Second Language Acquisition, Ph.D.

Program Overview

The Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Wisconsin–Madison provides a comprehensive understanding of the field, developing research skills for students to pursue their own research agendas. Graduates can pursue careers as university faculty, foreign language program directors, educational policymakers, or multilingual specialists. The program includes coursework in research methods, electives, and dissertation credits, with assessment through preliminary exams, dissertation proposal approval, and thesis defense.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• The Ph.D.
Program in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is a rigorous interdisciplinary academic program that embodies the university’s mission to foster the study of globally important issues.
• The program provides students with a thorough understanding of the scope of SLA as a field of inquiry and helps them develop and refine research skills that will serve them as they pursue their own research agendas.
• Graduates with a Ph.D. in SLA may pursue scholarly and professional careers as university faculty, directors of foreign language programs, educational policymakers, and multilingual specialists.

Outline:

Course List

| Course Code | Course Title | Credits | |---|---|---| | ENGL 318 | Second Language Acquisition | 3 | | ENGL 711 | Research Methods in Applied Linguistics | 3 | | Pre-approved quantitative research methods courses | Please choose one 3-credit option: | 3 | | ED PSYCH 760 | Statistical Methods Applied to Education I | | | ED PSYCH 761 | Statistical Methods Applied to Education II | | | SOC/C&E SOC 360 | Statistics for Sociologists I | | | Pre-approved qualitative research methods courses | Please choose one 3-credit option: | 3 | | AFRICAN 926 | Seminar in Research Methods in African Cultural Studies | | | CURRIC 714 | Research and Evaluation Paradigms in Curriculum and Instruction | | | CURRIC 715 | Design of Research in Curriculum and Instruction | | | CURRIC/COUN PSYCH/ED POL/ED PSYCH/ELPA/RP & SE 719 | Introduction to Qualitative Research | | | CURRIC 916 | Smr: Special Topics in Research & Evaluation in Curriculum & Instruction | | | ENGL 703 | Research Methods in Composition Studies | | | Electives | Chosen in consultation with advisor | 30 | | Dissertation Credits | | 19 | Note: Students must submit a short statement (2-3 pages) at the end of their third semester, discussing how the courses that they have taken so far, as well as those that they plan to take in the future semester(s), inform their dissertation research and their envisioned career path.

Assessment:

• Students must take preliminary exams within one semester of completing coursework.
• The dissertation proposal must be approved by the student’s dissertation proposal committee no later than one calendar year after the student becomes a dissertator.
• The last step in completing the Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition is the successful defense of a doctoral thesis or dissertation, followed by its deposit with the Graduate School.

Teaching:

• Students may receive financial support through several departments, programs, and institutes, depending on their qualifications.
• Students with a background in foreign language or English teaching may work as graduate teaching assistants (TAs) in departments in which those languages are taught.
• Other students work as graduate project assistants (PA) for the Language Institute or other units on campus.
• In addition to these TA and PA positions, select SLA students receive university fellowships (including the Advanced Opportunity Fellowships) upon entry into the program or when working on their dissertations.

Careers:

• A Ph.D. in SLA opens the door to scholarly and professional careers as university faculty, directors of foreign language programs, educational policymakers, and multilingual specialists.