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Magister Artium, a Diplom or an Erstes Staatsexamen from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5, or a good two-year Lizentiat / Aufbaustudium / Zweites Staatsexamen or a Masters degree from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good four-year Ptychio (Bachelor degree) with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, from a recognised Greek university (AEI), and will usually be required to have completed a good Metaptychiako Diploma Eidikefsis (Masters degree) from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

4-year Licenciado is deemed equivalent to a UK bachelors degree. A score of 75 or higher from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) can be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 60 is comparable to a UK 2.2.  Private universities have a higher pass mark, so 80 or higher should be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 70 is comparable to a UK 2.2

The Hong Kong Bachelor degree is considered comparable to British Bachelor degree standard. Students with bachelor degrees awarded by universities in Hong Kong may be considered for entry to one of our postgraduate degree programmes.

Students with Masters degrees may be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Alapfokozat / Alapképzés or Egyetemi Oklevel from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 3.5, or a good Mesterfokozat (Masters degree) or Egyetemi Doktor (university doctorate), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a 60% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the 4 year Sarjana (S1) from a recognised Indonesian institution will be considered for postgraduate study. Entry requirements vary with a minimum requirement of a GPA of 2.8.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution, with 100 out of 110 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold the Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies, Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Students with a Bachelor degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for entry to a postgraduate Masters degree provided they achieve a sufficiently high overall score in their first (Bachelor) degree. A GPA of 3.0/4.0 or a B average from a good Japanese university is usually considered equivalent to a UK 2:1.

Students with a Masters degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for PhD study. A high overall grade will be necessary to be considered.

Students who have completed their Specialist Diploma Мамаң дипломы/Диплом специалиста) or "Magistr" (Магистр дипломы/Диплом магистра) degree (completed after 1991) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate Masters degrees and, occasionally, directly for PhD degrees.  Holders of a Bachelor "Bakalavr" degree (Бакалавр дипломы/Диплом бакалавра) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of  2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, may also be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/50

Holders of a good Postgraduate Diploma (professional programme) from a recognised university or institution of Higher Education, with a minimum overall grade of 7.5 out of 10, or a post-2000 Magistrs, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 16/20 or 80% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Libya will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70% for 2:1 equivalency or 65% for 2:2 equivalency. Alternatively students will require a minimum of 3.0/4.0 or BB to be considered.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magistras from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, or a good post-2001 Magistras, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, or a Diplôme d'Études Supérieures Spécialisées (comparable to a UK PGDip) or Masters degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (70-74% or A or Marginal Distinction from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 60-69% or B or Bare Distinction/Credit is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Malaysian institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum of 3.0) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from the University of Malta with a minimum grade of 2:1 (Hons), and/or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (Honours) from a recognised institution (including the University of Mauritius) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2:1).

Students who hold the Licenciado/Professional Titulo from a recognised Mexican university with a promedio of at least 8 will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Students who have completed a Maestria from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree, licence or Maîtrise and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students with a good four year honours degree from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. PhD applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Doctoraal from a recognised Dutch university with a minimum overall grade of 7 out of 10, and/or a good Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (minimum 4 years and/or level 400) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of B/Very Good or 1.6-2.5 for a 2.1 equivalency, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters, Mastergrad, Magister. Artium, Sivilingeniør, Candidatus realium or Candidatus philologiae degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0/4 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in the Palestinian Territories will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3/4 or 80% for 2:1 equivalency or a GPA of 2.5/4 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.    

Holders of the Título de Licenciado /Título de (4-6 years) or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Paraguayan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 4/5 or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  The Título Intermedio is a 2-3 year degree and is equivalent to a HNC, it is not suitable for postgraduate entry but holders of this award could be considered for second year undergraduate entry or pre-Masters.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría / Magister or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Título/Grado de Licenciado/a with excellent grades can be considered.

Holders of the Licenciado, with at least 13/20 may be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent. The Grado de Bachiller is equivalent to an ordinary degree, so grades of 15+/20 are required.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría or equivalent qualification.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4 out of 5, dobry ‘good’, and/or a good Swiadectwo Ukonczenia Studiów Podyplomowych (Certificate of Postgraduate Study) or post-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4.5/4+ out of 5, dobry plus 'better than good', will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Licenciado from a recognised university, or a Diploma de Estudos Superiores Especializados (DESE) from a recognised Polytechnic Institution, with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, and/or a good Mestrado / Mestre (Masters) from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Romanian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree/Diploma de Master/Diploma de Studii Academice Postuniversitare (Postgraduate Diploma - Academic Studies) or Diploma de Studii Postuniversitare de Specializare (Postgraduate Diploma - Specialised Studies) to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Диплом Специалиста (Specialist Diploma) or Диплом Магистра (Magistr) degree from recognised universities in Russia (minimum GPA of 4.0) will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes/PhD study.

Students who hold a 4-year Bachelor degree with at least 16/20 or 70% will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies,Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. A score of 14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2

Students who hold a Bachelor (Honours) degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (or a score of 60-69% or B+) from a well ranked institution will be considered for most our Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees with a 2:1 requirement.

Students holding a good Bachelors Honours degree will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good three-year Bakalár or pre-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, Vel’mi dobrý ‘very good’, and/or a good Inžinier or a post-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Diploma o pridobljeni univerzitetni izobrazbi (Bachelors degree), Diplomant (Professionally oriented first degree), Univerzitetni diplomant (Academically oriented first degree) or Visoko Obrazovanja (until 1999) from a recognised Slovenian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8.0 out of 10, and/or a good Diploma specializacija (Postgraduate Diploma) or Magister (Masters) will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor Honours degree (also known as Baccalaureus Honores / Baccalaureus Cum Honoribus) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (70%) or a distinction (75%).

Holders of a Masters degree will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelor degree from a recognised South Korean institution (usually with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average 3.0/4.0 or 3.2/4.5) will be considered for Masters programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 7 out of 10 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or a CGPA 3.30/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Kandidatexamen (Bachelors degree) or Yrkesexamen (Professional Bachelors degree) from a recognised Swedish Higher Education institution with the majority of subjects with a grade of VG (Val godkänd), and/or a good Magisterexamen (Masters degree), International Masters degree or Licentiatexamen (comparable to a UK Mphil), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good "PostGraduate Certificate" or "PostGraduate Diploma" or a Masters degree from a recognised Swiss higher education institution (with a minimum GPA of 5/6 or 8/10 or 2/5 (gut-bien-bene/good) for a 2.1 equivalence) may be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0, 3.5/5 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bachelor degree (from 75% to 85% depending upon the university in Taiwan) from a recognised institution will be considered for postgraduate Masters study. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for entry to our postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree or Mphil from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a Bachelors degree from the following universities may be considered for entry to postgraduate programmes:

• Ateneo de Manila University - Quezon City
• De La Salle University - Manila
• University of Santo Tomas
• University of the Philippines - Diliman

Students from all other institutions with a Bachelors and a Masters degree or relevant work experience may be considered for postgraduate programmes.

Grading Schemes

1-5 where 1 is the highest 2.1 = 1.75 2.2 = 2.25 

Out of 4.0 where 4 is the highest 2.1 = 3.0 2.2 = 2.5

Letter grades and percentages 2.1 = B / 3.00 / 83% 2.2 = C+ / 2.5 / 77%

Holders of a postdoctoral qualification from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.  Students may be considered for PhD study if they have a Masters from one of the above listed universities.

Holders of a Lisans Diplomasi with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0/4.0 from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a Yuksek Diplomasi from a recognised university will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (2.1) or GPA of 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree / Диплом бакалавра (Dyplom Bakalavra), Диплом спеціаліста (Specialist Diploma) or a Dyplom Magistra from a recognised Ukrainian higher education institution with a minimum GPA of 4.0/5.0, 3.5/4, 8/12 or 80% or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

The University will consider students who hold an Honours degree from a recognised institution in the USA with a GPA of:

• 2.8 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement 
• 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement 

Please note that some subjects which are studied at postgraduate level in the USA, eg. Medicine and Law, are traditionally studied at undergraduate level in the UK.

Holders of the Magistr Diplomi (Master's degree) or Diplomi (Specialist Diploma), awarded by prestigious universities, who have attained high grades in their studies will be considered for postgraduate study.  Holders of the Fanlari Nomzodi (Candidate of Science), where appropriate, will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of the Licenciatura/Título or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Venezuelan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Scales of 1-5, 1-10 and 1-20 are used, an overall score of 70% or equivalent can be considered equivalent to a UK 2.1.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Maestria or equivalent qualification

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Vietnamese institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum GPA of 7.0 and above) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.  Holders of a Masters degree (thac si) will be considered for entry to PhD programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with a minimum GPA of 3.5/5.0 or a mark of 2.0/2.5 (A) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a good Bachelor Honours degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

We specialise and welcome applications from prospective research students interested in corpus linguistics, cognitive linguistics and psycholinguistics, and stylistics and discourse analysis.

A summary of our key research areas, and staff working within those, can be found below. General queries which are not subject-specific (including fees, scholarship enquiries and paperwork) are best directed to the  College of Arts and Law Graduate School .

• Applied linguistics and second language acquisition  
• Corpus linguistics
• Discourse and analysis and stylistics
• Sign language and gesture
• Cognitive linguistics and psycholinguistics
• Iconicity and figurative language
• Sociolinguistics and language variation and change
• Quantitative linguistics and data visualisation

The University of Birmingham is the top choice for the UK's major employers searching for graduate recruits, according to The Graduate Market 2024 report .

Your degree will provide excellent preparation for your future career, but this can also be enhanced by a range of employability support services offered by the University and the College of Arts and Law.

The University's Careers Network  provides expert guidance and activities especially for postgraduates, which will help you achieve your career goals. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated  careers and employability team  who offer tailored advice and a programme of College-specific careers events.

You will be encouraged to make the most of your postgraduate experience and will have the opportunity to:

• Receive one-to-one careers advice, including guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique, whether you are looking for a career inside or outside of academia
• Meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs and employer presentations
• Attend an annual programme of careers fairs, skills workshops and conferences, including bespoke events for postgraduates in the College of Arts and Law
• Take part in a range of activities to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to potential employers and enhance your CV

What’s more, you will be able to access our full range of careers support for up to 2 years after graduation.

Postgraduate employability: English Language and Linguistics

Birmingham's English Language and Linguistics postgraduates develop a broad range of transferable skills that are highly valued by employers, particularly in relation to verbal and written communication. They also develop crucial skills in organisation, time management, analysis and interpretation of information.

Many of our graduates enter roles for which their programme has prepared them, such as becoming a language analyst or data scientist. Others use their transferable skills in a wide range of occupations including teaching, research administration and events.

• Online chat events
• Ask our students

Ohio State nav bar

The Ohio State University

• BuckeyeLink
• Find People
• Search Ohio State

Multilingual Language Education

The PhD in Teaching & Learning with a specialization in Multilingual Language Education is a research-intensive program in applied linguistics and educational linguistics related to TESOL, world/foreign language education, and bilingual education.

Deadline: December 1.    APPLY NOW

The MLE Faculty: O-H-I-O

The Multilingual Language Education program at The Ohio State University is one of the oldest and most established doctoral programs of its kind in the United States and has produced many prominent scholars and leaders in both the foreign language and English language learning fields.

Students experience diverse opportunities to learn the cognitive, sociocultural and critical perspectives of theory and practices related to additional language acquisition and instruction across diverse contexts. The program is designed from an inclusive perspective and seeks to explore language teaching and learning issues and learners from around the world.

Program faculty have lived, studied and taught across the globe. The diversity of backgrounds among students and faculty is one of the hallmarks of our program.

The History of MLE @ OSU

The Ohio State University established one of the first graduate programs in World Language Education in the country, and began awarding doctoral degrees in the mid 1950s. In the 1960s, the program grew and included faculty such as Dr. Paul Pimsleur, renowned for developing the Pimsleur Method. In the 1980s, the Foreign/Second Language Education (FSLED) program included an MA and PhD with a focus on TESOL. The program continued to grow with faculty such as Dr. Charles Hancock, Dr. Alan Hirvela, who served as the editor of TESOL Quarterly, and Dr. Elizabeth Bernhardt, who did pioneering work on L2 reading using eye-tracking methods. By 2021, when the program was renamed simply Multilingual Language Education, it has awarded over 125 PhDs to alumni who teach across the U.S. and in more than 18 different countries.

Paul Pimsleur in the Language Lab, c. 1967

Charles Hancock lecturing, c. 1989

Alan Hirvela delivers a keynote address in Hong Kong, 2017

Unable to find any suggestions for your query...

The Essex website uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are consenting to their use. Please visit our cookie policy to find out which cookies we use and why. View cookie policy.

PhD English Language Teaching

• Ask a question
• Get a prospectus

Entry requirements

Fees and funding.

• What's next?

We offer supervision for our PhD English Language Teaching in a wide range of areas, including: vocabulary teaching, teaching reading and literacy development, writing pedagogy and academic writing, corpus-based pedagogy, teaching English to young learners, task-based language learning, language testing, classroom interaction, materials design and evaluation, teacher beliefs and teacher identity, and English for Academic Purposes, and computer-assisted language learning (CALL).

Examples of PhD projects which our students have undertaken include students' attitudes to native and non-native English language teachers, the role of metacognitive awareness in EFL reading, English teachers' beliefs about and practices of teaching methodology, and genre analysis of Japanese and British introductions to PhD theses in the field of literature.

Many of our former PhD students work in higher education institutions around the world, as teachers and/or as academic researchers, but also in teacher education, in the area of educational advice and management, programme evaluation, and syllabus design.

We also offer an MPhil in this subject.

Please note, part-time research study is also available.

• Our Department of Language and Linguistics offers an outstanding teaching and research environment. We are 1st in UK for research impact in modern languages and linguistics (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021).
• Our students are taught, supported and supervised by staff with an international reputation for being at the forefront of research in their areas of expertise.
• We have a strong research group culture and run regular departmental seminars which feature invited external speakers.

Our expert staff

Within our Department of Language and Linguistics, you will be allocated a supervisor whose role it is to guide you through the different stages of your research degree. In some cases, you may have joint supervision by two members of our staff.

The support provided by your supervisor is a key feature of your research student experience and you will have regular one-to-one meetings to discuss progress on your research. Initially, your supervisor will help you develop your research topic and plan.

Twice a year, you will have a supervisory board meeting, which provides a more formal opportunity to discuss your progress and agree your plans for the next six months.

Specialist facilities

Within the Department of Language and Linguistics, we aim to provide our research students with work and storage space, including laboratory facilities and access to online bibliographies, corpora and other resources.

The University of Essex has excellent library holdings in all areas of linguistics, with online access to many periodicals and resources. We have open access computing labs running many software packages that our research students need in their work.

Your future

Given the breadth of our provision within the Department of Language and Linguistics, career prospects for our graduates vary depending on the study undertaken. Often the career destination of our students is university lecturing or research. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the areas of linguistics we cover, this could be in departments of English, linguistics, education, sociology or cognitive science.

UK entry requirements

International & eu entry requirements.

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please select your country page where you'll find this information.

English language requirements

Course structure.

A research degree doesn't have a taught structure, giving you the chance to investigate your chosen topic in real depth and reach a profound understanding. In communicating that understanding, through a thesis or other means, you have a rare opportunity to generate knowledge. A research degree allows you to develop new high-level skills, enhance your professional development and build new networks. It can open doors to many careers.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.

Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.

In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.

Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code . For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY

View Linguistics: Research on our Module Directory

On our four-year route (the Integrated ‘new route' PhD), your first year is a preparatory MRes year so you take six taught modules and write an assessed MRes dissertation. This programme is ideal if you wish to develop your knowledge of existing research and improve your understanding of research methods before embarking on independent research.

On our three-year supervised research route, if you already have a solid knowledge of existing research in your field and a good understanding of research methods, plus a suitable research proposal, you immediately begin your independent research, under the guidance of your supervisor.

Within the Department of Language and Linguistics, throughout your research studies, your training needs will be regularly assessed. Every six months your progress is formally checked by a supervisory panel consisting of your supervisor, an adviser, and a chairperson. At least once a year this meeting takes place face to face to discuss how you are getting on. You report on your progress in writing by completing a form twice a year.

Your thesis has a maximum length of 80,000 words.

Dissertation

Home/uk fee.

£4,712 per year

International fee

£17,900 per year

Fees will increase for each academic year of study.

Masters fees and funding information

Research (e.g. PhD) fees and funding information

What's next

We hold Open Days for all our applicants throughout the year. Our Colchester Campus events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex, and give you the chance to:

• tour our campus and accommodation
• find out answers to your questions about our courses, graduate employability, student support and more
• talk to our Fees and Funding team about scholarship opportunities
• meet our students and staff

If the dates of our organised events aren’t suitable for you, feel free to get in touch by emailing [email protected] and we’ll arrange an individual campus tour for you.

2024 Open Days (Colchester Campus)

• Saturday 15 June 2024 - June Open Day
• Saturday 21 September 2024 - September Open Day
• Saturday 26 October 2024 - October Open Day

You can apply for this postgraduate course online . Before you apply, please check our information about necessary documents that we'll ask you to provide as part of your application.

We encourage you to make a preliminary enquiry directly to a potential supervisor or the Graduate Administrator within your chosen Department or School. We encourage the consideration of a brief research proposal prior to the submission of a full application.

We aim to respond to applications within four weeks. If we are able to offer you a place, you will be contacted via email.

For information on our deadline to apply for this course, please see our ‘ how to apply ' information.

Visit Colchester Campus

Set within 200 acres of  award-winning  parkland - Wivenhoe Park  and located two miles from the  historic city centre of Colchester – England's oldest recorded development. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.

Virtual tours

If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360 degree virtual tour allows you to explore the Colchester Campus from the comfort of your home. Check out our accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.

Exhibitions

Our staff travel the world to speak to people about the courses on offer at Essex. Take a look at our list of exhibition dates to see if we’ll be near you in the future.

At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.

The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications . The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

Related courses

• Colchester Campus

Want to quiz us about your course? Got a question that just needs answering? Get in touch with us on live chat!

• Course Finder
• Undergraduate study
• Postgraduate study
• Short courses and CPD
• International students
• Study online
• Apprenticeships
• Summer Schools
• Essex living
• Essex Sport
• Southend Campus
• Loughton Campus
• Student facilities
• Student services
• Research excellence
• Research showcase
• Media requests
• Research Excellence Framework (REF)
• Research institutes and centres
• Departments
• How to pay your fees
• General - [email protected]
• Undergraduate - [email protected]
• Postgraduate - [email protected]
• +44 (0) 1206 873333
• University of Essex
• Wivenhoe Park
• Colchester CO4 3SQ

• Accessibility
• Our privacy statements
• Our transparency return
• Modern slavery and human trafficking

Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership (TLPL)

Applied linguistics and language education, ph.d..

Faculty research interests in the Applied Linguistics area of focus include classroom discourse, conversational analysis, dual language learner education, language and literacy teacher development, language assessment policy, language contact and multilingualism, language diversity, language in school contexts, language planning and policy, multilingualism, peer interaction, second language teaching, sociocultural approaches to second language acquisition, teacher collaboration, codeswitching, and translanguaging. The doctoral program is primarily focused on language education in pre-kindergarten through high school settings in the US.

The program provides competitive financial support packages for all admitted students.

Applied Linguistics and Language Education (ALLE) faculty and doctoral students run an important center on campus, called the Multilingual Research Center (MRC). The MRC is committed to promoting research and outreach related to multilingualism, multilingual communities, and the education of multilingual populations.  It aims to increase the quality and number of TESOL, World Language, and dual language programs and teachers in Maryland, the nation, and the world through outreach; to sponsor and conduct research which illuminates our understanding of multilingualism and multilingual communities; and to disseminate research results to teachers, school systems, and national and international research communities.  The MRC uses its financial resources to support faculty and student research, sponsor prominent outside speakers and visitors, and provide faculty and doctoral students with generous support to attend national and international conferences. Learn more about the MRC .

The University of Maryland is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 37,000 students, 9,000 faculty and staff, and 250 academic programs. Its faculty includes three Nobel laureates, two Pulitzer Prize winners, and 49 members of the national academies.  It is a member of the Association of American Universities and competes athletically as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The College of Education at the University of Maryland is consistently ranked as one of the country’s leading education schools by US News . TLPL’s Division of Language, Literacy, and Social Inquiry is home to the Multilingual Research Center, which seeks to create an infrastructure for practice and research in the broader community.

UMD is the nation’s premier institution for language-related research.  It is home to over 200 language scientists in 17 different departments and centers. The campus-wide Maryland Language Science Center coordinates and creates opportunities for collaborations across disciplines and perspectives, and sponsors a wide range of talks, mini-conferences, and workshops.  Students in the LLSI program are encouraged to take full advantage of program flexibility to draw on the university’s wide range of intellectual resources in this area.

Primary Program Faculty

Shenika Hankerson (PhD, Michigan State University): African American Language; race, equity, language, and literacy; second language writing; language policies and language rights; critical discourse studies. Email [email protected] . 

Jeff MacSwan (PhD, UCLA): Bilingualism; codeswitching; applied linguistics; the role of language in schooling; language assessment policy. Email [email protected] . 

Laura Mahalingappa (PhD, The University of Texas at Austin): Teacher preparation and development for marginalized students; linguistically responsive pedagogy; first and additional language acquisition; critical language pedagogies; language awareness for teachers and learners. Email [email protected] .

Melinda Martin-Beltrán (PhD, Stanford University): Sociocultural approaches to second language acquisition focusing on dual language learners (ESOL students); peer interaction; language exchange; and teacher learning to build upon students’ linguistic and cultural diversity. Email [email protected] . 

Nihat Polat (PhD, University of Texas at Austin): Applied linguistics; individual differences (e.g., motivation, identity) in additional language acquisition (e.g., writing, syntax) and pedagogy (e.g., SIOP); teacher education (e.g., cognition, dispositions); the education of minoritized multilingual learners (e.g., emergent bilinguals, Muslim students in the U.S.). Email [email protected] .

Megan Madigan Peercy (PhD, University of Utah): Pedagogies of teacher education; preparation and development of teachers throughout their careers and as they work with language learners; theory-practice relationship in language teacher education; teacher collaborative relationships and learning. Email [email protected] . 

Kellie Rolstad (PhD, UCLA): Language of schooling; language diversity; second language teaching; unschooling; democratic education. Email [email protected] .   

Participating Faculty

Peter Afflerbach (PhD, State University of New York at Albany): Reading comprehension strategies and processes, especially related to new literacies; the verbal reporting methodology; reading in Internet and hypertext environments; reading assessment.

Ayanna Baccus (PhD, University of Maryland): Reading and literacy instruction.

Perla Blejer (EdD, George Washington University): Second language acquisition; foreign language education methodology; language program administration in higher education; issues of equal opportunity for at-risk students and disadvantaged populations.

Drew Fagan (EdD, Teachers College, Columbia University): Influence of teacher talk on language learning opportunities in classroom discourse; conversation analysis and second/foreign language classroom interactions; factors affecting teachers; preparing mainstream teachers for working with English Language Learners.

Loren Jones (PhD, University of Miami): Literacy and language instruction to support culturally and linguistically diverse students; writing development of English learners (ELs); translanguaging to promote literacy development; teacher preparation for working with ELs across content areas. 

Sarah C. K. Moore (PhD, Arizona State University): Language policy; equity and access for minoritized language communities; educator professional development and preparation around language teaching and learning; online and virtual educator preparation.

John O'Flahavan (PhD, University of Illinois; Urbana-Champaign): PK-12 literacy teaching and learning; the discourses involved in teaching and learning in schools; comprehensive school-wide literacy programs; sustainable school improvement.

Olivia Saracho (PhD, University of Illinois; Urbana-Champaign): Emergent literacy; family literacy; cognitive style and play.

Ebony Terrell Shockley (PhD, University of Maryland, College Park): Teacher preparation for culturally and linguistically diverse learners,  primarily in STEM and literacy contexts; written language assessment bias for bidialectal and multilingual learners; preparing teachers for speakers of African American Language; Black English Learners and the achievement gap; English Learners in Special Education.

Wayne Slater (PhD, University of Minnesota): Persuasion in reading comprehension and written communication, with a focus on biased assimilation and stasis theory.

Jennifer Turner (PhD, Michigan State University): Culturally responsive approaches to elementary reading instruction; vision as a conceptual and practical tool for preparing reading teachers for diversity; literacy as an indicator of college and career readiness; diverse students’ multimodal representations of future professional identities and workplace literacies.

Peggy Wilson (PhD, University of Maryland): Secondary literacy, writing, and grammar.

Affiliated Program Faculty

Donna Christian (PhD, Georgetown University): Dual language education; bilingual education; dialects and education; heritage language education; language and public policy; second/foreign language learning; sociolinguistics. Dr. Christian is a Senior Research Fellow and past President/CEO of the Center for Applied Linguistics.

Elisa Gironzetti (PhD, Texas A&M University-Commerce; PhD, Universidad de Alicante): Applied linguistics; second language and heritage language pedagogy; instructional pragmatics; humor; multimodal discourse analysis. An assistant professor in the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Dr. Gironzetti is director of the Spanish Language Program at UMD.

Francis M. Hult  (PhD, University of Pennsylvania; Docent, University of Jyväskylä): Discourse studies; educational linguistics; ethnography; language policy and planning; linguistic landscapes; multilingual education; nexus analysis; sociolinguistics; sustainability; and transdisciplinarity.  Dr. Hult is Professor of Education at UMBC.

Manel Lacorte (PhD, University of Edinburgh): Applied linguistics; second language and heritage language pedagogy, teacher education, classroom interaction and contexts; sociopolitical issues in second language and heritage language teaching and learning. 

Minglang Zhou (PhD, Michigan State University): Chinese as a second/global language; bilingualism and bilingual education; language identity; language contact; the relationship between language, ethnicity, and nation-state in China. Dr. Zhou is director of the Chinese Language Program and an associate professor in the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at UMD.

The PhD focus in Applied Linguistics and Language Education (ALLE) provides competitive funding packages for all admitted full-time students.  As a general rule, the program anticipates that all its students will devote themselves full time to graduate study, and will not have significant employment outside of the university for the duration of the program.  This permits the ALLE community to function as a community of practice in which students not only attend classes but are also socialized into a scholarly community.  While doctoral programs traditionally focus on a domain (the subject matter or body of knowledge), little attention is generally given to the creating of a community permitting routine interaction around the construction of professional practice. ALLE faculty believe that a successful program must substantially focus on building a strong sense of community among students, extending into the larger intellectual community of faculty within the home department and throughout the university, providing ample opportunity for participants to engage in their principal craft in spaces outside of traditional classrooms.  

These are some of the specific resources ALLE provides to its doctoral students to help build a community of practice:

A shared space .  All ALLE doctoral students are assigned a desk space with other area doctoral students.  This shared space gives students an opportunity to interact intellectually around course content, program expectations, and research collaborations.

The Multilingual Research Center .  ALLE is home to the Multilingual Research Center (MRC), which engages in research and outreach activities in support of linguistic diversity. The MRC provides research funding support, generous conference travel support for students and faculty, and hosts exciting speaker and brown bag events on campus.   Learn more about the  MRC .

The broader intellectual community. ALLE participates in the Maryland Language Science Center (MLSC), a campus-wide consortium of over 200 language scientists and scholars from numerous departments across campus.  The MLSC hosts events, conferences, talks, and research collaboration events throughout the year.  Learn more about the MLSC .

Student-faculty research collaboration . Students and faculty actively collaborate on a wide range of research projects.  Our goal is to involve every student hands-on in research activity, leading to research conference presentations and co-authored publications.  While these publications typically involve faculty participation, students sometimes collaborate with other students as well on collaborative research activity. Review a list of recent coauthored student-faculty publications .

Typical applicants to the Applied Linguistics and Language Education (ALLE) focus in Language Literacy have completed a prior master’s degree and will need to complete an additional 60 credits of coursework at the University of Maryland for the PhD. (In unusual cases, we may admit students who have not yet completed a master’s degree; in that case, an additional 30 credits are required.)Students complete six major components of coursework, as follows:

• TLPL794 Foundations of Educational Research I (3 credits).  An introduction to the “contested terrain” of education research. It examines major conceptual, methodological and political issues embedded in efforts to carry out education research and focuses on the development of the analytic dispositions and communication skills required to carry out research that meets the variously defined quality, utility and significance standards of scholarship in the field.
•   TLPL795 Foundations of Educational Research II (3 credits). Students engage in the process of conceptualizing and completing a rigorous review of a section of literature in their area of specialization.
• Students in the specialization in Applied Linguistics and Language Education (ALLE) are required to take at least one course in Literacy or Reading Education (3 credits)  as a Breadth Requirement .
• TLPL740 Language and Education (3 Credits). Dialect, language varieties in school settings; historical and current perspectives on the role of language in learning; theories of school achievement and consequences for language assessment.
• TLPL743 Teaching English Language Learners: Current and Future Research Directions (3 credits). Research on the preparation of generalists and specialists teaching English Language Learners. Current research and future research directions.
• TLPL744 Research Foundations of Second Language Education: Examining Linguistically Diverse Student Learning (3 credits). Critically examines theories of second language acquisition and research in applied linguistics relevant to linguistically diverse students and learners of English as an additional language. Analysis of research from linguistic, psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic and sociocultural perspectives, with an emphasis on the social contexts of second language learning and teaching. 
• TLPL788 Foundations of Applied Linguistics Research (3 credits). Explores the interdisciplinary field of Applied Linguistics, drawing upon a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches. 
• Students choose four Research Methods courses (12 credits).  Courses may be selected from a wide range of options in qualitative and quantitative research methods and may include TLPL793 Discourse Analysis .
• In consultation with the advisor, students choose six courses (18 credits) as Electives .  The elective provision gives students access to the full range of relevant graduate courses throughout the university.
• While working on the dissertation, students will enroll in 12 credits of Dissertation Research .

The Comprehensive Exam .  Students write a comprehensive exam after the fourth or fifth semester of their program, often in the intervening summer.  The comprehensive exam provides an opportunity for students to review a body of literature relevant to their developing dissertation project interest. The comprehensive exam is evaluated according to a rubric by at least two program faculty.  View Comprehensive Exam Rubric .

The Dissertation Proposal . Typically done the third year, students work closely with an advisor to develop a detailed research plan for the dissertation, called a Dissertation Proposal. The proposal presents a rationale for the study, prior relevant research, and details about the research plan, and generally builds on the work completed for the Comprehensive Exam.  A dissertation committee meets with the student for a Proposal Defense before moving on to the dissertation research.

The Dissertation .  Students produce a final dissertation based on the research plan developed in the Dissertation Proposal.  The results of the study are presented at a Dissertation Final Defense with the student’s dissertation committee.  Family members and other members of the public are welcome to attend

Typical Course Sequence

By design, students will complete the program in four years.  A typical course sequence is shown in the table below.

For more information about the program, contact any of the primary program faculty .  We welcome campus visits for students considering applying to the program and routinely hold information events where students can learn more in person about the program.

For information about applying, contact Kay Moon, TLPL Graduate Coordinator, at (301) 405-3118 or [email protected] .

Department of English

Doctoral program.

• Graduate Studies

Brown's doctoral program in English offers professional training in literary criticism, critical theory, intellectual history, and all aspects of research and pedagogy in the humanities.

We promote the analysis of imaginative forms, cultural logics, and literary and visual rhetorics across the Anglophone world.  Our students are encouraged to think outside traditional conceptions of the discipline of literary studies, and often work with a diverse range of faculty, departments, and centers at Brown. Partner units include the Cogut Institute for the Humanities, the Pembroke Center, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, the Center for Contemporary South Asia, the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America, the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice, and the Departments of Modern Culture and Media, Comparative Literature, History, American Studies, Africana Studies, Literary Arts, French Studies, German Studies, Hispanic Studies, Brazilian and Portuguese Studies, the History of Art and Architecture, and Music.

The first two years of the doctoral program are devoted to course work and the fulfillment of the foreign language requirement. We expect graduate students to take the Qualifying Examination by the end of the third year. Their remaining time in the program is given to the writing of the dissertation. We expect this project to involve research and to demonstrate the potential to become a book or series of articles during the early years of the student’s career as a college or university professor.

Brown’s doctoral program trains graduate students to become teachers as well as researchers. Thus we require that, with some exceptions, our students teach for three years as assistants to members of the English Department faculty and as instructors of sections of ENGL0900 ( formerly ENGL0110 ) Critical Reading and Writing I: The Academic Essay, and ENGL0200 Seminars in Writing, Literatures, and Cultures. This teaching begins in the second year of the program. As part of their course work all students are required to take ENGL2950 Seminar in Pedagogy and Composition Theory. To help develop their teaching skills, we assign students to a variety of teaching positions, from assistant in a large course to instructor of a virtually autonomous workshop. We are convinced that the intellectual relationship between teaching and research is one that stands a college or university teacher in good stead for the duration of his or her career, and we try to establish this relationship early on by assigning graduate students, whenever possible, to teach courses related to their general area of research, and to work with faculty who may serve as appropriate mentors.

Course Requirements

Thirteen courses.

Candidates for the Ph.D. are required to take a minimum of thirteen courses. These courses are typically distributed as follows:

• Six courses in the first year (one of which is the required Proseminar*)
• Five in the second year. ENGL2950 Seminar in Pedagogy and Composition Theory is taken by all students during their second year of graduate studies.
• Two in the third year. The two courses taken in the third year can be independent studies designed to help students prepare for the qualifying exam.

Among the thirteen courses, students must take one in each of the following areas:

• Medieval and Early Modern Literatures and Cultures
• Enlightenment and the Rise of National Literatures and Cultures
• Modern and Contemporary Literatures and Cultures

Graduate students are also required to take one course during their first year of study that focuses on race and empire, which can also satisfy one of the three area requirements listed above.

*First-year graduate students are required to take ENGL2210. This Proseminar aims to familiarize students with contemporary critical debates and stances in the wider discipline, engage with current methodologies, theories, and analytical tensions and address issues of professionalization as they relate to the first years of graduate work.

Foreign Language

Foreign language competence and courses in particular areas of specialization are required.

Ph.D. candidates can satisfy the language requirement by demonstrating an ability to use a foreign language in their scholarly and critical work. The department offers its own language exams. Students may ordinarily choose any language  appropriate to their research interests, but some fields within English and American literature have specific requirements.

Professionalization Seminars

Throughout the year, the Department plans a series of seminars that address a variety of timely academic topics that are meant to enhance the students' professional development , as well as expose them to important elements of an academic career. The seminars are usually led by faculty members, and the topics are determined each year by the Graduate Committee. Students in all years are strongly recommended to attend the professionalization seminars since they are a constitutive part of graduate formation.

Learn about Professional Development

Masters from Another Institution

In their second year at Brown, students who already have an A.M. (or M.A.) in English or graduate credit from another institution may transfer up to one year’s coursework toward the requirements for the Ph.D. at the discretion of the department.

Qualifying Examination

The purpose of the Qualifying Examination is to certify your mastery of the scholarly field in which you have chosen to specialize. It consists of two components:

• Written Component—an essay of approximately 20 pages representing your best scholarly work to date and submitted to your committee by September 15 of your third year, and
• Oral Examination—the oral exam is given by a committee of three faculty members chosen by the candidate; it lasts approximately two hours. The exam is taken by April 15 of the third year. The foreign language requirement must be completed in order to take the exam. See the Graduate Student Handbook for detailed guidelines.

Dissertation

The dissertation is a substantial work of criticism and scholarship that makes a contribution to professionally recognized areas of literary study. The dissertation process begins when the candidate’s proposal and first chapter are approved by a committee in his or her field and accepted by the Director of Graduate Studies. It concludes when the completed dissertation is presented to a committee of three faculty members, including the dissertation director, and successfully defended in discussion with the committee and other interested members of the department.

See Past Dissertation Topics

Financial Assistance

The University offers incoming graduate students six years of guaranteed financial support, including a stipend, tuition remission, a health services fee, and a health insurance subsidy. Students are supported by a fellowship in the first year. In years two, three, five, and six, students are supported by a teaching assistantship, and in year four by a dissertation fellowship. Financial support is contingent upon students remaining in good standing in the program and making good progress toward the doctoral degree.

Applications & Deadlines

Applications must be submitted electronically via the  Graduate School's website .

• The deadline for applications is  December 15, 2023 .
• The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general and subject tests are not required.
• Application materials should not be sent directly to the English Department.

• Departments and Units
• Majors and Minors
• LSA Course Guide
• LSA Gateway

Search: {{$root.lsaSearchQuery.q}}, Page {{$root.page}}

• News & Events
• Affiliated Programs
• Interest Groups
• Undergraduates
• Graduate Programs
• Alumni & Friends

• English Major
• Creative Writing Minor
• English Department Writing Program
• English Major with Teaching Certification
• Capstone Program in Creative Writing
• English in Action
• 2024 Commencement
• English Minor
• Capstone Program in Research
• Advising Information
• Study Abroad
• Current Students
• Faculty Fields
• How to Apply
• Internship Program
• Ph.D. Dissertations
• Prospective Students
• Certificate Programs
• Giving to English
• Alumni Resources
• Alumni Survey
• Sponsor Student Careers
• Parents & Visitors
• Alumni Profiles
• Annual Newsletter
• Lasting Impressions

PhD in English Language and Literature

• Admissions FAQ

The online application portal for 2024 applications will be available tentatively in September 2024.

This is a strict deadline..

All applications and supplemental materials (including at least two letters of recommendation) are due by 11:59pm, EST, on December 10, 2024 to meet our deadline. 

The fee for United States citizens and those with permanent resident visa status is $75. The fee for non-U.S. citizens is $90. The application fee for current Rackham students, regardless of citizenship, is $10. This fee is non-refundable and subject to change.

Make sure you have every document uploaded before you submit your application (excluding letters of recommendation), once you click on the submit button, you will not be able to go back into your application to make any changes. 

Admission decisions for Fall 2024 will be made and applicants will be notified in early March 2024.

Applicants with Master's degrees are given equal consideration for admission, but are not guaranteed advanced standing in the program. We do not accept Non-Candidate for Degree status applicants to our program. We do not offer online courses, our program is a full-time residency program.

Submitting your application

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE DETAILS. 

In some sections what we require differs from what is stated on the generic application form. 

Transcripts

Transcripts:.

• All applicants must upload a scanned copy, front and back, of their official transcript/academic record issued by the Registrar or Records Office to the applicant, to ApplyWeb for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned or in progress. The scanned copy of the official transcript is used for initial review by the graduate program faculty.
• A downloaded transcript from your school portal or system is an unofficial transcript and not acceptable for review.
• If you are attending or have graduated from a Non-U.S. institution, review the Required Academic Credentials from Non-U.S. Institutions for requirements by country.
• If you have community or junior college, non-degree, or study abroad coursework, indicate this information on page ten of the application under the “Additional Information” section. Do not submit any transcripts from a community or junior college, non-degree, or study abroad coursework to Rackham unless you attended a Non-U.S. institution. 

Applicants that are attending/graduated from a NON-U.S. Institution

• Review  Required Academic Credentials from Non-U.S. Institutions  for transcript/academic record requirements by country or region. Submitting transcript/academic records is a two-step process:

1: Uploading transcripts through the ApplyWeb application account:

Upload an electronic version of your official transcript/academic record for each Bachelor's, Master's, Professional, or Doctoral degree earned, or in progress, through your application account.

2: Sending official transcripts to the Rackham Graduate School:

Submit an official transcript/academic record for each institution attended at the time of application. See our detailed instructions on how to submit transcripts/academic records to the Rackham Graduate School: https://rackham.umich.edu/admissions/applying/transcripts/

Test Scores

Submit the following electronically through the online application.

GRE Test Scores - NOT required

• The General GRE Test is NOT required. The application will still ask for this information, but it does not need to be sent in.

• The GRE Subject test is NOT required.

English Proficiency Tests Accepted:

Ecpe , ielts , met , toefl, for a complete description of english proficiency tests accepted please visit rackham english proficiency requirements website page., test of english as a foreign language (toefl).

• Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL.

• The minumum TOEFL score accepted is 620 on paper, 260 on the computer, or 106 internet.

• The test date must be within 2 years of the application deadline.

• Photocopies and/or faxed scores will not be accepted.

• For a complete description of English proficiency tests accepted please visit Rackham English Proficiency Requirements website page.

• Be sure to include our Institution code of 1839 when sending your TOEFL scores.

• The department code is not required.

• Exceptions are made if your degree was earned from:

an institution where the language of instruction is English, exclusively. This exception does not apply if some classes completed were taught in a language other than English. Vertification from the school may be required.

a country where the official language is English (Australia, England, New Zealand).

Three Letters of Recommendation

Please register your recommenders on the "Letters of Recommendation" application page and submit recommendation request before you submit your final application. This will ensure that all materials are submitted by the Decemer 10 deadline. You do not need to wait to submit this request until you submit your final application.

All application materials, including the recommendation letters are due by the December 10 deadline. 

We do not accept hard copies, faxed, e-mailed, or recommendation letters submitted through Interfolio.

You can submit your application prior to the submission of all three letters of recommendation.

Additional Required Application Materials

Submit the following as PDFs through the online application.

Academic Statement of Purpose

A clearly labeled academic and intellectual Statement of Purpose: up to three pages, double spaced, statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how Michigan's graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives. Disregard the 500 word limit as stated on the application.

Personal Statement

A clearly labeled biographical Personal Statement: up to two pages, double spaced, statement about how your personal background and life experiences, including social, cultural, familial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. This is not an Academic Statement of Purpose, but a discussion of the personal journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree. Disregard the 500 word limit as stated on the application.

Curriculum Vitae / Resume

No page limit.

Writing Sample

A writing sample of around 25 pages, double spaced, of critical or scholarly writing, excluding notes and bibliography. Notes and bibliography have no page limit.

Please select a sub-plan. You may refer to the list below for examples of sub-plans, though a sub-plan need not be listed here to be valid on the application.

Admissions Conduct Code

The Admissions Conduct Code questions are part of the online application process. You will be prompted to provide the necessary information and your response will be submitted electronically. There is no need to follow-up with paper copies.

International Students: Medical Screening

Immunizations for International StudentsThe University of Michigan does not require immunizations. However, it is recommended that students come to school fully immunized to protect their health. Immunizations are one of the most effective public health measures in preventing communicable diseases.  Immunization recommendations can be found on the University Health Services website .

• All credentials submitted for admission consideration become the property of the University of Michigan and will not be returned in original or copy form.

• Make sure you receive an electronic confirmation of your submitted application.

If you have additional questions please email [email protected]

Hours: M-F 8 am - 4:30 pm

• Information For
• Faculty and Staff
• Alumni and Friends
• More about LSA
• How Do I Apply?
• LSA Magazine
• Student Resources
• Academic Advising
• Global Studies
• LSA Opportunity Hub
• Social Media
• Update Contact Info
• Privacy Statement
• Report Feedback

PhD in Educational Leadership Future Faculty Founders: Shape Tomorrow

Credit Hours

View Courses

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Grow Your Teaching and Researching Skills with Liberty’s PhD in Educational Leadership

A successful education system requires outstanding leadership and guidance from the top of the organization. With advanced training in educational leadership and research, Liberty University’s 100% online PhD in Educational Leadership degree program will help you gain valuable communication and problem-solving skills based on empirical research to lead your students, faculty, and staff to success.

Our PhD in Educational Leadership online can provide you with the tools and skills you need to lead an educational administration as well as develop research materials and publications to contribute to the body of knowledge in your field. Through this educational leadership doctorate, you can develop the research-based critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to lead at any level of an educational organization.

Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America

• What Sets Us Apart?
• Private Nonprofit University
• 600+ Online Degrees
• No Standardized Testing for Admission
• Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
• Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Why Choose Liberty’s PhD in Educational Leadership?

Liberty’s online PhD in Educational Leadership can help you build upon your teaching experience and graduate education by developing an in-depth dissertation research topic. You can learn to thoroughly examine literature, design and conduct research, and disseminate said research to other researchers in educational leadership, practitioners, and policymakers.

Furthermore, your educational leadership doctorate is 100% online, which means you are not required to attend courses on campus throughout your degree. We are committed to helping you obtain your degree in a way that is most convenient for you. You will also receive training and instruction from professors who are grounded in their Christian faith and ready to equip you to be a Champion for Christ in the education field.

What Will You Study in Liberty’s PhD in Educational Leadership?

Liberty University’s educational leadership courses integrate theoretical knowledge with the practical skills necessary for effective educational leadership. As you begin our PhD in Educational Leadership degree online, you can learn how to apply organizational theories and models to create and lead higher education organizations and implement best practices. You will also cover issues of effective communication and how to develop productive relationships both inside and outside the school.

Our educational leadership courses teach you how to analyze and evaluate rational and irrational decision-making as it relates to educational leadership and policy formulation. It is important to understand the current issues and trends in educational leadership so you can learn to handle conflict efficiently and effectively.

In addition, you will conduct research and develop your dissertation to contribute to the field of educational leadership. These courses are intense so that you can effectively design and conduct research for your dissertation. This will allow you to take what you’ve gained in your professional degree and apply it to a more focused research doctorate.

Potential Career Opportunities

• College or university administrator
• College or university professor and/or researcher
• District administrator
• Educational change agent
• Educational consultant for an education organization or government agency
• Leadership researcher
• Performance improvement officer
• Principal or assistant principal*

*This will require outside licensure

Featured Courses

• EDUC 701 – Advanced Learning Theory and Research
• EDUC 741 – Theories of Educational Leadership
• EDUC 745 – Organizational Analysis and Problem Solving
• EDUC 840 – Issues and Trends in Educational Leadership

Degree Information

• This program falls under our School of Education .
• View the Graduate Education Course Guides (login required) .
• This is a non-licensure program.

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)

Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

• Tuition & Aid

Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.

Eligible current and former military service members and their spouses may qualify for a special rate of $300/credit hour ( learn more ) .

All Tuition & Fees

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid Forms & Eligibility

Scholarship Opportunities

Admission Information for Our Online PhD in Educational Leadership

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing.
• An acceptable official college transcript must be issued directly from the institution in a sealed envelope with a signature across the back. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. You may also complete the Transcript Request Form to allow Liberty to attempt to request your transcripts on your behalf.
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your doctoral degree after the last day of class for your master’s degree.
• Complete a Master’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show that you are within 6 credit hours of completion for a 30-48 credit hour master’s degree or within 9 credit hours of completion for a 49+ credit hour master’s degree.
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new doctoral degree.

Transcript Policies

Official college transcript policy.

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

Admissions Office Contact Information

(800) 424-9596

(888) 301-3577

Email for Questions

[email protected]

Email for Documents

[email protected]

Liberty University Online Admissions Verification

1971 University Blvd.

Lynchburg, VA 24515

Ready to Apply?

Submit your application online or over the phone.

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

• Active Duty
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees

Military Tuition Discount

We want to help you find the doctoral degree you want – at a price you’ve earned. As a thank-you for your military service, Liberty University offers eligible current and former service members like you or your spouse multiple pathways to earn a doctoral degree for only $300/credit hour . Find out how you can take advantage of this unique opportunity as you work toward your goal of reaching the pinnacle of your profession – for less.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many educational research courses are required in the online phd program.

Our online PhD program requires 18 hours in educational research courses. Completing your PhD gives you a terminal educational credential that shows employers you have reached the academic pinnacle of your field’s achievement.

Inner Navigation

• Why Choose Liberty?
• What Will You Study?
• Admission Information

Have questions?

Are you ready to change your future?

Apply FREE This Week*

Request Information

*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, non-degree-seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and certificate students.

Request Information About a Program

Request info about liberty university online, what program are you interested in, choose a program level.

Choose a program level

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Certificate

Select a Field of Study

Select a field of study

Select a Program

Select a program

Next: Contact Info

Legal full name.

Enter legal full name

Legal Last Name

Enter legal last name

Enter an email address

Enter a phone number

Full Address

Enter an address

Apt., P.O. Box, or can’t find your address? Enter it manually instead .

Select a Country

Street Address

Enter Street Address

Enter State

ZIP/Postal Code

Enter Zip Code

Back to automated address search

Start my application now for FREE

Health Science Center

What Can we help you find?

Popular Searches

• Academic Calendar
• Study Abroad
• Majors & Minors
• Request Info

UT Tyler Health Science Center

Build a healthier tomorrow.

Home to the region’s only academic medical center, The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center is one of the five campuses of UT Tyler. Two of UT Tyler’s four health-related schools have a presence on this campus: the School of Health Professions and the School of Medicine.

Campus History

Our Beginnings

Joining the University of Texas System

A Name Change

New Programs

Campus Programs and Facilities

The UT Tyler Health Science Center facility offers an array of crucial medical and healthcare education resources, fostering an environment dedicated to excellence in education. From cutting-edge simulation labs to dedicated research spaces, every aspect of the UT Tyler Health Science Center is designed to enhance the educational experience. This dynamic campus is not just a hub for learning; it’s a catalyst for progress in healthcare education and a testament to UT Tyler's commitment to shaping the future of healthcare in the East Texas region.

Office of Health Affairs

School of Health Professions

School of Medicine

Center for Biomedical Research

Simulation in Medicine and Immersive Learning Experience Center

Watson W. Wise Medical Research Library

Public Health Laboratory of East Texas

UT Health North Campus Tyler (UTHET)

HOPE Cancer Center

A Regional Leader in Health Research

UT Tyler pioneers solutions to improve health. Several research centers, including the Center for Mycobacterial Treatment and Discovery and the Center for Biomedical Research, are housed on this campus. The centers build on our history of innovative treatments for lung disease and focus on the health concerns of rural populations through projects funded by agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Students benefit from hands-on research opportunities and instruction informed by the latest developments in the field. 

Dr. Maolin Lu

Assistant Professor of Cellular and Molecular Biology

Meet Professor Lu

Community Outreach and Engagement

Ut health east texas.

In its regional network of hospitals, clinics and other facilities, UT Health East Texas delivers world-class care to thousands of patients each year while conducting clinical trials and training the next generation of professionals through UT Tyler’s unique programs. The UT Tyler Health Science Center is home to UT Health North Campus Tyler .

Public Health Programs

Faculty, staff and students at the UT Tyler Health Science Center campus connect their expertise with local community needs to assist traditionally underserved populations through an array of health and outreach programs, including behavioral health telemedicine services for rural populations, cancer screenings, parental education, lifestyle changes and more.

Pollen and Mold Count

UT Tyler's Health Science Center provides a daily pollen and mold count as a resource to the community. See today's counts as well as prior counts.

Connect With Us

The university of texas at tyler health science center.

Phone:   903.877.7777

We’re pioneering the future of healthcare in East Texas. Find out how you can join us.

11937 U.S. Hwy. 271 Tyler, TX 75708-3154